Wondering if anyone has had primers explode when reloading at the bench. If so please explain how it happened and all contributing factors.
Ever Set-off Primers on the Loading Bench?
- Thread starter TheTexasRAT
- Start date
NO
One time about twenty years ago. I had loaded a primer backwards and when I went to remove it using the de-capping die it went off. But, I was ready and had wrapped a rag around the ram and shellholder first.
contender
Ruger Guru
I've heard of the odd & rare primer detonation,, but never had it happen to me.
As noted,, if you need to remove a backwards primer,, use stuff for safety, like wrapping the ram & all in a towel or similar stuff.
ALWAYS wear safety glasses when priming & loading stuff. While the millions of safe handloads have not had a primer detonation, it has happened enough to where caution is necessary.
I have had comments made that one of the reasons Dillon changed the priming feed system that is used on the 650 to the type used on the 550,, for the newest version, the 750 was due to the potential primer detonation.
As noted,, if you need to remove a backwards primer,, use stuff for safety, like wrapping the ram & all in a towel or similar stuff.
ALWAYS wear safety glasses when priming & loading stuff. While the millions of safe handloads have not had a primer detonation, it has happened enough to where caution is necessary.
I have had comments made that one of the reasons Dillon changed the priming feed system that is used on the 650 to the type used on the 550,, for the newest version, the 750 was due to the potential primer detonation.
NikA
Hunter
Done it on purpose with a hammer and a anvil to see how much force it took. Not a huge amount but did take a good square hit. Think most reloading operations would most likely result in crushing rather than detonation.
Rich/KY
Bearcat
Yes, had two Win LP fire when I got a little too energetic priming on the upstroke. May have been the primers as both were from the same lot. Using CCI and the Lee Ram prime I had the handle on my Rock Chucker slip from my hand and fall of its own weight with enough force to seat the prime and tear the rim off the case and drop ithe case on my reloading bench without setting off the primer. Since then have switched to the little Lee C press for priming since it has less leverage and give a good feel for when the primer bottoms in the pocket.
In 50+ years of reloading, I set off a primer one time while priming a case. To this day, I have no idea the cause. Everything was square, clean, and correct.
Once in 1965. Second floor of my barracks at Ft Bliss. Loading my .222 using a Classic Lee loader. The little metal rod went into orbit, my roommate near had a heart attack. I was just worried if the CQ or OOD had heard it. I escaped unharmed. VERY careful after that.
OP
When I decided to get into Handloading I bought a Classic LEE Loader in 45 COLT as my very first loading tool.
Yet I never could bring myself to seat a primer with it, and also had issues setting an even crimp when using it on a dummy round. I also, out of curiosity (with a kenetic bullet puller), took to factory rounds apart and weighed the powder charges, put the powder back in and reseated the bullets. I again had issues making consistent crimps between the two rounds.
So, I ended up getting a Buchanan Precision Machine Hand Press and a LEE Ram Priming Die to set primers with. Of course I also bought a set of Redding Competition Dies plus a Lee (non-carbide) factory profile crimp die, and quickly retired the LEE Loader altogether.
From that point on I decided to adopt the "Buy Once, Cry Once" mentality.
I since aquired a Poor Man's Priming setup made by Derraco to make priming easier, as it has a primer tube to which I can preload a hundred primers into.
Hence my concerns of primer detonation is back, after reading in the manuals about Primer Dusting Incidents. So now I have come full circle (between low and high quality tools) with the same concern.
Yet I never could bring myself to seat a primer with it, and also had issues setting an even crimp when using it on a dummy round. I also, out of curiosity (with a kenetic bullet puller), took to factory rounds apart and weighed the powder charges, put the powder back in and reseated the bullets. I again had issues making consistent crimps between the two rounds.
So, I ended up getting a Buchanan Precision Machine Hand Press and a LEE Ram Priming Die to set primers with. Of course I also bought a set of Redding Competition Dies plus a Lee (non-carbide) factory profile crimp die, and quickly retired the LEE Loader altogether.
From that point on I decided to adopt the "Buy Once, Cry Once" mentality.
I since aquired a Poor Man's Priming setup made by Derraco to make priming easier, as it has a primer tube to which I can preload a hundred primers into.
Hence my concerns of primer detonation is back, after reading in the manuals about Primer Dusting Incidents. So now I have come full circle (between low and high quality tools) with the same concern.
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Hankus
Buckeye
Reloading in THE BARRACKS??
LOL. You got away with that in 1965?? You, sir, must have big brass ones! I enlisted about 21 years later than this, and the 80s Army was a bit more relaxed, but DAMN. When I was at a stateside assignment I would usually take three or four of my personal guns along and kept them in a storage unit off post, double locked in a steel cabinet. This way I wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of scheduling to check them out with the unit armorer on the weekends. I would occasionally sneak them into the barracks for cleaning after a weekend range session when I was lower enlisted and as a junior NCO. That had to stop when I became a senior NCO though. As a buck sergeant I kept my Taurus PT99, three magazines and a box of ammo in the bottom of my go-bag because I wasn’t issued an M9 sidearm. We once had a “health and welfare” inspection, and they started going through my go-bag. They found a cheap gun show dagger I had put in the top of the bag as bait and stopped there. They confiscated the dagger and told me I would have to report to the CO to get it back. I didn’t bother as it was a cheap knife, and the CO called for me to report to him a few days later. He asked why I hadn’t reported to him and I told him he could keep it if he wanted it … he didn’t like that, but there was nothing he could really do! Needless to say, that PT99 went back to my storage unit ASAP!I've never had a primer detonation incident but did have a primer go in upside down. To get it out safely you put a drop of 3in1 oil or any thin oil and let it sit overnight. The oil destroys the priming compound and won't go off upon removal.
But here's a dumb thing my brother and I did. One day we were friendly competing to see which one of us could hit a piece of .45ACP brass laying on its side 25 feet away with a pellet pistol. For whatever ignorant reason, we used a piece of brass with a live primer in it. We fired one round each till one of my turns when I just happen to hit it dead center. The primer went off, ejected and hit me right in the forehead.
God watches out for children and idiots.
But here's a dumb thing my brother and I did. One day we were friendly competing to see which one of us could hit a piece of .45ACP brass laying on its side 25 feet away with a pellet pistol. For whatever ignorant reason, we used a piece of brass with a live primer in it. We fired one round each till one of my turns when I just happen to hit it dead center. The primer went off, ejected and hit me right in the forehead.
God watches out for children and idiots.
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contender
Ruger Guru
"as it has a primer tube to which I can preload a hundred primers into."
Many millions of rounds of ammo are primed using tubes that hold a hundred primers w/o incident.
But if concerned about "primer dust" a quick brushing of the inside of the tube occasionally with a pipe cleaner or a straw brush,, can clean one.
BUT,, modern primers are a compound when mixed, is wet. And it's applied to the cup & then dries. OR,, some manufacturers have a coating applied over the compound prior to the anvil being added. Either method,, no primer dust.
Many millions of rounds of ammo are primed using tubes that hold a hundred primers w/o incident.
But if concerned about "primer dust" a quick brushing of the inside of the tube occasionally with a pipe cleaner or a straw brush,, can clean one.
BUT,, modern primers are a compound when mixed, is wet. And it's applied to the cup & then dries. OR,, some manufacturers have a coating applied over the compound prior to the anvil being added. Either method,, no primer dust.
Had a couple of primers pop when I first started reloading with the old LEE "hammer-operated" setup. Startled me, but other than a little smoke stain on my thumb and index finger holding the rod no other bad results. I soon moved up to a LEE hand primer and have had no pops. Did have a couple of upside-down primers occur, but that was the only hassle and made me pay closer attention to the operation.
When I moved up to a Rock Chucker I didn't like the priming procedure that required so I just continued to use the hand primer. The amount of reloading i do at a single sitting doesn't require any more advanced priming procedures or equipment.
Well, I did buy a little cheapo LEE single-position press for use with a depriming die to keep the primer dust out of my sizing dies.
When I moved up to a Rock Chucker I didn't like the priming procedure that required so I just continued to use the hand primer. The amount of reloading i do at a single sitting doesn't require any more advanced priming procedures or equipment.
Well, I did buy a little cheapo LEE single-position press for use with a depriming die to keep the primer dust out of my sizing dies.
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OP
I'm still using the depriming punch that came with the LEE Loader for that very reason.
I did buy a LEE APP to speed up the depriming session but the slide sticks (right out the box) and I haven't got around to fixing it yet. I'm still bummed out as to just how cheap cheap can be! Makes me not want to throw any more good money after bad.
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I checked out the LEE APP. Quite a gizmo. I'd assume once you get it all dialed in it will work OK and speed up the operation once you have it set up.
I don't process enough cases at any one time to make it worthwhile since I'm already set up with the "universal" depriming die in the little press . . . just doesn't have the feed tubes for the cases. ;)
I don't process enough cases at any one time to make it worthwhile since I'm already set up with the "universal" depriming die in the little press . . . just doesn't have the feed tubes for the cases. ;)
OP
My biggest batch so far was 230 cases. With the LEE decapping punch and hammer it gets old fast. Hence the APP.
I just got a drimal tool and will attempt repairs on the APP soon. I will try and sand down the bottom piece and then polish it but I have never had much luck polishing plastic. Shame LEE doesn't have better QC.
Not me personally but a close friend set one off with his LEE pro 1000 progressive using federal primers. In turn the whole tray of primers went off. Fortunately he was wearing glasses that saved his eyes but his face was peppered pretty well. The manual for the LEE pro 1000 specifically cautions against the federal primers. I have no idea if that warning existed at the time.
Warning at the top of page 4.
http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIREARMS/lee_pro1000.pdf
Warning at the top of page 4.
http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIREARMS/lee_pro1000.pdf
OP
In the LEE manual is speaks of the Federal primers as one tough dragon to tame. Federal is the only primer company that uses a more refined priming compound and is the reason that they are more bricilent, at least at higher temps. They are not as good as the others in extreme cold though.
Personally I settled on Federal primers for any round that has to perform in life our death situation, as I live in the South. Hence my concerns.
I'll use CCI exclusively for plinking only, and am not nearly as worried about them as with the Federals.
I seem to be using mostly CCI because they're what has been available when I needed to buy some. ;)
No, not yet anyway. I have had to extract one that was upside down.
I've heard that before but I've also heard it did not work. I've heard water, motor oil, diesel, kerosene, 3 in 1 oil, wd40. I don't think I've ever read a case where it 100% worked when tested.
Nope, never. I did use the temperamental tube on a Pacific press for a while, then found the rcbs hand primer. Never looked back. Wore out one of the primer inserts, and RCSB sent me new ones for free. Still use today. I use a Hornady Iron press today, and the primer hardware stays in the drawer.
We had a bunch of old loaded 12ga shells that would not chamber due to split brass and bulging at the other end. We punched a bunch of 12ga size hole in the side of a carboard box and filled the holes with live shells. Tried to hit the primers with a 22. It is much harder than you would think, especially shooting off hand. Once we did start hitting some it was pretty anticlimactic. The hull would back out of the box and fall on the ground. The shot was captured by the box without even damaging the cardboard. Kind of like loaded ammo in a fire---with nothing to contain the pressure the components---bullet or shot and brass or hull, just go opposite directions (not very far) with very little damage.I've never had a primer detonation incident but did have a primer go in upside down. To get it out safely you put a drop of 3in1 oil or any thin oil a let it sit overnight. The oil destroys the priming compound and won't go off upon removal.
But here's a dumb thing my brother and I did. One day we were friendly competing to see which one of us could hit a piece of .45ACP brass laying on its side 25 feet away with a pellet pistol. For whatever ignorant reason, we used a piece of brass with a live primer in it. We fired one round each till one of my turns when I just happen to hit it dead center. The primer went off, ejected and hit me right in the forehead.
bedwards
Bearcat
I'm a new member so hello guys. I have never set one off in 50 years of reloading, but I did somehow get one in my lead pot casting. It made a crater in the hot lead and scared the hell out of me. Fortunately the tinsel fairy went up instead of in my direction. I had gloves, glasses, long pants and sleeves but it still could have been bad.
Never in 45 years, thank God.
OP
Doesn't seem like a good idea to cast bullets in the same room that primers are being used and stored.
bedwards
Bearcat
Agreed, I probably should cast outside, but I have upgraded my ventilation. I've been casting since the late 80s and this is only the second time the tinsel fairy visited. The first time, somehow got moisture in the pot fluxing.
OP
There's an old saying, "third times a charm".
Personally, I wouldn't want to find out.
p345Fan
Single-Sixer
No, but I did suck one up in a vacuum cleaner once. POW!
