Some time back I asked about the P14 action, to what pressure can it be reloaded, we decided that any modern actions pressures were safe.
Remember all the safety rules, one in particular being never have more than one powder on your desk - read the label out loud before use ?
Well here goes embarrassing !
I am still only using SOMCHEM propellants, all the rifles except for the 7mm-08 mono bullets, it uses my only tin of import, a tin of Hodgkin Varget, a black bottle red writing, the only one I have. I recently found that the Varget is the most suited propellant for the 303 P14.
I developed a load of about 54 gr for the P14 at about 50 000 PSI. I loaded up some test cases at various lengths at 54 gr, I only loaded one charge because I was confident of where I was at.
A friend of mine died and I was given a tin of Hodgkin Longshot, a pistol propellent. I decided instead of dump it I would use it to load a bag of 9 mm for Cody to learn handgun shooting. I loaded for Cody and left the Hodgkin on the table when finished.
I remember the rest clearly.
I decided at like 22H00 that I actually wanted to try one grain less loads as well in the P14 and so as to be ready to shoot next morning I went to garage to reload straight away. I saw I had forgotten the Varget on the table and wondered why ?
Thinking nothing of it further, I got the P14 components out, decanted some from the Hodgkin container (the only one I have "Varget" and reloaded a lighter load for next day.
The following day I shot the 54 gr and did not get the results I wanted, so I tried the lighter load and found the primer blew out. I checked everything and decided it was an anomaly that I would look into later. I shot next shot and it was not noticeably different, but primer was blown out again. MMMnnn? STOP>
When I got home I pulled the remaining cases and weighed the charge, 53 gr - that's correct. I measured the bullets, they were correct as well. I while trying to figure this out noticed that the powder was flakes ? I thought Varget was stick propellant?
So I got the container out, (the only Hodgkin I have - confident about that) and checked the propellant, yip flakes.
I was stumped.
I eventually decided to study the container, for warnings about something, anything, I was lost. The Varget worked every other load, why not at this load.
I read the back, I read the front and learnt along the way that the propellant was suitable for pistols, did not know that. :o
Then, only then, did I decide to read the name on the container again. Turns out that my only tin of import was not the only tin !
Remember the tin you were given !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the pistol propellant ??????????????????????????????
I did not even read the label - I have always only had one import, Varget.
I had loaded 53 gr of Longshot in 9 x .303 cases.
I can not believe that in the land of suing, USA, the two tins can be so identical, except for the name, in relatively small print. The containers are not color coded like PMP, same same, just the little name differs.
Now I know how strong a P14 action is.
