Leaving primers in auto-priming tool

[essayons21]

I use a Lee auto-prime tool. Sometimes when loading odd numbered batches of ammo, I put too many primers in the tray. I don't like getting my oily hands on the primers to pick them out and put them back in the primer sleeve, so I'll just leave them in the auto-prime tray for a few days until I load another batch of the same ammo.

Question is... is this practice in any way dangerous or does it degrade the primers?

 

[GimpyLeg]

Just a thought....

What do you take the new primers OUT of to load the Auto-Prime? Is it "air-tight"?

Had those same questions myself, but after realizing that they are just as sealed and protected as they would be if I put them back in their original packaging, I figured it wont hurt.

 

[SSN Vet]

I use the Lee Safety Prime set up and sometimes I set up for a large run (well, large for me at least.... say 500 rounds) which I will run in batches of 50 or 100 per night.

I leave the powder in the Auto-Disk and the primers in the safety prime....

BUT.....

I label both and I have no other components on the bench, other than the ones I'm set up for.

I put a 4"x4" piece of foil over the top of the Auto-Disk and mark the powder on it with a sharpie. This helps the cover stay on tight, identifies the powder and (so I've read) can prevent static charge from building up in the hopper.

On the Safety Prime, I just put a small yellow sticky on the clear plastic cover and label the primer type.

This is in a heated (winter), de-humidified (summer), finished room in my basement.

 

[rcmodel]

Heres what I do.
I count the brass, and then I don't put too many primers in it to start with.

Every time I have a partial box of primers left over, I write the number left on the box with a sharpie pin.

Then, the next time I need an odd number of primers, it's fairly easy to slide the tray out in rows of 10 + whatever the odd row contains.

If the row contains 7 primers and I only need 25, I hold my finger over 2 and keep them in the tray. Then turn the tray around and slide out two rows of 10.

rc

 

[snuffy]

1st, why are you worried about oily fingers? It's nearly impossible to de-activate primers with oils.
2nd, they're no better protected in the sleeve they came out of.
3rd, just be darned sure you label which primers are currently in the primer seater. Don't rely on memory. Both large rifle and large pistol are the same outside diameter, BUT putting large pistol in a rifle load will pierce the primer, AND it's shorter, so you may just get a "CLICK" instead of a bang. Same goes for SR and SP, they're the same dimensions, but the SP are thinner, they'll puncture/pierce at rifle pressures.

 

[essayons21]

Thanks for the replies... that's pretty much what I figured, I just wanted to make sure there wasn't some safety consideration I was overlooking.

rcmodel,

I try to do that, but sometimes I run out of fingers when counting my brass and problems arise

Snuffy,

Quite a bit of my reloading is for precision rifle, and when success or failure is measured in fractions of an inch at 600 yards, I try to remove as many variables as possible. I have heard and read that finger oils on primers can cause variations in powder ignition, so I try to limit that. When reloading for pistols I don't worry too much about it, but putting primers back in the sleeve individually is a royal PITA, especially with my stubby fingers.

 

[rcmodel]

I still think the #1 reason to always replace primers back in the proper tray when you get done is safety.

Unless your memory is better then mine.

I could not begin to trust myself on remembering whether I left pistol primers or rifle primers in the tool the last time I used it.

And they all look pretty much the same to me.

I have always made it a hard & fast rule to put the powder back in the can and the primers back in the tray when I get done loading so there is no chance of a mistake the next time.

rc

 

[Walkalong]

I count the brass, and then I don't put too many primers in it to start with.

Every time I have a partial box of primers left over, I write the number left on the box with a sharpie pin.

That is exactly what I do. I also don't worry about handling primers as long as my hands are clean. They are hard buggers to kill. If you didn't just change your oil, you should be good to go.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

I treat primers like I do powder. There is only one flavor on the table at a time. And the container stays as long as that powder or primer is on the bench. So if have to leave the bench I know what is there.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I count exactly how many primers I will need and only put that many in the priming tool.

It is more than likely just fine to do what you are doing, just make sure you label what is in there, so you, or someone else, could put them away should you or someone else have to in the future.

 

[dsv424]

I normally put 2 or 3 extra in the tray because when I get down to the last 2 they are difficult to "click" into the primer cup. Especially my SP and SR tray. This way I don't have to open the tray to load the last one or two by hand.