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Joined: 15 Jun 2010 Posts: 1358 Location: Twin Cities, MN

We just had a long thread about loose base wads, but I still feel unclear about something. I reload Federals and like to think I am careful, but how exactly do you thoroughly inspect the paper base wad? If you look down in the hull it could be loose and raised up 1/4 to 1/2" and I don't think you could tell. The only way to know (that I can think of) would be to stick a dowel into the shell and have it marked with the correct depth to see if the base has moved. I do not do this and do not foresee myself doing this in the future. Any other suggestions?
Thanks
Jeff

Jeff,
I use to place a dowel down into the hull and push hard. I found the base wad would move back and that indicated it was loose, at least it satisfied me. I should add if the base wad moves I toss the hull.
Best,
Ron

Exactly so Ron. Using a dowel to check for firmly seated base wads is the best way. A visual check with a pen light is also wise. Damaged base wads may be firmly seated, but still won't be suitable for reuse. Some blackening is inevitable, but any apparent damage beyond that is unacceptable. Toss any with even very slightly damaged looking base wads,

I also caution anyone against reusing any polyformed hulls with pressed fiber or rolled and pressed paper base wads which have gotten even slightly wet. Wet base wads swell, then shrink as they dry. The pressed fiber ones will also have begun to disintergrate. The end result will always be a loose, ruined base wad.

All 16 ga polyformed hulls, even those with plastic base wads, also now have steel bases instead of brass. Rusting inside where you can't see it is a sure thing unless the hulls have not been allowed to remain wet for more than an hour or so and have been quickly shaken or swabbed out and thoroughly dried ASAP.

Resizing any of these ruined hulls won't fix the problem. Toss them out or pay the price. Just how it is, so please take my advise for what it's worth to you. Hope the info helps.

Not throwing stones here or being a smart a$$, but.........do you guys really find that many loose basewads? I must be one lucky SOB, as I don't, and never have.

Couple questions for you.

What diameter do you resize your hulls to, with the measurement taken about 1/16" from the rim? I resize back to about minimum cartridge or as close as I can get.

What reloaders do you use? I use MEC 9000's and Sizemasters.

In over 50 years of reloading I have had one (1) base wad dislodge and stick in the barrel.

Joined: 15 Jun 2010 Posts: 1358 Location: Twin Cities, MN

The problem is we know that base wads can come loose, they can get stuck in the barrel and may lead to a catastrophic accident. I've never had a loose one that I am aware of, but it only takes one to wreck your day. I have been driving for almost 40 years and have been in only one accident-glad I had my seatbelt on when I got t-boned. It is difficult to perform a risk assessment for this problem without actual data. We're all running on anecdotes here. Tough to be too careful when the possible consequence is grievous bodily harm.
Regards
Jeff

Joined: 15 Jun 2010 Posts: 1358 Location: Twin Cities, MN

I too reload on MECs with the collet. It does make me feel better.
Jeff

I am only guessing at this, but I have an idea that resizing back to OEM and having the press support the head and basewad during reprime is the key to not having an issue with basewads.

I also think that this whole subject is well over blown.

Separate basewad hulls are the norm, while one piece hulls are only made by two companies here in the U.S.

How many shotguns are actually destroyed by loose basewads? And how many shotguns that truly are destroyed by a loose basewad, had no human creating or facilitating the problem?

We''ll probably never know the answer to that one DC. Probably not more than a small handful per year across the nation. Most blown barrels simply get thrown away and replaced if possible, or the gun is scrapped for parts if not--mostly w/o comment. Also, who knows how many partial obstructions simply get blown out the muzzle w/o notice. Maybe someone might notice a bit more felt recoil, but nothing more. I've also seen enough bulged barrels still in use to know sometimes the occurrence is overlooked or simply ignored.

When it comes to a totally blown barrel, I'm sure once is more than enough. I've seen it happen. Bad news. None for me thanks.

Nobody wants to 'fess up to possible carelessness or negligence. Most of the unlucky ones who've blown a barrel probably just go home, change their shorts, and buy another barrel or gun--and hopefully learn the lesson too. The wiser ones among us learn from the mistakes of others and don't have to occasionally change our shorts on short notice. Laughing

Anyway, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Best for any of us who reload to check our hulls and properly resize them too. Been working for me for a long time. Might for anyone.

I think the thing that surprises me the most are the guys that supposedly find loose basewads. If they find them on a regular basis and believe that it is the norm, something is wrong.

Kinda like guys that have FTF reloads or off sounding shells and believe that is the norm.

If you find loose basewads on a regular basis, you really need to stop and find out what the problem is.

Yup, I have found loose base wads and I have had Federal metal bases split and I find it is not a normal condition to find. I have had only one wad come loose and lodge in my 12ga barrel. I have had several (defined as more than 3 but less than 50) older federal hulls bases split. There is nothing normal about any of these events and they all have logical or thoughtful reasons that may have caused the event. The wads that came loose and the one that ended up in the barrel were reloads which I had loaded in hulls I had been given. They may have been wet or any number of things but the lot was checked and mostly dumped. The split bases were old Wards, western auto and Federal and were just tired and as they split they were tossed. Then again I could have just made all of this up to annoy board members.....?
Shoot safe,
Ron

Chuck those hulls after 2 or 3 reloadings and if you cant do it sit down and figure how much money you save by getting a 3rd or fourth use of the same hull. Then compare that to an even minor hospital bill or a beater scatter gun. or missing parts or an eye or someone else s eye and so on

Member Joined: 09 Jan 2013 Posts: 2169 Location: Florida

I have never reloaded to save money , So if think there is even a remote possibility of being dangerous ,I toss em .

I actually have found loose/raised basewads in some high-based Rio 12 gauge hulls I had used for some pretty hot steel shot hunting loads. As I recall, these were Cheddites -- a hull brand I really like, too. I was reloading them again (with a target load) and found pretty much the whole batch had the basewad spaced up about 3/16 inch or so. When I'd re-prime them on a MEC 600 Jr, the wad would snap back down audibly. I'd never heard that sound or felt that happening, so I checked, and sure enough, in the majority of those hulls, the basewads had lifted. I'm guessing a person would hear it also in a MEC 9000 -- I never tried it. It would have been easy to catch in some other stage of reloading, because of very noticeable case capacity variation.

I have never had this problem again with a hull of any brand or gauge, including Cheddite. I must say I love Cheddite cases and trust them completely. I think the heavy load I used previously in that hull might have been abusive to it -- it was a published load, not sure it was tested, but I had used it before. By the way, like a fool, having re-loaded them again, I did shoot those hulls one more time, without problems. The only base wad surprise I ever had was finding in my barrel the inverted paper cup part of the basewad of an old, dry, too-many-times-reloaded Winchester/Western Ranger/Xpert paper hull. I probably won't repeat that bit of reloading optimism.