Primer Detonations-Actual Experiences?

[Southampton]

I have always heard that some brands of primers are more sensitive to mass detonation during the reloading process than other brands.

Some reloading equipment companies go so far as to name brands that are not recommended for use with their equipment.

Some also sell a "blast shield" recommended if certain primer brands are not used.

I have also heard that priming systems using tubes i.e. stacked primers, are inherently more likely to mass detonate than primer systems using trays where primers are side to side.

Questions:

Any experience with an actual mass primer detonation during reloading ?

What was the likely cause ?

How serious an event was it ?

Is there a general concensus within the reloading community that some brands of primers are in fact more susceptible to
mass detonation ?

Thanks for your help..

 

[OFT II]

I've been reloading since 1966 and I've never had a primer go off accidentaly. I've had a few that wouldn't go off when I wanted them to but none that detonated by accident.

 

[mkk41]

The only unintended detonation of primers I ever saw was in a gunshop. They bought out a large collection of guns , ammo , shooting & reloading stuff from an estate. While going thru the boxes of reloading stuff , one of the guys found a small glass jar half full of live primers and for whatever reason , shook them. Can't say how many actually went off , but the jar shattered and there was glass and primers everywhere.

 

[lebomm]

I had a friend who decided to get into handloading 9mm in his garage. Kept his components in a plastic tacklebox on the workbench. Seems his habit, against my advice, was take the primers out of their boxes and put them loose into one of the compartments of the cantilever tray for easy access when loading. One evening I was helping him with some project, and he was working on something in the vise with a hand grinder, and a spark found its way into the open tacklebox. Loud bang, cantilever tray blown to bits, spent primers and plastic bits all over the garage, but thank God no injury to either of us. He began paying closer attention to my advice after that.

Larry

 

[Jc85]

take the primers out of their boxes and put them loose into one of the compartments of the cantilever tray for easy access when loading.

the guys found a small glass jar half full of live primers and for whatever reason , shook them.

It takes only one time for something to go terribly wrong.
Using a press to reload bullets is a very easy and uncomplicated task. The ease of which a finish round is completed might make us laps in our safety, but let us never forget the dangers of the components we are using. I keep mine under lock n key when not in use. I admit when I first started reloading I wore my safety glasses. I don't really do it anymore because I lost them in the woods and have yet to replace them. That being said I have decapped live primers, upside down, sideways. just about any way you can jam a primer in the flash hole Ive decapped it. No explosion yet and I really hope I never have to deal with that.

 

[Rule3]

I have not had any go off when loading.

Lee advises not to put over a certain amount of some brands in their hand held primer as they are softer and if one goes off in that tool it may ignite the others. Think it's more of a liability thing better safe than sorry Lawyer cya .

 

[growr]

I once had a whole tube of primers detonate while using my Dillon 550B..as it was designed to do...all of the energy went straight up. Some parts were damaged and when I called Dillon they replaced everything related to the priming assembly at NO CHARGE!!! Still am not sure what REALLY happened, but it sure had my undivided attention.
The rep at Dillon was pretty funny though....at the end of the order he asked me what size underwear he should send me!! Seemed hilarious at the time......
Randy
Never had a problem since..

 

[WR Moore]

I was present when a primer loading tube at a commercial loader gang fired. The shielded tube vented all gasses and the follower straight up.

The usual cause of something like this is due to failing to periodically clean the primer feed mechanism. Commerical primers are generally well sealed, but accumulations of dust from the primer compound can start a gang fire.

I should note that I'm not a believer in hand held priming widgets. I want that operation performed as far away from me as I can get and with all the primers properly shielded.

 

[MKT]

I've been loading since 1978 or so and, until last week, never had a primer go off while loading let alone multiples. All that changed last week working with my new Dillon 650.

I was laoding 9mm, not going at any sort of fast pace like those who post the youtube vids, but rather working slow and methodical dropping 6 rounds a minute. Deliberate motins up and down with a nice push on the upstroke. Had on case not seat completely in the first stage, upon thinking through I didn't get quite as deliberate on that upstroke, and the case caught the edge of the sizing die on the downstroke. Since I wasn't going fast the press only stopped. I knew all I had to do was reach in with my left hand and nudge the case to center and continue on. Where I dropped the ball is I let go of the handle with my right hand and when I nudged the case I apparently bumped the shell plate, which caused the ram to drop. When it bottomed out it lit off 3 or 4 primers in the wheel but none in the tube. Definitely caught my attention. To those who might start criping that progressives cause - insert condition here - this is no fault of the loading press, it was all my doing, I got sloppy.

I use Winchester primers and they are a little less sensitive, but not as touchy as Federal. Lesson learned, keep right hand on the handle at all times and wear safety glasses.

 

[gregintenn]

The only primers I've seen detonated were either struck by a firing pin or thrown into a fire.

 

[m657]

no mass primer surprises for me.

In loading for nearly 30 years, I've had exactly 2 singles happen, in a Dillon 650. My fault in both instances.

[note to self] Do NOT force the handle especially when you think it is stuck, 'mkay???

 

[sza]

I set a primer off loading .357mag on a Lee Loader a few months ago. I was uninjured and nothing went flying.

I've never had a primer go off in a press or hand-held priming tool. I've seated primers upside down and sideways (eek), so I probably should have, by now.

 

[blujax01]

I had a single go off, no damage to either the press or me but it certainly got my attention. Since it went off in the case all I can think is that I must have loaded it upside-down.
A cheap lesson in paying attention.

 

[Leonard]

A friend of mine retired writer Ed Matunas was for many years an expert witness in firearms cases. He has seen enough of these problems to never use a priming devise with trays or tubes. Got me in the habit of priming off the top of a press one at a time and the press gives you an automatic depth stop.

I have seen the reinforced primer tubes and they are a better choice than the aluminum ones but still potentially dangerous.

 

[W.E.G.]

I didn't do it.

Don't be stupid & light off your primer tube. A public service announcement. - THR

 

[scattershot]

I've been reloading for 40 years or so, and never had a primer go off in a press. I have had several instances where a primer got tipped in the primer arm and was crushed sideways, but no detonation.

 

[Reloader Fred]

When I was rangemaster for our department in the late 1970's, one of my duties was to load all the .38 ammunition we used in practice, which was roughly 60,000 rounds per year. We had an AmmoLoad automatic machine for the .38's. I had the primer column go off on me twice. Once was with a full tube of primers and once with a nearly empty tube.

This is a motor driven machine, with a foot pedal to control on and off. The blast shield for the primer tube contained the blast and the follower ended up in the ceiling.

The cause was the sliding bar that carried the primers from the tube to the priming station under the die. Evidently, a primer had gotten cocked in the hole in the slide and the movement set it off.

No injuries were sustained by me, but the first time rattled me pretty good, since it was late at night and I was the only one in the shop. The damage to the machine was roughly $100 in parts, but those were 1977 dollars.

As close as I can tell from my records, I've reloaded somewhere around 770,000 rounds of various calibers of ammunition since I started in 1963. The only primers I've had go off when loading were in the AmmoLoad machine.

I once had a .38 Special round drop off a top shelf and land on something sharp on the floor, which caused it to detonate. The case blew open and I never found the bullet, which is probably lost forever in the clutter of my shop........... The primer stayed in the case and has a nice half-moon indentation across it.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Maximumbob54]

I read a lot of stories when I first wanted to get started loading the one that stuck with me was a guy saying he was loading .45 ACP and dropping them into a ammo can or box. As in dropping them. One hit a primer just right and blammo. I don't drop ammo and I have a padded carpet under me.