My Primer went ka-boom tonight

[Beemer-mark]

These stories always interest me. Primers generally require a moderate blow to detonate, so I just don't see how this happens in the normal reloading process, on press or off press. I am not doubting it happened, just can't see how. I've been at this for right at 4 decades, more than 250k rds on a ss press, hand priming with lee, rcbs or Hornady tool, & the rest on Dillon progressives with the dreaded primer tube. Nothing. Nada, zip. I too have crushed primers into a case sideways on the press. So I feel there is some other missing something to these stories.

I would have agreed with you 100% until until last night -

 

[rwsmith]

Popped one with a Lee Handloader.......

Tapping on it. Standard pistol primer. Those suckers are LOUD! Hate to do with with a magnum rifle primer. I haven' popped one with my Lee Hand primer yet, though.

I guess we should wear some sort of ear protection when doing this. (Kleenex, cotton, TP) in your ears.



This was 35 years ago and I haven't had one since though I continued to use the Handloader tool for a while. I like the hand primer.

 

[rwsmith]

Popped one with a Lee Handloader.......

Tapping on it. Standard pistol primer. Those suckas are LOUD! Hate to do with with a magnum rifle primer. I haven' popped one with my Lee Hand primer yet, though.

I guess we should wear some sort of ear protection when doing this. (Kleenex, cotton, TP) in your ears.

One good habit to develop with the hand primer is to hold it and point it away from you.

 

[fredj338]

I would have agreed with you 100% until until last night -

I've accidentally tried to seat a large prime in a sp case, on the press, way more leverage/force than can be generated with a hand tool. Nothing. Sucks that it happened, but I would place the event in the lottery winner or lightening strike, krap happens, but isn't making me change what I do. It is a good reminder to wear safety glasses while loading.

 

[Vortec MAX]

Anybody use the attachment that goes on a single state press to do this?

This is how I prime. I tried several different methods and settled on this one. I even tried the RCBS Auto-Prime attachment and took it back off. Primers kept flipping upside down with that system, and I seated a few sideways, crushing them.

I now just prime on the downstroke after expanding the case mouth using the little arms that flip out of the way when you are not using them. I have gotten as fast (or even faster) with this method than with the auto-prime system anyway.

Alignment can sometime be finicky, so I lower the handle until it stops (primer against bottom of case) and just let the handle "hang" under its own weight. I then grab the case with my fingers and wiggle it slightly side to side and the primer will start into the pocket and the handle will move downwards slightly. It's a pain, but I have gotten very fast at it with practice. I then finish pressing it in.

You can still get one upside down if you are not careful, especially with SP primers. The outside sleeve of the primer cup is spring loaded. Sometimes the edge of this sleeve will catch as it moves up through the shell holder. If it does this, it makes a snapping noise. It will sometimes flip the primer upside down (or even sideways) when this happens. I just listen for that sound. If I hear it, I raise the ram and check the primer position. It doesn't happen very often, but it can happen.

Mike

 

[ggibson511960]

Forster is Safest & Easiest on Your Hand

I've used all kinds of hand and press mounted priming tools, working my way through Lee, RCBS, and finally arriving at Forster for its safety and ease of use. That big old lever makes it so easy to feel the primer sliding in. It also makes it easy to feel dirty or tight pockets, sideways primers, or any other ill that precludes a nice primer seating. Everything is made out of metal. If a primer pops while being seated the fiery bits go sideways away, not up. If a whole primer feed tube were to go off, they would go upwards, but likely not send shrapnel into you. My issue with Lee and RCBS hand tools is the poorly machined (cast) pot metal bearing surfaces in the toggle linkage. A bit of polishing and moly lube help, but the metal is so soft it quickly grinds up into alligator hide. Forster priming tools, machined out of steel or cast iron, are a bit more expensive, but pay more and get better.

 

[Frank46]

I've an old Lachmiller cast iron bench type priming tool, takes RCBS shell holders and while slow you can prime a bunch while taking your time. Bought it about 1967. The RCBS one is a aluminum or pot metal base and haven't seen it in awhile so not missing it much. Frank