Quality in Reloading - Dillon Precision
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By Guy Neill As reloaders, we are an entire cartridge-manu- facturing enterprise. We purchase the materials (primers, powder, cases and bullets) going into the final product, as well as the equipment used to produce the ammunition. That covers purchas- ing and manufacturing, and, since we provide the effort, labor is taken care of, but what about qual- ity? One of the selling points on reloading is high- er quality ammunition. There are many elements contributing to quali- ty, and not all are always thought of as being a quality endeavor. In our efforts to produce reli- able ammunition, quality control is a key factor. Our quality control efforts go along with the process. We inspect the cases, often many times, before and after cleaning, during loading, and once the cartridge is completed. Each time you handle the case you are performing an inspection, whether conscious of it or not. Most may do little or no inspection of primers as they come, but it is normal to inspect the primer once it has been seated in the car- tridge case. This allows looking for the unlikely – but possible – upside-down primer, or one that somehow mashed in sideways. While upside-down and sideways primers are rare (hopefully), you do need to inspect the primers to be certain they are seated completely. The number one cause of misfires is from primers not being completely seated. A completely seated primer will normally be 0.003” to 0.005” below flush with the case. With normal manufacturing tolerances, this will have the primer anvil legs against the bottom of the primer pocket, where they should be. If the anvil legs are not in contact with the bottom of the primer pocket, the firing pin blow is cushioned and may result in a misfire. Similarly, bullets are usually not inspected sep- arately, but an inspection takes place during nor- mal handling when seating, or in the completed cartridge. Simply handling the bullet as you place it on the case prior to seating amounts to an inspection as the human hand can detect varia- tions that sometimes are not evident to the eye. Powder escapes common visual inspection, other than ensuring the type and quantity used by checking the container. We generally trust the powder manufacturer to put the correct powder in the can. We check that the powder measure dispenses the proper amount by weighing test charges, and we look to be certain there is pow- der in the casing before seating the bullet. If we didn’t check the powder measure with a scale to be certain it gives accurate weights it could have bad – perhaps catastrophic – results. We also need to know that the scale is giving acceptable readings. Another aspect of ensuring good ammunition is simply to be certain the equipment is set up and functioning properly. Obviously, dies that are not set correctly will not turn out acceptable ammunition. Mounting the press solidly helps in using the machine, as well as helping the machine to perform consistently and reliably. All these – and more – constitute quality con- trol efforts for the handloader. The final inspection is commonly a visual one. The one added step that can help significantly in having quality ammunition is a final inspection including use of a cartridge case gauge. Dillon has cartridge case gauges for popular cartridges, and they are helpful. The final visual inspection, by itself, is better than nothing, but it is hard to tell, by eye, if a dimension is slight- ly out of spec. As an example, I completed loading ammu- nition for an upcoming Sectional USPSA match. While completing the final inspection, includ- ing using a Dillon Case Gauge, I found half a dozen cartridges (out of 500) that would not fully enter the gauge. In all likelihood, these rounds will probably function fine in my gun, but it is possible they may not. I have several choices about what to do with them at this point. 22 $ $ Quality in Reloading …continued on Page 34 Mar 08 Blue Press 20-37 1/15/08 10:44 AM Page 22
Transcript of Quality in Reloading - Dillon Precision
By Guy NeillAs reloaders, we are an entire cartridge-manu-
facturing enterprise. We purchase the materials(primers, powder, cases and bullets) going intothe final product, as well as the equipment usedto produce the ammunition. That covers purchas-ing and manufacturing, and, since we provide theeffort, labor is taken care of, but what about qual-ity? One of the selling points on reloading is high-er quality ammunition.
There are many elements contributing to quali-ty, and not all are always thought of as being aquality endeavor. In our efforts to produce reli-able ammunition, quality control is a key factor.Our quality control efforts go along with theprocess. We inspect the cases, often many times,before and after cleaning, during loading, andonce the cartridge is completed. Each time youhandle the case you are performing an inspection,whether conscious of it or not.
Most may do little or no inspection ofprimers as they come, but it is normal to inspectthe primer once it has been seated in the car-tridge case. This allows looking for the unlikely– but possible – upside-down primer, or onethat somehow mashed in sideways. Whileupside-down and sideways primers are rare(hopefully), you do need to inspect the primersto be certain they are seated completely. Thenumber one cause of misfires is from primersnot being completely seated.
A completely seated primer will normally be0.003” to 0.005” below flush with the case. Withnormal manufacturing tolerances, this will havethe primer anvil legs against the bottom of theprimer pocket, where they should be. If the anvillegs are not in contact with the bottom of theprimer pocket, the firing pin blow is cushionedand may result in a misfire.
Similarly, bullets are usually not inspected sep-arately, but an inspection takes place during nor-mal handling when seating, or in the completedcartridge. Simply handling the bullet as you placeit on the case prior to seating amounts to an
inspection as the human hand can detect varia-tions that sometimes are not evident to the eye.
Powder escapes common visual inspection,other than ensuring the type and quantity used bychecking the container. We generally trust thepowder manufacturer to put the correct powderin the can. We check that the powder measuredispenses the proper amount by weighing testcharges, and we look to be certain there is pow-der in the casing before seating the bullet.
If we didn’t check the powder measure with ascale to be certain it gives accurate weights itcould have bad – perhaps catastrophic – results.We also need to know that the scale is givingacceptable readings.
Another aspect of ensuring good ammunitionis simply to be certain the equipment is set upand functioning properly. Obviously, dies that arenot set correctly will not turn out acceptableammunition. Mounting the press solidly helps inusing the machine, as well as helping themachine to perform consistently and reliably.
All these – and more – constitute quality con-trol efforts for the handloader. The final inspectionis commonly a visual one. The one added stepthat can help significantly in having qualityammunition is a final inspection including use ofa cartridge case gauge.
Dillon has cartridge case gauges for popularcartridges, and they are helpful. The final visualinspection, by itself, is better than nothing, butit is hard to tell, by eye, if a dimension is slight-ly out of spec.
As an example, I completed loading ammu-nition for an upcoming Sectional USPSA match.While completing the final inspection, includ-ing using a Dillon Case Gauge, I found half adozen cartridges (out of 500) that would notfully enter the gauge.
In all likelihood, these rounds will probablyfunction fine in my gun, but it is possible theymay not. I have several choices about what to dowith them at this point.
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Quality in Reloading
…continued on Page 34
Mar 08 Blue Press 20-37 1/15/08 10:44 AM Page 22
