Had a primer go off while reloading today
 

The other day I bought a Classic Lee loader in 44Mag. They sell for under $14 so I thought I would try one on a lark. I wasn't expecting much from this system but was really surprised with how well the system actually worked. The thought of using a hammer to install the primer did bother me, and I did not have to load too many rounds before I found out just how much pounding it takes to set off a primer. On the sixth load I heard a very loud bang when seating the primer. I got some black marks on my thumb and forefinger, but other than that it was a non event. For the rest of the rounds I wore leather work gloves when installing the primers.

I reloaded for months like this, never had a problem, but always worried a bit. I think I wore my army leather gloves while I banged away also. Finally bought a more expensive, but safer loader.



Ed

I have loaded several hundreds of rounds for both pistol and rifle with one of these and never had a primer go off. I trust them.

Steve

Chris, Having reloaded more rounds than I care to remember I can tell you a better way. Lee makes a really nifty primer installer. Dump in 100 primers and they all turn upright. Put on the clear lid insert a brass cartridge and start pressing the handle. I have tried all the others, RCBS etc and Lee's is by far the best and most inexpensive. 18 bucks I guess...Also has a lifetime warrenty...Once you use one you will wonder why you did it any other way...Jerry Burney

Jerry... Thanks for the good advice. Believe it or not, I do have the Lee Autoprime, a single stage press, and 44Mag loading dies. I bought the Classic Lee Loader because it has been around forever, it was only $13 and I was curious how it worked. My curiosity has been satisfied and I do not plan on installing primers with a hammer anymore.


After loading about 100 more rounds with this device I am convinced the primer went off because of my inexperience with the device. The primer is installed when you drive the shell out of the sizing die. I was not putting sufficient lube on the early cases and they were sticking in the sizer die, so I had to hit it allot harder than I should have been. Now that I use sufficient lube the case comes out of the sizer die onto the primer in a much more controllable fashion.

Like Steve, I do trust this system. When the primer is being installed, the shell casing is completely surrounded by metal. The primer explosion can only go into the case and it is deflected by the priming rod that is being driven by a hammer at the moment that it goes off. The gasses come out of the top of the die. When the primer did go off it was a non event and if I did not have my fingers sitting on the top of the die holding the priming rod they would not have got any black on them.


This portable system did come in handy at the range today. I took the 50 rounds that I loaded yesterday along with the loading tool, the Lee autoprime, powder, primers, and bullets. After I shot the first 50 rounds, I reloaded them at the range and shot them again. :)


Chris

Please everyone take this as a lesson and always wear eye protection when reloading. In over 20 years I have only had a primer detonate 2 times. But it only takes one to put an eye out!!!

I have also been handloading for many more years than I will admit. This includes rifle, shotgun and handgun cartridges. So far zero primer detonations during the handloading process. Also, I might point out a minimal amount of hang fires in that many years of shooting from both handloaded and factory ammunition. Knock on wood!! :)

Always a good idea to use eye protection anyway!!!

Edited Remark: I have used the same RCBS Press for the entire time.

AMEN on the eye protection. I have a Dillon 550B and sometimes I'll come across a shell that has some primer crimp left on it, and it takes a little more to get it seated.

Yes, bit disconcerting when you get an "undemanded energetic event" .....
I have occasionally damaged a primer in my Lee Autoprime and always used to take them out to the garage and whack with a hammer - gave up that after one flew back, didn't hit me but at the speed it moving it would have hurt. As pipeman45 says - But it only takes one to put an eye out!!!

DCCUK

Be careful with Dillon primer tubes! Do not "flip" them over too abruptly, or one primer may detonate, which chain fires the rest, and turns the tube into a shotgun. This is not speculation: this really happened to one of our club shooters, who was lucky to eventually get most of the use of her hand back. I saw her wound, which was a nasty one, and talked with her about the accident, and it wasn't anything I myself hadn't done a time or two. So watch where you point those tubes!

I have myself had one primer detonate in a press in about 20 years of reloading, and I really deserved it because I will trying to force it. If it doesn't "feel" right, stop and find out why.

H