Federal Primers dangerous to use?

[Corner Pocket]

Just found out that one of my Christmas gifts this year will be some Federal primers. (Both Small and Large pistol.) I've never used Federal primers, because when I first bought my reloading equipment, I opted for the Lee AutoPrime. The instructions with the Autoprime warn against using Federal primers in it. I have thus far heeded that warning...

Two questions:
1) Is there anyone out there with the Lee Autoprime who is using Federal primers in spite of the warning?
2) Are there other simple priming tools available that work just fine with Federal primers?

Thanks for any help!

Corner Pocket

 

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

There's pretty recent thread on using the Lee Auto Prime with Federal Primers. You might do a search.

I've run Federals through my Auto Prime on and off for more than 20 years. Never had an issue.

-Steve

 

[MMCSRET]

I have used Federal primers in the Lee tool. Large and small pistol and rifle. I don't make a habit of it cause I don't buy Federal for myself. Be careful and only put 10 or so in the tray at a time. Federals are more sensitive and deserve respect and they are a really good primer.

 

[earplug]

If you don't need them sell or trade them

Many revolver shooters would love to pay you for the Federals.

 

[rcmodel]

If you do a Google search of "Federal Primer Explosion", or "reloading + primer explosion", or something like that:

You will find no more Federal primers blowing people up then any other brand.

Very few people actually get blowed up by primers of any brand anyway.

If they did, Federal would be out of business, and so would the other primer manufactures.

It may very well be that every single reloader in the last 20 years closely read & followed the warning.

But they probably didn't.
90% of them didn't read the directions, and at least another 5% of those who did read them, didn't understand them, or ignored them!

I have always used CCI & Winchester exclusively, so never had to worry about it.

rcmodel

 

[243winxb]

My Instructions are Dont use Lee.

The instructions with the Autoprime warn against using Federal primers in it.

There is nothing wrong with Federal Primers. However there may be a problem with Lee.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

They're the most sensitive(softest) out there. I use them in 90 percent of my reloads that aren't going into a firearm with a free floating firing pin.

Just be gentle with them as you seat. If it doesn't feel right, stop.

 

[Shoney]

Over the past 48 years I have loaded CCI, Win, and Rem primers upside down and sideways. I started using Federal primers about 20 years ago????, and have also horribly smashed them sideways, and in addition have deprimed lots of upside down primers, courtesy of my 550.

None of them ever detonated.

 

[Walkalong]

I have loaded CCI, Win, and Rem primers upside down and sideways.........., and have also horribly smashed them sideways

Yep. Mashed a few real good. Squashed the L out of them, no booms.

 

[bluetopper]

I buy Federal primers whenever I can find them and they perform great in my Lee turret setup. I wouldn't be afraid of them one bit.

 

[Corner Pocket]

Thanks much for the insightful replies, gentlemen. Sounds like my best bet may be to trade the Federal primers for ones that I've been using all along. Failing that, I'll exercise caution and squeeze 'em gently.

Merry Christmas to one and all!

CP

 

[jsarcher]

Just loaded up my 2000th Federal 210 Match primer, about 1800 of which were in my Lee autoprime, the others were in the Lee press.

Only place they went 'bang' was in the chamber, when I pulled the trigger.

Merry Christmas everyone.

 

[moxie]

Ditto on what Shoney said. I've used every brand and type of primer (except for Wolf) in my Lee AutoPrime and RCBS tool, as well as the primer gizmo on the press. I've made plenty of mistakes as others have noted above. No bangs over 20 years. I treat them all with respect and always wear safety glasses, but, to date, nary a problem. Furthermore, all the brands work just fine in all my guns. Bottom line: buy whatever is cheapest. If you find a good deal, stock up. As near as I can tell, the differences and deficiencies in primers are just myth.

 

[NuJudge]

I've shot thousands of Federal regular and Match primers, all of them seated though the Lee tool, and no bangs.

CDD

 

[rodregier]

(from an article I read on Lee experiments with primer hazard).

Lee warns about Federal primers not so much because of possible sensitivity to seating, but what subsequently happens *if* you manage to set off a primer while seating it. The Federals are much more hazardous in a chain detonation that could be triggered by such circumstances. (They more easily chain detonate if the first one is "fired" in the tool.)

Lee made the determination by setting up controlled experiments with different types/mfgr of primers,
and cooking off the single "trigger" primer to permit a repeatable worse-case failure test.

He used sheets of cardboard positioned in proximity of the test setup (blast zone) to repeatably measure the potential of the fragments to produce a penetrating injury to a possible human operator.

(The premise is that a fragment that can penetrate a sheet of corrugated cardboard will also produce a penetrating injury to a human operator).

Zipping up my Nomex jumpsuit...

 

[hershey]

i actually use my auto prime to seat federal primers that occasionally hang a little proud in my 550, i have actually reamed the bottom of the shellholder to accomidate this, usually the issue is a military crimp that didn't swag out well, but what i can tell you is i have DEFORMED the federal primer because of excess pressure i am applying from the auto prime, and i have never set one off, EVER, so for normal use i see no issue's to be afraid of the auto prime.
i actually prefer federal primers for that reason(will deform before going off), and most of my handguns are striker fired, which tends to have a lighter strike.

 

[fguffey]

Corner Pocket, there are some ideals and concepts that are imposable to overcome, the Federal Primer 'Rumor' got started when Federal did not donate primers to Lee for testing in his auto primer tool, a primer is a primer, behavior can create predicious, Mr. Lee did not recommend Federal primers, in his book he said he did not test Federal primers, he did say they did not donate primers, from this all kind of conclusions can be drawn as to why he did not recommend Federal primers, Federal did not donate primers, Lee did not/was not going to purchase Federal primers for testing, if Federal did not take him serious, Federal did not/was not going to benefit if he had to purchase the primers for testing.

It has to do with discerning fact from fiction, truth from nonsense, it is imposable to get someone to read Lee's book on MODERN RELOADING and highlight only the parts of the book that has to do with Federal Primers, he said he did not test Federal primers, those that do not read say Federal primers are dangerous because Richard Lee said they were dangerous, Mr. Lee said all primers are dangerous, he could not comment on Federal because Federal did not donate primers to be tested.

Mr. Lee gave good advice on handling primers, crimping, casting and measuring etc., he made it a point to make it clear Federal did not donate primers for testing.

I started out one day to determine what it would take to set a primer off in a hand primer, excluding the bench mounted models, it was not easy, with gloves and goggles and many attempts, one went off, I did not warn the wife, knowing nothing more about reloading than 'it was something I did, I had to promise her I would not do that again and my attempt was deliberate, not an accident. I was not using Federal primers, I gave up on them and started on another brand.



F. Guffey

 

[ReloaderFred]

I wasn't going to chime in on this thread, but I think Federal primers are getting a bum rap. I have loaded, and continue to load, primers from Winchester, Remington, CCI, Federal and MagTech in centerfire cartridges. In shotgun, I load Winchester, Remington, CCI, Federal, Fiochi and Cheddite. I can say I've got a little experience with primers, and my loaded round count, not counting shotgun shells, is somewhere over 750,000 rounds of centerfire ammunition.

I've never had a primer go off while loading, except when using an automatic loading machine, the AmmoLoad, which is motor driven and truely a production machine, putting out between 1,500 and 2,000 rounds an hour, if all goes right.

In regular reloading presses and priming systems, I've never had a primer detonate, period. I've used the Lee hand primer, and broke two of the pot metal levers, so I gave up on them. I've used the RCBS bench mounted, the RCBS hand primer, the Hornady hand primer, my Hollywood press, RCBS Rockchuckers, since I'm on my second one, my Hornady Pro-Jector, my Hornady LNL and the Lyman Ram Prime unit.

They all prime, but some do a better job than others. While this isn't a discussion of priming tools, I think it's relevant to the subject at hand.

I don't consider Federal primers any more dangerous than any other brand of primer. In fact, for a lot of calibers, and I load 29 of them, Federal is my primer of choice. I've probably loaded over 100,000 Federal primers, and if they were dangerous, I think I would have discovered that by now.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[woodsoup]

Now then. Mr. Guffys explanation makes perfect sense. You cannot endorse the use of a product if you never used it. To do so as a manufacturer would leave the lawsuit door wide open to the lawyers.

 

[USSR]

When I first got into reloading, I bought the Lee hand primer. Upon reading the warning of not to use Federal primers with it, I promptly sent it back and bought the RCBS hand primer. Federal 210M primers are my primer of choice, along with the Winchester WLR and Russian KVB-7.

Don

 

[Otto]

...those that do not read say Federal primers are dangerous because Richard Lee said they were dangerous, Mr. Lee said all primers are dangerous, he could not comment on Federal because Federal did not donate primers to be tested.

The instructions with the Auto Prime says; "Federal (primers) can explode with sufficient force to seriously injure the user or persons nearby."
That's the warning that comes with every Auto Prime. You're perfectly free to ignore manufacturers warnings but don't entice others to do the same.

 

[.38 Special]

If you buy a drinking glass that comes with a warning saying "Safe for Coca-Cola, Sprite, 7-Up (half full only); not for use with Pepsi in any amount", do you

A) assume that there's something wrong with Pepsi,

B) realize you're holding a defective product,

C) decide that the glass maker is off his rocker,

D) recognize a personal vendetta when you see one,

or

E) all of the above except "A"?

 

[rcmodel]

Good one!!!!

rcmodel

 

[Slamfire]

I used federal primers, when they were reasonably priced. I loaded tens of thousands of cartridges with them, and the rifle cases were primed in a Lee hand held priming tool.

Still, if you call Federal, they are proud that they make the most sensitive primer around.

And primers have gone off, I can't remember a reference, but I can recall reading that the early Dillion primer feeder was redesigned to protect the reloader if a primer went off. Apparently a primer, and I don't know the make, went off with Mr. Dillon (?) loading. I can recall someone saying the same thing happened to him, but on the redesigned unit, and the reloader was not hurt.

I don't like Federals in semi automatic mechanisms. Especially if the gun has a free floating firing pin. But for all other types, federals are fine.

 

[arizona98tj]

After 30 years of reloading with single stage press, I picked up a Dillon 650 press and used it for 45ACP and later on, 9mm. After having loaded several thousand rounds, I ran out of the last sleeve of CCI large pistol that I had purchased for my 45ACP reloads. I had a couple trays of Federal on the shelf and so loaded the primer tube with them. I wanted to finish off the last of the bullets I had. I was about 50 rounds into it when a primer went off. Talk about my ringing ears. While I do wear safety glasses when I reload, I hadn't been wearing hearing protection. <would someone get the phone, please>

I cleared the Federals out of the Dillon and haven't used them since. I've loaded several thousand more rounds in the 650 since then exclusively using Winchester small and large pistol primers without any problems...and I've mangled a few of them too. It's just a single data point, but it was with a Federal and they were in use but a fractional percentage of the time.

YMMV