Touching primers

[Cheeseybacon]

I've just recently started reloading with Lee 4-hole turret and their safety prime system. I was warned that their safety prime system was crap, but I didn't listen. Man, I wish I did. It worked sorta ok for about 2 minutes before jammed up and then broke. I've since discovered it's way easier and faster to just pick a primer up and put it on directly on the press myself than to use that stupid safety prime dispenser.

So I guess my question is: why do both Lee and the primer manufacturers warn you to never directly handle the primers? Is it just a safety/liability issue that the company lawyers insisted upon in anticipation of a primer going off in someone's hands? Or is it some other reason, like oil from my skin damaging the primer and preventing it from firing?

 

[Doug b]

I touched everyone of them when I loaded on my old spar-t press , we didn't have all the priming tools available now.I wore that press out and have never had a miss fire.

 

[BruceB]

A couple years back, I did a fairly major test on primer contamination. It took several DAYS completely immersed in various solvents and lubricants before all the primers were de-activated.

I also liberally sprayed the heads of both primed empty cases and loaded .45 ACP rounds (in much-used brass) with WD40, and tested five rounds from each batch once a month. These cases and loads were stored mouth-down in cartridge boxes. I ran out of test cases and loads after seven months, and NONE had misfired. The last of the WD40-contaminated loaded .45 rounds were chronographed against a control batch from the same production run, and there was no difference in velocity, extreme velocity spread, or standard deviation between the dry rounds and the WD40-sprayed rounds.

As long as one's hands are reasonably clean and dry, there is no risk of impairing a primer's function by handling it. Some treat this subject as if the merest trace of skin oil will instantly ruin the primers, and some even wear latex gloves to handle the primers. It just isn't necessary. Except when using my Dillon 550, all my primers are manually placed in the priming punch, one at a time. This amounts to tens of thousands per year. I have zero problems with "contaminated" primers.

 

[crawfish]

Have been reloading since 1965, NEVER had a primer problem having to do with hand contamination.

 

[Mal H]

I can't count the number of primers I've touched and they all went bang when they needed to. I'm sure the manufacturers warnings have to do with skin oils, but you would have to be an oil derrick worker to contaminate primers with oil by just lightly touching the primer cup.

 

[Hazzard]

The reason is "supposed" to be that oil from your fingers will contaminate the primer causing misfires. I agree with the other posters. I've done it for years and never had a problem.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Same here, my first Rock Chucker press you had to handle each and every primer into the priming arm, so I've touched literally thousands of primers and never had a problem.

 

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

Even though I have a Dillon press with an OK priming system, I still don't use it. I use a Lee hand primer and don't even look at what I'm doing. It's all by feel. So, it might be safe to say that I've touched every primer I've ever stuffed in a pocket. I slide the case in the holder, I tilt for another primer, then push it in. When I removed the now primed case, I run my finger across the surface to make sure I've seated uniformly. Toss it in a tupperware bin next to me while I watch TV. (This is the only part of my reloading process where I allow the TV) I've been reloading for more than 20 years and all my primers have done what they're supposed to do when the firing pin strikes.

-Steve

 

[shark40sw]

I asked the same question about touching primers once to a man who's knowledge of the subject is far and beyond my ability (he's in his 60's and has reloaded more ammo than I've ever seen let alone shot). He did the same afore mentioned test and got the same results. His explination was that modern manufacturing has made todays primers pretty much idiot proof and that tale of what not to do is a hold over from when componants were less stable and a lower shelf life.

 

[revolverman357]

I have used a lee 4-hole turret press for about a year now. I have touched every primer I have loaded. None have misfired. Also, I just bought a Safety Prime primer for this press. Unlike cheeseybacon I love it. So far, I loaded 250 .357mags yesterday and another 250 today. It worked perfectly and has really speeded up my reloading. Maybe yours is defective and you should call lee for a replacement if it does not work properly.

 

[temmi]

Oil from your hands can and will effect the primers... some times causing a failure (if you had been handling something oily) Just get some Latex gloves and use them if you need to handle a primer... then take the gloves and throw them away...

 

[Ron Brooks]

Wash your hands good before you reload, especially priming, and you should be fine. Be sure to wash them again after reloading due to the lead you'bve been handling, and not just the bullets.

Ron

 

[Car Knocker]

Oil from your hands can and will effect the primers

Interesting. I haven't found that to be true in the 40 years I've been reloading. Must be an individual thing.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Some people have very acidic sweat: it is an
individual metabolism thing.

I wash my hands before and after reloading.

I use the uber-simple Lee Loaders ("with mallets toward all")
and HAVE to touch the primers with my fingers.
I especially take care to wash my hands before reloading
if I have been cleaning guns with Hoppes#9 or WD40.

I do not eat, drink or smoke while reloading, or before
I wash my hands after reloading.

It's just soap and water: it can't hurt.

 

[1911user]

Oil from your hands can and will effect the primers... some times causing a failure (if you had been handling something oily) Just get some Latex gloves and use them if you need to handle a primer... then take the gloves and throw them away...

Have you personally had a bad primer due to handling them? The evidence is stacking up that you can't really kill them even if you try and should never, ever assume one has been deactivated even if it was soaked in oil, wd40, etc.