Ever detonated a primer when priming?

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[QUOTE="LaneP, post: 11283254, member: 257847" OTOH when I first started loading I used one of the basic Lee Loader's that require you to tap the case onto the primer, and with that system I would set off about 1 in a 100 primers. (Tip: wear a glove on your supporting hand if you are forced to prime with that system :))[/QUOTE]

Theres just something basically wrong with hitting a primer with a hammer! I mean................
 
lightman said:
Theres just something basically wrong with hitting a primer with a hammer! I mean................
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I know, right?
index.php
 
Shredding a hand or a finger is not a good thing but worry more about you EYES. Wear eye protection!

Out of the MILLIONS of primers used, there seems to be very little reporting of them exploding.

Worry less.
 
lightman said:
Theres just something basically wrong with hitting a primer with a hammer! I mean................
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It sure seems that way, but how many of us started out our reloading experience using the old Lee hammer-on-it tool?

That's how I got started reloading, using one in 30-30. I shot that Winchester '94 (my one and only rifle at the time) like it was a .22, reloading countless rounds with that tool and a hickory mallet. I never had a primer detonate then, or since then. But you never know... one of my skeet shooting buddies who has reloaded God-knows-how-many rounds told me he had his first primer detonation this summer after more than 40 years of reloading.
 
GW Staar said:
How long did it take to get your hearing back?! :)
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The first time it scared the crap out of me. It was at night and I was the only person in the range house. I had to teach an academy class the next day and was running low on ammunition and didn't want to run out, so I was putting in some late hours to get ready.

The second time was several months later and that one just made me mad, but since it didn't cause any real damage, I was able to keep loading.
 
In sixty plus years of reloading I have never had a primer go off during the loading process.
 
Early experience w/ crimped 223.
Hadn't done a lot of crimp removal before. Didn't get all of them 100%,,,
Was using an RCBS Hand Primer. Tray lid was worn/would come loose.

* Between powering-through the less than perfect de-crimp's,
* A loose tray lid that occasionally let a primer 'flip/go sideways',
* Being new to Reloading,,,,,,

I have hypothesized that combining those 3 could have explained that loud, "Make your ears RING" noise I heard,,, :(

Nothing hurt but my pride and it hasn't happened since. :)
 
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Nope. And I've unprimed more than a handful of cases with live primers...after pullling the bullet and dumping the powder of course.
 
No. I “deactivated” a crushed primer once by cutting it in half (slowly) with a pair of electricians pliers. Made a loud fsssssst sound and scorched the cutter.
 
Jeff Flannery said:
I've removed live primers on a press also. Never had one go off. I've even seen the lodged in the primer hole sideways. I've been reloading for about 50 years and so far no bang
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I've had one go off while depriming live primers. I was using a lee universal decapping die and the press handle slipped out of my hand. THAT was loud, even with hearing protection. :what: Surprises always seem louder than they really are. That was 4 or 5 years ago and I don't remember if I was correcting mistakes or if it was a bunch of primed brass with unknown primers that I picked up.

Matt
 
I had one pop while in a press once. No big deal. Am more concerned about being struck by lightning, and I am not concerned about that at all. I am not Chicken Little. If anyone here is, he needs to find another hobby.
 
Only once when I was beginning reloading, it was with a Lee Loader. That was in 1965, from that point on, I've never pounded on anything in reloading, including using a inertia bullet puller.
 
I've never had one blow and god willing I never will. They do happen, as posters have noted, but I dispute it's only a matter of time. Maybe on a progressive, or a whack a mole, but I prefer foolproof equipment (maybe I'm paranoid!) I'm glad no one in this thread has been worse than scared.

On a forster coax press, which I favor, you will never have an on press accident. Just look at the primer. If it's right side up you will never have an accident, it's not possible. If it's wrong side up popping it out will be pretty scary, I might just toss the brass, still no boom though. If you set the press incorrectly you can curl the edges of your primers slightly, mangling them such that they'll never seat properly, but still no boom. If you mangle loads of primers that's unfortunate and IMO avoidable. If you can't reliably ensure it's right side up, I'm not saying you're negligent but am saying it was operator error. I do believe with this setup the chance of a boom outside of freak occurence beyond the scope of the equipment is truly zero. (Forster didnt pay me for the bump, I just love them for single stage/turret space)

I probably wouldn't use the lee whackamole, I might take the risk for the efficiency of a progressive (using a blast shield and any other precautions I could devise) for my most common handgun calibers, but I think l prefer the coax setup generally speaking.
 
What was a simple and straight forward tool has been ECP'd to a maddeningly complex and unreliable item.
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Yes I liked the old round tray Lee tools far better than either of the newer versions.

Haven't had one go off yet, and I have put a few in sideways.
 
Nope not yet but I have recently went to wearing a leather glove on my priming hand just for a bit more protection just in case .

lightman said:
I've seen some pretty mangled up primers from being seated crooked or even sideways. And I have deprimed lots of live primers.
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LGZW77.jpg

You mean like this ?

This was my average out of 100 primed using the Hornady hand held primer ( total crap IMHO ) This was why I started wearing a glove . If that continued , it would be only a matter of time before one went off . With my big gorilla hands I couldn't tell if they were hard to seat or if I was crushing them . The problem was I had to finish the seat in order to remove the case . So if it was going in sideways , I was crushing them until they were flat enough to clear the shell holder so I could remove the case and inspect . ( not good )

I now use the RCBS universal primer and have had virtually no issues with it . I bought a second after liking the first so much . Each is dedicated to small and large primers respectively . LOVE my set up .
 
No, I guess I’ve been really lucky (should say blessed) so far in my 48 years of reloading.
Like metal god above I’ve seen my share of his picture and so many more!
 
Metal God said:
The problem was I had to finish the seat in order to remove the case . So if it was going in sideways , I was crushing them until they were flat enough to clear the shell holder so I could remove the case and inspect .
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With the old Lee Auto-Prime, you can remove the shell holder with the shell in it. I just set it on top of the shell holder on my RCBS press and pop it out. Even then they don't detonate. I don't know if that's possible with the Hornady or the RCBS unit, but something to think about.
 
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