Fired primers not always inert

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Sharps40

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Don't labor under the false assumption that fired primers are inert. Not always. Found out today.

A fired SP primer made its way from my bench into the lead pot. Melting old bullets for recasting.

A typical set up......pot on the reloading bench and a bit of clutter.

DgmzBeM.jpg


Along about the second melt and casting session, I was 2 ft away, safety glasses still on and sizing bullets on the Rock Chucker as they cooled.

BANG.........fortunately, the melt had just commenced and pile of unmelted bullets limited the splatter to a splash around the rim of the pot.

On stirring in the flux, after a long wait to see if anything else would go pop.....I fished out this primer.

hBlN3Xs.jpg


Stirred it a lot and some more and checked the balance of the scrap bullets in the bucket waiting to be melted.....no more primers.....so I finished up a 420 each run of good old 405g HBFPs for the 4570.

yUJlPli.jpg


Two things to do then, move the casting area away from the loading bench and check my lead more closely, expecially if its been on the loading bench before going in the pot.
 

Rick Courtright

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Sharps40 said:
Don't labor under the false assumption that fired primers are inert. Not always. Found out today.

Hi,

Any ideas about what caused the pop, like maybe actual remaining unused priming compound, as in a dud primer that appeared to have been fired, or perhaps some moisture that collected in the cup in storage?

I used to get wheelweights from a fellow in town who had a small tire shop, now gone. I learned from the buckets of "stuff" I brought home from his shop to spread EVERYTHING out and sort thru it before any of it went in the pot. There were a lot of strange things that would fall into the bucket, both in the shop, and at home.

Glad you didn't collect any nasty burns, too!

Rick C
 

Sharps40

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Unburnt priming compound. Read it's also a hazard for annealing fired brass for jackets
 

contender

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Just like any potential fired round, we often get unburnt powder left in our barrels. Sometimes a primer doesn't burn completely. And I too have heard about 22 LR rounds being formed as jackets for other calibers, having unburnt primer compound in them.

As the OP has said; Be careful & wear safety items.
 

Sharps40

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contender said:
Just like any potential fired round, we often get unburnt powder left in our barrels. Sometimes a primer doesn't burn completely. And I too have heard about 22 LR rounds being formed as jackets for other calibers, having unburnt primer compound in them.

As the OP has said; Be careful & wear safety items.


+1
 

Rick Courtright

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Sharps40 said:
Unburnt priming compound. Read it's also a hazard for annealing fired brass for jackets

Hi,

I've never played with making jackets from used brass (I'm assuming .22 LR?) but I try to learn something new every day. Thanks for today's lesson! :)

Rick C
 

contender

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Rick, there are forming dies out there to swage brass & form jackets for other calibers. There is a whole section on this on the cast bullets forum. Go over there & get an education!
 

GP100man

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Glad you`re reminding use to not become to comfortable with things that should be & not a life changing injury !!!

I was given some indoor range "lead" from the trap, even went thru it as best I could . All my smelting equipment now have heavy lids on em while coming to temp & thinkin of some for the pouring pots.
Never add cold ingots to a hot pot , preheat em to dry em !!

GP
 

Poco Oso

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GP100man said:
Glad you`re reminding use to not become to comfortable with things that should be & not a life changing injury !!!

I was given some indoor range "lead" from the trap, even went thru it as best I could . All my smelting equipment now have heavy lids on em while coming to temp & thinkin of some for the pouring pots.
Never add cold ingots to a hot pot , preheat em to dry em !!

GP
I'd like to second this.
 
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