Primer popped on the press last night

I haven't "popped a primer" since the old days of tapping them in with a steel rod using a Lee-Loader for 38 Specials. The first bit of reloading equipment, other than that Lee Loader I ever purchased, was a Lee hand primer with the loading tray. I still use one today.

 

This has bothered me since I read it last week. Why have I never experienced this? Luck?

When I learned to shoot in agent’s class in ‘72 our pistol ammo was Winchester in 50 round plain cardboard boxes with trays but occasionally we’d grab rounds out of a larger box of bulk ammo. No great care taken.

Recreationally, before I started reloading, I’d buy most of my ammo at Walmart in bulk—Winchester & Remington 45ACP or 9mm in what the boxes termed “range packs.”

You’ve all seen em I’m sure. Anyway, 200 or more rounds just thrown in the box shipped across the country, tossed around the store, dropped into my shopping cart.

At the gun show I’d buy bulk ammo by the hundreds of rounds in heavy cardboard boxes or steel ammo cans, schlepp em out to the car and drop into my car trunk.

Pictures abound here on THR and elsewhere of piles of loaded ammo rounds banging against each other. And (see attached) now that I’m a reloader I seldom use ammo boxes or trays—plastic baggies, Acme’s cool wooden boxes, or empty Berry’s bullet boxes chocked full of ammo.

Was this post a clever ploy nearing Halloween to frighten me into buying trays? But seriously why don’t we hear of these accidents far far more often?

 

I have and use ammo boxes. I also have and use ziploc bags inside ammo cans. I don't think a bit of jostling or bumping of loose bagged ammo is enough to set it off in most cases. Maybe on a rare occasion, but unlikely since primers generally need a pretty good smack to ignite.

It's also unlikely that if one were to go off (loaded ammo stored in bulk) that it would be close enough to another to set it off as well. And an entire box going bang would be less likely still.

Just my opinion and worth almost every penny paid for it.

chris

 

I've bought bulk ammo that was shipped loose packed although not recently. Less than 10 years ago for sure.

More recently bought some Ginex primers that were shipped loose packed. I think there was 3500 in the box?
I was surprised when I saw that.

 

I am glad you were not hurt so thats good .In all the years i reloaded i have never had that happen.I was worried about that when i first started reloading i remember asking my father about it he said he only had it happen once in all the years he reloaded and he reloaded for shot gun for decades !

 

Sounds like a distributor or retailer thing, interesting. I bought 5k like you said, and they were all sleeved. But to my knowledge, they all leave the factory sleeved, not sure how they couldn't.