First Accident Reloading...
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I'm going to defend Olympus on this. I've loaded over a hundred thousand 12ga on an auto indexing progressive press. This thing flew when I was in production and I can tell you that something going wrong was usually indicated by things going VERY wrong. Keeping an eagle eye out for issues is of course good advice but, things do go haywire from time to time.
My biggest worry on the shotshells was that a piece of errant shot would find its way into the primer seating stage and detonate a 209. I spotted dozens of them over the years, but it's not to say I could have missed just one and had an accident. The consequences with a huge powder hopper right over the machine could have been bad. Luckily I never had one go off. We all learn from our mistakes. As I said in a previous post, those of us who have had a primer detonation in a press usually only have one, it's an attention getter.
Accidents whether in an automobile or reloading can be caused by inattention and there isn't one of us that hasn't failed to pay attention at some point in our lives.
My biggest worry on the shotshells was that a piece of errant shot would find its way into the primer seating stage and detonate a 209. I spotted dozens of them over the years, but it's not to say I could have missed just one and had an accident. The consequences with a huge powder hopper right over the machine could have been bad. Luckily I never had one go off. We all learn from our mistakes. As I said in a previous post, those of us who have had a primer detonation in a press usually only have one, it's an attention getter.
Accidents whether in an automobile or reloading can be caused by inattention and there isn't one of us that hasn't failed to pay attention at some point in our lives.
When I load I visually inspect the primer in the primer tool on my deluxe 4 place press, if it isn't openside up I don't load it...seems pretty simple to avoid a sideways or backwards primer with this rig as long as you are attentive. Not ready for a progressive, too much stuff going on to watch it all, to much trust required!
amlevin
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MEHavey said:
That was an oversight in my comment. I use the hand AutoPrime. Have one for small primers and one for large.
Cosmoline
Member
I really prefer hand priming. I can "feel" the primer going in, or not, and avoid applying too much pressure. I suppose the down side is if it does go off it's right in front of me. `
rugerman
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Yea I had a few kabooms loading shot shells with the old lee hammer method, if you think that rifle or pistol primmers are load try a 209 shotshell primmer, espically in the confines of that metal tube with the metal rod in place, kinda stings the old hand a bit too.
OP
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Olympus
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See, that's what I was talking about earlier. I've intentionally set off a lot of 209 primers in an empty barrel on my T/C Encore after cleaning and it's not loud at all. It's just a little "pack" sound. Wonder why we're seeing a difference...
You can still watch what is going on enough.
I use an RCBS4x4 all the time.
Watching what is going on is not the same as doing things one at a time.
OP
OP
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Maybe I didn't develop right as a child. My eyes can only focus on one thing at a time. And on my progressive press, there are 5 different things happening at once. So that means there are 4 other things happening at the same time I'm watching what is going on.
Considering everything that is happening at once, depriming, resizing, repriming, expanding/flaring, powder charging, bullet seating, and crimping, multiply all of those by 1000 or so (the amount of rounds I've completed so far), I find it difficult to believe that a person can watch each of those steps equally every single time.
Or maybe I should start reloading with my eyes open? I just thought it would make things more interesting if I reloaded with a blindfold on...
highlander 5
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40+ years mostly with a progressive and no kabooms,but as I've stated in the past had several using the $20 Lee Loader kit.. Banging on primers with a metal rod what the hell was I thinking!!!!???
There are two critical steps that need watching, the priming and the powder load. The priming because, as you found out, if done incorrectly they go boom and can cause significant problems. The powder charging because a squib or an overload are both bad for the gun and shooter.
ZeSpectre
Member
Ditto.
243winxb
Member
More like what was MR Lee thinking.
Publius1688
Member
Hand priming is a wonderful thing. I'm in no hurry!
I use a Lee turret press, and I have never had a primer go in sideways, but I have had a coule go in upside down, but the only way they can do that is if I didn't get ALL of them flipped over when I started. Not the presses fault. One time I did fire off a primed (no powder, no bullet) 9mm in my garage once to see how loud they really are. Man, was I surprised! I actually went in the house to tell my wife that I was okay. I think the neighbors were surprised also. (I live in a very quiet neighborhood, and had the garage door open when I fired it off.) They definitely pack a punch....
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