ReloaderFred
Member
There are a lot of reports of primers going off in Dillon 650's, with all brands of primers.
Fred
Fred
Federal Primers dangerous to use?
- Thread starter Corner Pocket
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243winxb
Member
Primer KABOOM
Any make prime in any machine can kaboom if certain conditions are met. When many primers have been run thru the same system over and over, Dust from the primer compound will coat the loading tubes. The tubes should be cleaned of the dust/residue left behind from the operation ever so often. Never force a primer if the equiment is binding or jamed. Don't use a loader that does not have a protective shield around the aluminum feed tube. Reminds me of a friends new reloading business. Working in his basement in the 1980's, with a Camdex http://www.camdexloader.com/Default.aspx the primer feed KABOOMED, it went up thru the floor of his bed room above where his wife was. That was the end of the new business.
The Camdex has been redesigned since then, newer and improved.
Any make prime in any machine can kaboom if certain conditions are met. When many primers have been run thru the same system over and over, Dust from the primer compound will coat the loading tubes. The tubes should be cleaned of the dust/residue left behind from the operation ever so often. Never force a primer if the equiment is binding or jamed. Don't use a loader that does not have a protective shield around the aluminum feed tube. Reminds me of a friends new reloading business. Working in his basement in the 1980's, with a Camdex http://www.camdexloader.com/Default.aspx the primer feed KABOOMED, it went up thru the floor of his bed room above where his wife was. That was the end of the new business.
The Camdex has been redesigned since then, newer and improved.interlock
Member
busines is a funny old game, we don't know whio is in bed with who. I wonder if federal wouldn't get in bed with the group that owns lee?
Corner Pocket
Member
Thanks to one and all for the replies. I've primed up a few hundred cases with the Federal primers in the last couple of days. They do seem to take a bit less pressure to seat than the CCI and Winchester primers that I've been using. In any case, (pun intended) all seems to be OK here with them. 
I'll probably not buy any Federal primers, but I'll surely use these that I've received as a gift.
CP
I'll probably not buy any Federal primers, but I'll surely use these that I've received as a gift.
CP
I gotta chime in too. I've fed thousands of Federal primers through both the Lee Auto Prime and the Safety Prime and never had one problem. I don't know what LEE was talking about when he said they weren't safe. (as per the instructions)
472x1A/B
Member
I must be really lucky. Started reloading in 1987 with Federal primers. ( shotgun,pistol,and rifle) I HAVE NEVER had one discharge while reloading. Or any other brand of primer go off while reloading shells. Most of my loaders are Lee.
Autoprime
I've mangled my fair share of primers (mostly WIN, but CCI and Federal too) in a Lee Autoprime over the course of the past 10 years and thousands of rounds. I've had to pry some out of the case with a knife and have never had a kaboom with any primer of any brand. I'm pretty careful when doing this, but having seen the condition of some of the stuck, mangled primers, I'm somewhat surprised none have gone off.
I would definitely hate to see a chain reaction in a primer tray or tube though - one bang would be plenty.
I've gotten to the point of buying mostly WIN primers lately though, for consistency and compact storage. WIN and CCI seem to be much easier to find around here too.
I've mangled my fair share of primers (mostly WIN, but CCI and Federal too) in a Lee Autoprime over the course of the past 10 years and thousands of rounds. I've had to pry some out of the case with a knife and have never had a kaboom with any primer of any brand. I'm pretty careful when doing this, but having seen the condition of some of the stuck, mangled primers, I'm somewhat surprised none have gone off.
I would definitely hate to see a chain reaction in a primer tray or tube though - one bang would be plenty.
I've gotten to the point of buying mostly WIN primers lately though, for consistency and compact storage. WIN and CCI seem to be much easier to find around here too.
ga41
Member
been reloading for over 35 years , Federal is my favorite, never had a problem at all, except once I had a FTF with CCI in a revolver
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