Avoiding a double charge in the 38 Special

[Ben]

My grandson Trevor, age 13 , visited yesterday and we sat at the loading bench using his ( Portable reloading kit ) that is set up for 38 Special.

He was throwing 3.0 grs. of B'Eye , then seating a 150 gr. 358477 HP cast bullet. All went well for 50 rounds. I watched him closely to be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that no double charges occurred.

He is taught to pick up a primed empty case from the loading block that is " primer up " in the loading block. He is taught to examine the empty case for anything that looks unusual. Spider webs, trash, etc.

He takes that case to the powder measure and throws a single charge of 3.0 of Bullseye, IMMEDIATELY he seats a bullet in the case, puts that round in the reloading press and seats and crimps the bullet.

All went well yesterday. Last night I went to bed thinking about the possibility of a " double charge " with Bullseye after I'm dead and gone and he is loading on his own.

I did a lot of reading today looking for a propellant that would not allow a double charge in a 38 Special. The only one I found with 30 minutes of reading was Trail Boss. Problem is Trail Boss isn't available around here.

I have large quantities of 2400 powder. Seems that in a 38 Special , 9.0 - 9.5 grs. with the 358477 makes a good load. I wanted to see if a " double charge " of this load would fit in the 38 Special. Answer is - - YES . However, you'll not have any room for the 358477 cast bullet.

I may have this riddle solved.

 

[Dimner]

I'm with you Ben in a similar situation. Sometimes, a handloader of jacketed bullets will ask me to cast for them and help make up a load recommendation. I never suggest a powder that has the possibility of a double charge. 2400 is great in that regard.

 

[Ben]

I am just trying to optimize his chances for safety.
Until further notice, I think this will be the direction of travel for the two of us.

He is no where near close to taking his reloading kit home with him and loading on his own ( without any supervision ). As he gets into his " late teens " he may be proficient enough to take his kit home with him.

Safety 1st, everything else follows.................

Ben

 

[462]

Ben, many years ago, and on a whim, I bought a bottle of Trail Boss (comes in a 9 ounce bottle rather than 16, because of its bulkiness). While I didn't try it in either the .38 Special or .357 Mag., and it didn't prove itself in reduced cast rifle loads, its .45 ACP accuracy is exceptional. I won't be buying it again, but you might keep it in mind for Trevor's handgun usage.

Even with the .45 ACP's minimum load, a double charge will overflow the case.

 

[Jeff H]

Brilliant!

A can of Bullseye would go a lot farther, but only until you "overdo" it and destroy the gun/get hurt. I have a process AT MY BENCH, which is designed to mitigate the potential for a double-charge, but I want to set up a portable system for the 357 revolver/carbine combo and loading in the field will not be conducive to current practices AT MY BENCH.

@Ben I'm thinking a really valuable, valid and viable "Thread of Note" might be one outlining the components and selection criteria thereof for your portable kit. I want to put something like this together, but am still torn between the "Whack-a-Mole" Lee Loader and a hand-press with an extra set of dies. Your typical sound reasoning for how you chose what you did would be invaluable to the group and uncommitted lurkers, all.

 

[smokeywolf]

You might look at Unique. Been a long time since I've used anything other than Bullseye for 38 SPL, But if memory serves, a double charge of Unique comes close to or right to the mouth of the case.

 

[Ben]

Brilliant!

A can of Bullseye would go a lot farther, but only until you "overdo" it and destroy the gun/get hurt. I have a process AT MY BENCH, which is designed to mitigate the potential for a double-charge, but I want to set up a portable system for the 357 revolver/carbine combo and loading in the field will not be conducive to current practices AT MY BENCH.

@Ben I'm thinking a really valuable, valid and viable "Thread of Note" might be one outlining the components and selection criteria thereof for your portable kit. I want to put something like this together, but am still torn between the "Whack-a-Mole" Lee Loader and a hand-press with an extra set of dies. Your typical sound reasoning for how you chose what you did would be invaluable to the group and uncommitted lurkers, all.

Look at this :

Reloading on the " GO " !

I want to see my grandson reload someday. He may not have a workbench, a basement, or an expansive reloading set up like some of you guys do ? I have him a portable reloading system set up that will be his some day. It has everything in the box to reload . It can be set up for 30-06 or 38...

www.artfulbullet.com

 

[Ben]

You might look at Unique. Been a long time since I've used anything other than Bullseye for 38 SPL, But if memory serves, a double charge of Unique comes close to or right to the mouth of the case.

Thanks, I'll look at that.

 

[Jeff H]

Look at this :

Reloading on the " GO " !

I want to see my grandson reload someday. He may not have a workbench, a basement, or an expansive reloading set up like some of you guys do ? I have him a portable reloading system set up that will be his some day. It has everything in the box to reload . It can be set up for 30-06 or 38...

www.artfulbullet.com

LOL! Guess If I'd have looked past my nose...

Guilty! I explain to my students that we (males especially) are afflicted with "mail pattern blind-spot," which is right under our noses.

Thank you, Ben.

 

[Dimner]

I have used unique and blue dot in a similar way.

Trailboss is my goto powder for reduced rifle loads in 30 cals and 556. Love the stuff. I'd buy more in an instant if I could find it. Then again, I would buy a bunch of pounds more of blue dot and Unique if I could find that too. Alliant is still not shipping powder. At least to anywhere I can find online and to my local shops.

 

[Jeff H]

It IS tough to beat Unique for the whole idea of a portable kit too. I'm able to load medium-level 38s and 357s, up to "medium-plus" in the 357 - usually up to a bit over 1kfps. It would add a lot of versatility as well as some economy. It's my number-one, never-be-without powder for cast revolver and carbine loads anyway.

 

[RicinYakima]

Ben, at what point will he become trustworthy and responsible on his own? Looking for signs when I teach reloading.

 

[Ben]

Right now , simple things like :

• Which die is the sizing die ?
• What does a flare die look like ?
• How do I adjust the seating die ?

A lot of things that just about everyone of us take for granted seem to elude him. I'm not going to " turn him loose " until I see that he has mastered the process, just too risky. We don't have a deadline for this. It will happen when it happens. Right now, we are some distance away.

The final exam will consist of me handing him 50 ea. pieces of fired 38 Spec. brass and his " self contained 38 Spec. reloading kit ".

I won't be answering any questions. He can either load 50 rounds properly, or he can't.

Ben

 

[CZ93X62]

Full agreement with Ben's course of instruction in its entirety. As economical as Bullseye and WW-231/HP-38 can be for 38 Special and 45 ACP, those powdered cases get seated in a 50-count loading block and I look at EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM to confirm equal powder levels, often with a flashlight. In that respect, my regimen differs a bit--but it works for me. Knocking on wood here.......so far, no damaged firearms.

 

[Ben]

I'll avoid a comment on this.

Ben

 

[Bret4207]

I've always charged the case and then put the bullet on top and put it in a different block. Good habits make safe reloading. It's pretty important not to double charge something like the 32 S+W where you're only using 1 or 1.3 grs of powder. You can double charge, probably even triple charge with a load like that and maybe not see it.

 

[Ben]

I've always charged the case and then put the bullet on top and put it in a different block. Good habits make safe reloading. It's pretty important not to double charge something like the 32 S+W where you're only using 1 or 1.3 grs of powder. You can double charge, probably even triple charge with a load like that and maybe not see it.

So very true ! !

 

[Ian]

I was about Trevor's age when I started handloading .38 Special with Bullseye. All I had was a Speer #11 that I had read through many times, and a kerosene lamp and Code Four flashlight for light. I'm still here and have all my guns and body parts in working order. The #1 thing that enables us to manage risk effectively is our brains. Know what you are doing, and establish routines to ensure that it is done correctly, every time.

Ben, you're teaching Trevor techniques and the importance of them which will keep him safe long after you're gone. The whole process of learning safe handloading and safe shooting will help him in many other of life's endeavors as well...for life is fraught with danger and risk, and learning how to manage these things is an invaluable skill.

 

[waco]

I recently acquired a Ruger Single Six in .32 H&R Mag. I load all my handgun stuff on my Dillon. I don’t have the conversion kit for this caliber so I put my dies in my turret press. Loading handgun rounds this way is foreign to me. I was loading a 100gr cast bullet using 3.0gr of Redot.
My method for safety was to put my primed brass in a loading block next to my RCBS Charge Master. Charge a case with powder and then put it into a different loading block six feet away on the other side of my bench.
All cases were visually inspected to verify powder before seating bullets. Seems like a safe practice to me.
Ben. I have no doubt in your (and Trevor’s) ability to produce safe reliable reloads. Your methods and practice seem very sound to me. Just my two cents.

 

[Outpost75]

I was taught to charge a loading block of 50 primed cases at a time, checking powder fill with a penlight to ensure against skipped cases, double charges or spilled powder. I have survived for over 50 years using this method.