Powder caking - be careful

[Nevada Mike]

Due to decreased availability of components, I was disassembling a number of loaded rounds that have been sitting around for a long time. In the process I dismantled several boxes of 7mm Rem Mag cartridges loaded with H870 to salvage the brass and Nosler Partitions. Pulled the bullets, dumped the powder and boxed the still primed empties for processing and re-use later. Looking in the plastic cartridge boxes a few days later I noticed loose powder and investigated. Some of the salvaged cases had up to 10 or 15 grains of H870 stuck in them. Used a small bladed screwdriver to scrape the caked powder off the web of the case. These cases will get lots of attention before they are used!

If I had been careless I might have loaded new powder and bullets on top of the clotted powder and had a major over pressure event.

Just sayin'

 

[JimP]

I have found that this situation is quite common if you have compressed loads and pull the bullets.

I pulled a number of bullets out of a .338 Win mag for a friend and I would say that 40-50% of them still had powder in the cases once the bullets were pulled and the powder dumped.

It is something that everyone should be aware of when salvaging cases and bullets from a previously loaded cartridge.

 

[krish]

Good thing to remember.
Krish

 

[rdog]

I all ways look in the case with a torch to make sure its empty.

 

[Areaonereal]

Inspect all the cases with a flashlight, (torch)

 

[F. Vaccaro]

I have had that happen with H4350 too.