If you can read and can follow instructions thoroughly, reloading will be a very joyful task for you. Because you don’t need to have any special skills to reload. However, you must follow the reloading safety rules for your good.
Because working with a gun is itself a pretty much dangerous thing and even a silly mistake can create an unexpected situation, you should try to maintain all kinds of safety rules while reloading ammo.
Now, if you don’t know what those rules are, please don’t worry anymore. In this comprehensive article, I will tell you everything about this. So, without any more ado, let’s begin.
Reloading Safety Rules 101
Did you ever think a bullet goes off while loading? Or, how dangerous is reloading ammo? Of course, an unexpected situation can be created during the loading session. That is why you should follow all general safety rules while reloading ammo in your gun.
These are some basic rules following which you will be safe and can avoid any unexpected event as well. Also, you must know some technical rules as well. In this section of this article, I will discuss all of the rules you should follow to keep yourself safe.
General Rules
- Avoid Distractions:
When it comes to reading ammo, the first thing you need to do is to get yourself free from any kind of distraction. You must have to be super attentive while doing this task. Take enough time so that you don’t need to do it in a rush. Taking any kind of alcohol and a similar drug is strictly prohibited during the reloading task.
- Wear Safety Glass:
The next thing you need to do is wearing safety glasses. It is highly important to wear glasses during reloading and shooting to protect your eyes from any unexpected reloading accidents. Always use approved safety glasses to ensure maximum protection.
- Tidy Up the Reloading Area:
Have you ever asked yourself is it safe to reload ammo in the house? Yes, it’s safe, but you must take safety measures first. You must tidy up the reloading area thoroughly. Every gears and equipment should be put in their spot. You must clean any kind of spills.
If any heavy tools fall on your foot, it may cause injury and the entire situation may turn into a mess. Therefore, a good practice is to tidy up the entire working surface carefully. But, don’t forget to keep your necessary elements right on the bench so that you can quickly pick whatever you need during the reloading process.
- Store Primers and Powder Safely:
Do you know how dangerous are primers? If you don’t know how to store them correctly they can turn into a dangerous element in your house. It is one of the most important safety rules you must follow for your good. You should always store primers and powder safely.
It should be kept away from any heat sources like an open flame or even electrical circuits. It is a best practice to keep the primers and powder in their original container. Whenever you take any components from the container for the loading purpose, you should put back them in their original place after the session.
You may use sticky notes to help you out so that you can track whether you took any powder from the container or not. Follow a simple rule. Only one propellant container should be kept on the bench at a time. Keep the powder away so that you can avoid unwanted mixing mistakes.
- Use of Reloading Scale:
Using reloading scale is a must for proper measurement. Not using a proper reloading scale is a bad practice. However, you should not use a scale that is not specifically designed for the reloading purpose.
Always go for a scale that is made to serve the reloading purpose. Before measuring the powder’s weight, you should verify that the “zero” mark is in the right place.
- Use the Powder Check System:
Now, you have to use a powder verification system. You can use automated checks and also visual check. There are many ways to perform an automated test. However, visual inspection is the last step when you want to check everything is okay.
Using powder measures from the beginning can reduce this hassle.
LOAD DATA
It is one of the most significant areas when it comes to reloading safety rules. You should carefully read the reloading data so that you can follow them thoroughly. Many component manufacturers publish reload data so that you can perform the reloading session stress-free. Never start by loading the maximum level.
Identify your cartridge and check that you have opened the correct page in the manual for your specific cartridge. You must have to be sure and specific about the load data. If you use the wrong component in the wrong quantity by mistake, it may cause you a serious injury and even you may die.
Therefore, you should cross-check whether you have taken the right component incorrect quantity with the reloading manual. It is a good practice to start from the base-level and then you can move towards the maximum-level.
Always cross-check with the manual at every stage. Always update yourself with recent load data for your safety. Never mix up explosives, because it may cost a life.
Here’s a list of reloading mistakes those can be easily avoided.
LEAD EXPOSURE
In this section of this comprehensive article, I will discuss details about lead exposures and their possible consequences. Lead exposure can turn into a dangerous event and can cause serious damages to human health. For instance, birth defects, reproductive damage, and many other serious medical injuries can be caused by lead exposures.
Now, it is an important fact that most of the bullets and primers contain leads. It is a common phenomenon that the reloader can be exposed to leads. That is why you need to follow hand loading safety rules here to reduce the possibilities of lead exposure while reloading.
Whenever you end the reloading or shooting session, you must wash your hands with soap. Maintaining personal hygiene and washing your hands thoroughly will reduce the lead exposure to the minimum level. Another important rule is you should not eat anything during a reloading session.
Because the lead residue may enter into your body when you eat. You should not touch the nose, eyes, or mouth with a bare hand during the reloading process. Then again, keep the loading area dust free and properly ventilated. Maintaining these simple hygiene rules will ensure your long term safety.
Final Thought
If you love shooting, you just can’t avoid the reloading process of the ammunition which can turn your happy moments into a disaster. That is why you must follow all of the safety rules to keep yourself safe during the reloading session. In this article, I tried to gather all the necessary information in one place for you. I hope this helps you to know about the reloading safety rules properly.
