Primers away!?!?

[carexpert]

Hi all,

So here I am new to reloading and after reading book after book I'm now respectful of primers. Who am I kidding, I'm scared of 'em...

So after reloading a few hundred rounds I found that every once in awhile while decapping a primer it (the spent one) will not drop into the cup, instead, it will fly off somewhere or maybe jam the shellplate. The first time it happened I thought it was a live primer and nearly wet myself when I saw it shoot across the room..

Any ideas, am I alone here?

Thanks!

[Sarge]

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=75339&view=findpost&p=871805

I actually beveled the tip of mine with sandpaper. That ended the problem for me as well.

[superdude]

um, so what's your question or what do you want folks to address? we're happy to chime in with any advice.

[carexpert]

um, so what's your question or what do you want folks to address? we're happy to chime in with any advice.

I am trying to understand why the spent primer goes flying instead of dropping into the cup.

[carexpert]

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=75339&view=findpost&p=871805

I actually beveled the tip of mine with sandpaper. That ended the problem for me as well.

Thanks! I'll give it a shot and let you know.

[superdude]

it's normal. some of those babies are tighter than others and can pop out with speed. also, some dies, like the Dillons, have spring tension on the decapper, which only increases the chance of a speedy ejection. but they sometimes come out a'flyin' even with a fixed decapping arrangement. if you went really slow that might decrease their number, but i doubt it would stop all of them.

[TerryO]

Every so often you'll loose a live primer for whatever reason on the floor. I fequently sweep up the fired primers and I know there's some live ones in there. Recently I swept out the garage and several weeks later while edging the lawn I hit two live ones with the edger. Amazing how they can lay in the grass and have the sprinkler soak them and several weeks later still go off. They give a pretty sharp bang that can very easily be heard over the gas powered edger.

[rodell]

I respect them, but, don't fear them. I've dropped countless primers over the last (many) years and haven't had one go off. I sweep up and never reuse live ones that have dirt in them, I just throw them in the trash after putting them in a little container with some Kroil or WD-40.

I think it would be pretty tough to have one fly off the press and hit in such a way to set them off. Without being held in some rigid way it is pretty hard to deform.

Safety glasses are a must and I'm careful not to lean over a column of primers.

Edited October 12, 2010 by rodell

[Boxerglocker]

Safety glasses are a must and I'm careful not to lean over a column of primers.

+1 and one of reasons I set my press up for standing while loading reloading, make it impossible to lean over the primer feeding tube. I also off set the flourencent light tube fixture above my bench intentionally should a mishap do happen.

[Powder Finger]

Hi all,

So here I am new to reloading and after reading book after book I'm now respectful of primers. Who am I kidding, I'm scared of 'em...

So after reloading a few hundred rounds I found that every once in awhile while decapping a primer it (the spent one) will not drop into the cup, instead, it will fly off somewhere or maybe jam the shellplate. The first time it happened I thought it was a live primer and nearly wet myself when I saw it shoot across the room..

Any ideas, am I alone here?Thanks!

don't worry at all if you find it it will be a dead one for sure.

if you don't find it it will be live for sure.

You will know this always happens that way when the wife unit runs the vacuum cleaner and finds it for you.

P.S. Brian, there is no explosion icon!