Thoughts and concerns about reloading.

[Ulmus]

I was listening to Michael talk about reloading and it brought back my curiosity about it.

I talked to my wife about reloading, but she is very against it from a safety aspect.  She feels its as dangerous as riding a motorcycle in Florida during "snowbird" season!

So how safe is reloading?  What are the chances of blowing up the house or yourself?  (Without doing something stupid like smoking while reloading and flicking the ashes in the gunpowder.)  How hot can powder and primers get before becoming dangerous? What about pressures added to the summer heat?  How easy is it to accidentally discharge a round as you try to push in the primer?

How safe is the hand reloader that Lee makes? 

With any reloader, do you have to worry about static electricity from the TV?

As you can see from the questions I have absolutely no clue about reloading, so one last question.

Are there classes you can take to lear how to reload?

[TAB]

The chances of you blowing up/burning down the house, are exactly the same with handling any other flamable chemicals.  infact I would be willing to bet right now you have several chemicals in your garage/basment that are far more dangerous then gun powder when it comes to burning/exploding.

[long762range]

So how safe is reloading?  What are the chances of blowing up the house or yourself?  (Without doing something stupid like smoking while reloading and flicking the ashes in the gunpowder.)  How hot can powder and primers get before becoming dangerous? What about pressures added to the summer heat?  How easy is it to accidentally discharge a round as you try to push in the primer?
How safe is the hand reloader that Lee makes? 
With any reloader, do you have to worry about static electricity from the TV?
As you can see from the questions I have absolutely no clue about reloading, so one last question.
Are there classes you can take to lear how to reload?

I have reloaded for 30 years and still have most of my fingers and one eyebrow.

Reloading is very safe if you use common sense safety measures.

Begin by buying a reloading data book.  I have several but use the Sierra Rifle and Handgun Reloading Data book most.
The better ones have safety instructions on reloading and will give you some idea of how to safely proceed.  Sierras reloading section is 83 pages long and gives a very good basic idea how to safely reload.  The bulk of the book is reloading data on a ton of different calibers and bullet weights. 

You can purchase a Basic reloading kit from many manufacturers.  RCBS as well as many others have kits for around $140.00 that contain everything you need to start reloading except the die set for the specific caliber you want to reload.

The process is this:  you place a shell casing in the loader with a forming die and pull the handle.  The die both forms the case to the correct shape and size and knocks out the spend primer.  You then can place in a new primer in the case using the primer arm on the press.  The primer is encased in the primer arm and cannot blow up if proper seated.  Even if improperly seated it will just crush the primer without detonating it.

There is no powder in the newly primed case so nothing can blow up

You then put the gun powder in the case using a scale that comes with the kit to measure the powder or a purpose built powder scoop as Lee makes.

Using the second die you place the bullet over the case and pull the loader arm down and vola!  The complete bullet.

Some calibers require a third die to widen the mouth of the case to accept the bullet.

Powders and primers should be kept away from heat.  Don't store them near the water heater or in the trunk of your car in the summer.  I keep my powder on a shelf in the garage.  I have not heard of any problem with static electricity setting off gunpowder though is suppose a direct lightning strike woud do it.   

I do a lot of 3-gun and pistol competition and cut my cost to about half by reloading my own.

[tombogan03884]

They beat me to it.  Gunpowder is safer than your wife's fingernail polish remover.

[philw]

I do a lot of 3-gun and pistol competition and cut my cost to about half by reloading my own.

personly I am not looking at saving $$$ I am looking at reloading to shoot more hehe




I am just getting everything together to start my self  almost got everything

as long as you follow the recommended loads  for the powder / projectiles then you should have no issues

also static and power you will not have any issues
even for Black Powder  http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/sparks/sparks.html

[Sponsor]

[Pathfinder]

So how safe is reloading?  What are the chances of blowing up the house or yourself?  (Without doing something stupid like smoking while reloading and flicking the ashes in the gunpowder.)  How hot can powder and primers get before becoming dangerous? What about pressures added to the summer heat?  How easy is it to accidentally discharge a round as you try to push in the primer?

How safe is the hand reloader that Lee makes? 

With any reloader, do you have to worry about static electricity from the TV?

As you can see from the questions I have absolutely no clue about reloading, so one last question.

Are there classes you can take to lear how to reload?

Reloaders - Some are pricey, some or relatively inexpensive, I have yet to hear of one that is junk. They may be out there, I have not heard of them.

Powder & Primers - I keep the powder in a dehumidied safe. I do not store the primers in the same safe, but in a metal cabinet at the other side of the house in the garage. Static could be a problem, easily rectified by a grounding strap wherever you think it could be an issue.

Remember, materials like powder gets it explosive power from from being contained. Open containers will flare rather violently, but if not packed in a strong casing will usually not explode. Don't reload near open flame (water heater with a pilot light, etc.) and don't smoke while reloading either. (duh!)

Classes - check your local gunshop, usually they know of locals who will be happy to teach you in a class if in fact not 1-on-1.

TV - I don't reload (yet - I have a Dillon 550B I am trying to get set up, gotta find the room first), but one thing I have heard from a number of sources -

No TV, no movies, no friends over for idle chit chat, no talk radio, no kids, no nothing other than working the reloader. FOCUS on the reloading ONLY.

[charliefarmerboy33]

My Father and I got into reloading over 20 years ago. As has been stated by others the materials are safer than having finger nail polish  remover in the cabinet, using light duty extension cords or having a live Christmas tree in the house during the holidays. I do all of these things too (The finger nail polish remover isn't mine).

I truly believe the best book to get even before you get started is "The ABC's of Reloading" by Dean A. Grennell.

It is a great resource for the beginner or the experienced reloader.

Reloading is fun. The process is fun. I can't be out shooting all the time. In between I can enjoy all the parts of reloading, save some money (depending on how much you shoot and after investing in equipment).

I do a lot of bullet casting too. Again because it is fun. And saves money.

Did I mention that I think it is fun.

[Solus]

No TV, no movies, no friends over for idle chit chat, no talk radio, no kids, no nothing other than working the reloader. FOCUS on the reloading ONLY.[/size]

By far the most important rules to remember. 

Without this focus on what you are doing, you may produce faulty ammo.  This is by far the greatest danger in reloading.  It will not blow up your house, but could blow up your weapon upon firing.

Primers are the most dangerous element of reloading.  You will notice they are packaged so that they are flat and do not face each other.  This is an important safety precaution.  DO NOT place primers in a primer tube until you are ready to use them.  Stacked in a tube they do present a hazard at the reloading bench. 

In my 30+ years of reloading, I have had but one incident and it involved primers stored in a tube.  I had several loaded tubes on my bench and was working of something else and was shaking the bench with what I was doing.  I had placed a hand held sledge hammer on a shelf above the tubes and it was shaken loose and fell onto the primer tubes detonating the primers in one of the tubes.  Shrapnel from the exploding primer embedded in my and and fingers and required a trip to the Emergency Room.

I did a couple of stupid things: Primers stored in the tubes and a heavy hammer above the workbench.  Both stupid independently.

Smokeless power is not explosive if it is not "enclosed".  It is very flammable and burns very hot and fast.

Loaded rounds tossed into a fire do not pose much of a threat from the bullet when they explode, but may from bits of the case which may rupture.

Lighting a charcoal grill with lighter fluid or a propane grill that doesn't ignite  at the first "click" of the starter are both more "explosive" than igniting working quantities of smokeless powder.

I suspect that a 20lb propane take is more of a hazard than 20lb of smokeless powder should they be ignited by a house fire.

 

[Timothy]

There is an older guy that shoots at a range near my house who reloads.  I don't know anything at all about the process nor do I care too.  I do know that when he gets up to the line, everyone else backs away!

Squibs, misfires, stovepipes, FTE...this guys problems are too numerous to mention but it's obvious to the most casual observer that he probably shouldn't be reloading his own ammunition.

[MikeBjerum]

There is an older guy that shoots at a range near my house who reloads.  I don't know anything at all about the process nor do I care too.  I do know that when he gets up to the line, everyone else backs away!

Squibs, misfires, stovepipes, FTE...this guys problems are too numerous to mention but it's obvious to the most casual observer that he probably shouldn't be reloading his own ammunition.

This has been my experience as well.  Most reloaders have absolutely no problems, and their reloading set up is safer than the kitchen in their home.  However, it is the one guy out of 100 that gives it a bad name for all.  We have a guy here that is constantly leaving the powder of shells and then double charging.  No one wants to be on the station next to him when shooting trap.  He is also the only one at the club that doesn't flinch when he pulls the trigger.

Over on www.shootingusa.com rcbs has a section under pro tips.  Go there and watch the segments on set up and procedure.  Larry Potterfield also has some that can be viewed on line, as well as many others.  Read the "getting set up and/or started" section in a couple reloading manuals, and you will have a safe and secure hobby area, and you will have an enjoyable and rewarding passtime. 

For me, reloading adds many hours of enjoyment to my shooting.  It gives me the chance to remember past outings and plan for future ones.