Flash-Over Incident Using Hornady Hand Primer

S

Scrumbag

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Hi folks,

Had a small scare the other day whilst reloading that might be a helpful reminder to people to keep safe and follow your procedures not being sloppy. Primer popped when being seated and flashed over into try causing other primers to detonate.

This happened using a Hornady Hand Primer

My set-up post incident

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Close-up of hand primer – not sure where rest of pieces are.

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Close-up of “flashed” primers (Note empty but dented cups)

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And this is the resulting cuts to hand – fortunately they seem superficial. Blast also blew my glasses off my face and they landed ~6 feet away.

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Fortunately I was wearing latex gloves so some protection.

Be careful folks and wear your eye protection.

(Just in case people are interested, didn’t notice anything different from usual. Cases were PPU factory on ~4th firing. Primers were Federal Large Pistol. Cases had been sonic cleaned and primer pockets checked prior to priming and I’d primed ~50 that session. This process has served me fine for ~3 years of loading)

Best wishes,

Scrummy
 
FYI-
Euro cases do not have a radius/leade at primer pockets like NAmerican brass has.

Cut a break/chamfer w/ a countersink or your inside case neck debur tool to ELIMINATE the possibility to accordion a primer cup upon seating.

The break/chamfer does not have to be as large of diameter as it takes to cut crimped primer pockets from mil spec brass.

I've used the RCBS hand priming tool since it's inception in the early '80's to prime hundreds of thousands of cases w/o issues.
I do not reload Euro brass.
 
Lee Precision has had a warning out for years, against using Federal primers in their tools, due to detonation risk.
 
Until now I've only heard of this being a thing by manufacturer warnings. Glad you weren't hurt more: Ears still ringing?

It's just an ergonomic thing with my hands but I have used an old Lee hand primer for years willfully backward. While this does point case mouths toward my face when aligning primers for seating, I tip it away (for obvious reasons and ergonomics) for the seating and in so doing all remaining primers in hopper drop away. It's a constant rocking/jostling movement that works very well and should I ever crush a primer to ignite, I hope I'll only be writing about accidentally detonating one primer.
 
I have popped a Federal SP primer with the RCBS hand primer. Startled me but no big deal. There is nothing wrong with PPU brass. S&B can be tight but I only have issues with slight hangups priming on my progressive. Hand primer works fine oddly enough. I don't find them much of a problem myself but someone did offer you some very technical nonsense about the subject...
 
Funnily enough didn’t notice anything differrent as loaded a block (50) a few moments before. Also primed those cases with primers from that same brick
 
Glad you are ok, I know someone who had the same thing happen and whole tray went off. Person took some serious shrapnel as for federal primers I'm not sure if it's the compound or the cup hardness as I've been told but they are more sensitive that's for sure.
 
I've had a primer go off when using the LEE Loadmaster, no injuries but what a surprise when it happens. I had just installed the tray with 100 primers in it, there were primers all over the garage. Along with the primer feed part and new tray, I ordered the "blast shield" and installed it before I used the loader again. I'd highly recommend the blast shield.
 
Glad you are OK! Thank goodness you were wearing safety glasses! It cannot be reinforced enough to wear safety glasses when reloading, especially priming.

Thanks for sharing this. It is a good heads up to all reloaders to re-assess their safety protocols and their equipment.

Lee Precision still has the Federal primer warning on its website for all its priming tools. Although I use the on-press "Lee Safety Primer Feed" system on my Lee Classic Cast press, where the primer seating (using the primer arm) is separated well away from the tray and click dispenser thing, being at the bottom of the ram stroke, it has me thinking I maybe need to single feed my Federal primers anyway.

Lee Precision warning on their website in all of their off-press priming tools descriptions:

"Please note: Lee Precision has tested the tool by intentionally setting off a variety of brands and types of primers. Our testing has demonstrated that wearing safety glasses and hearing protection will prevent serious injury. However, all types of FEDERAL BRAND LARGE PRIMERS frequently caused the entire tray to explode with sufficient force to cause serious and painful injuries. These primers must be fed individually, see step 7 of product instructions, single priming option."

Vimeo link to the single priming option: https://vimeo.com/191639208


Has me thinking I might buy the old Lee Ram Prime for seating Federal primers individually, or manually drop them into the press primer arm one at a time.
 
B said:
I have popped a Federal SP primer with the RCBS hand primer. Startled me but no big deal. There is nothing wrong with PPU brass. S&B can be tight but I only have issues with slight hangups priming on my progressive. Hand primer works fine oddly enough. I don't find them much of a problem myself but someone did offer you some very technical nonsense about the subject...
Click to expand...

That would be more akin to my experience with PPU brass. Also have noticed S&B is tight.
 
Glad you don't have serious injury and will be able to recover quickly...

I've switched to bench mounted RCBS APS system, probably the most safe way to prime compared to all available tools out there...
 
I have only had one primer go bang and it was a Federal SPP and I was using my ancient Lee hand primer. It startled me and it just so happened that my wife was walking by at the time and asked if that was normal. I said that it has not an usual thing so I just inspected the priming tool and the brass with the spent primer in it and carried on. Just one time out of several thousand!
 
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