Had my first primer blow up!

C

corney

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I have never had a primer blow up when I was seating them until yeasterday.

I screamed like a girl:redface:

What happened was I was using a Lee 1000 and the primer top was pushed out but it wasn't all empty in the primer cup (probably didn't explain that well). When I tried to push a new primer in it blew.

Didn't ignite the whole tray like I have read about.

Before you ask it was a federal small pistol I was removing and replacing.
 
Don't you know you're not supposed to use Federal primers in anything made by Lee. It even says so in Lee's second edition Modern Reloading Guide.

:popCorn:



(just joking) Glad to hear that you didn't loose an eye or blow off your ear.
 
shooting glasses?

colinjw said:
This is the reason that many manuals suggest wearing shooting glasses when reloading.

I don't all the time but I should.
Click to expand...
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Haven't had one yet on the Lee priming system I use for some rifle cal.s , ( knock on wood) but , anything is probable ,the Lee system certainly has a fair bit of "slop" for sure , thinking I should be investing in a better way !

"Shooting glasses"? --- certainly a case for hearing protection as well. :)
 
I know I'm not suppose to load with Federals in the Lee. The Federals work better for PPC shooting as they don't take so much mainspring to pop.

I do wear safety glasses and a leather apron. I guess maybe its time to wear a face sheild and hearing protection lol.

That is the first time in over 10000 rounds. Wake up call and I will pay attention so it doesn't happen again.

It does happen!
 
blown primer

what;s the leather apron for family jewels ???? LOL ya you can never be to careful . I have some of the federal primers put away and I have never used them before . winchester remington etc . I have heard they do go off with the lightest hammer blow . it 's good the rest did;nt go go off also . I have a hand primer myself which I am using now an RCBS . did you clean the primer pockets??? could have been too much gunk - burn;t powder or the primer went in crooked and went off . be careful and take care.
 
About a month ago I had about 20 CCI large pistol go off in my Dillon 1050 thanks to a ####ing small-primered 45ACP case that snuck in a run of about 4000. Loud as hell, big flash out the top of the steel protective tube, the aluminum magazine - that sits inside the steel outer tube - has a 2 inch split. The protective system worked perfectly and Dillon replaced the tube and a few plastic bits the next day. The Dillon rep told me when they were developing the 1050 system they set off over 100 primers in the tube with an electric sparker with complete containment and vertical venting of the explosion.

So I'm a believer in the 1050. Up until then in 30 years of reloading I’d only had a couple go off in an RCBS progressive ( 1 Federal, 1 older Winchester) - as well with no consequences beyond the noise).

I always wear safety glasses
 
I've had several close calls with primers in progressive presses....enough to scare me into priming all my cases by hand with a lee autoprime. It's a bit of a pain in the a** as a guy has to run them twice through the Dillon 650 (with two different toolhead setups...thank goodness for the quick change ability of the press!)....the first one to resize and trim and then a second time after hand priming for powder, seating & crimping.
 
Did you not read the warning from Lee.

Only use CCI or Winchester primers! On the LEE 1000



corney said:
I have never had a primer blow up when I was seating them until yeasterday.

I screamed like a girl:redface:

What happened was I was using a Lee 1000 and the primer top was pushed out but it wasn't all empty in the primer cup (probably didn't explain that well). When I tried to push a new primer in it blew.

Didn't ignite the whole tray like I have read about.

Before you ask it was a federal small pistol I was removing and replacing.
Click to expand...
 
I would advise strongly against hearing protection while loading. For the risk of a primer going off, you'll miss out on any auditory clues of something going wrong. Lots of problems you may encounter, have specific sounds, which can be very quiet. I only load when the house is quiet, and everyone else has gone to bed, for that very reason. The only time I would say to wear any hearing protection, would be if you had no choice but to work when the house is loud, then it'd be better to block out the distractions (i.e. TV, radio, kids, wife, etc.). Or if you happen to be decapping live primers, but even that isn't really needed if you go slow.
I reiterate, for the risk of your ears ringing for a couple of minutes, which is quite small if you are careful and know what you're doing, it's not worth losing the sound of the press operating.
Eye protection is a good idea however, you don't lose anything by using it, and it could save your vision.
 
Lee hand primer

I started by priming in my RCBS press but found it slow and a lack of feel. I use the Lee hand primer and don't think it has slowed me down at all (in fact I'm faster now). It takes about 5 seconds to get the clean, sized and trimmed case out of a block, primed and into the next block. It also gives me the perfect feel for the bottom of the cup. I've never had one go off while priming, but I suppose it still could! I too wear safety glasses while reloading, but no hearing protection. I also ALWAYS point the case mouth up and away from my face at about a 45 degree angle while priming.
Glad to hear that you suffered no injury (other than your girlish pride:) )
 
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