Safety Questions

[leftee]

I know you are suppose to wear eye protection and some say ear protection when you reload, but has anyone every personally had an incident that warranted such measures? Has anyone set off a primer while priming a case, loading the fill tube, picking them up from the tray? What happened? Any reloading explosions? Just how danger is this reloading activity?

[Sarge]

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=31472

One of many threads on the subject.

Yes I wear eye protection when I reload.

[leftee]

Frightening. I definitely wear safety glasses, but I may also begin to include ear protection. Here are two troubling pictures from today's reloading. So how close did I come to touching these off?....

Edited July 18, 2011 by leftee

[Sarge]

Not close in my opinion. I have dented Federal primers much worse than that.

[leftee]

Not close in my opinion. I have dented Federal primers much worse than that.

Thanks. Good to hear. BTW, these are CCI primers. Not sure what's causing this, but glad I'm not too close to a kaboom event.

[Sarge]

Those crescent moon shapes look to be from brass shavings coming out of the primer pocket. It happens.

[noylj]

Not close at all. Looks like brass shavings and there was no impact force.

You can slowly crush a primer without it going off, and I have deprimed live primers and NEVER had one go off and, if it did, it would be contained. It takes a certain level of impact force.

I have had a primer go off twice in well over 30 years. The bang didn't seem that bad and the impact forces kept the anvil and body from flying around.

No, I don't wear hearing protection and I always have my glasses on anyway.

The only time I need safety equipment is while casting--heavy pants, gloves, and goggles. Still, in 30 years of casting, the "equipment" has never been needed (but when needed, it would be VERY needed).

[ddpenn]

I regularly crush federal in sideways without detonation. Are you loding with a 550? my primers all have the same type of mark.

[GrumpyOne]

I've dented Winchester primers much, much worse than that with no bang.

[atbarr]

I've dented Winchester primers much, much worse than that with no bang.

Yeah Buddy!

[leftee]

I regularly crush federal in sideways without detonation. Are you loding with a 550? my primers all have the same type of mark.

Yes.

[Jaxshooter]

I make a habit of crushing Federal primers for use in my revolvers. Your pictures don't come close to the way they look.

I also wear glasses when I reload.

[astephenson]

I've popped a primer while reloading...will scare the poop out of you. I always wear eye protection while reloading; it used to just be my tiny prescription eyeglasses, now it's my Rudy Project Rydons for better coverage.

[Bob DuBois]

I wear glasses and don't change to safety glasses but it's a good idea for someone with contacts or that doesn't wear glasses to put on a pair of safety glasses. If your used to it it's second nature and can save your vision.

In the 30+ years only had one or two primers go off in my 550's. It will startle you but shouldn't hurt anything. Had the whole tube go up in a Dillon 1000, that gets your attention.

Never leave the top off the powder measure unless your adding powder, replace the top as soon as your through adding powder. Always replace the top on the powder bottle as soon as your poured it in the measure. If a primer some way found it way to the measure then you'll have a real problem. Just another tip since we're on a safety issue.

[Red Ryder]

I blew up a dillon 650 with about 90 primers going off. I did change my under garment afterwards. I felt the concussion all over my face...around my glasses.

[TonyT]

I know you are suppose to wear eye protection and some say ear protection when you reload, but has anyone every personally had an incident that warranted such measures? Has anyone set off a primer while priming a case, loading the fill tube, picking them up from the tray? What happened? Any reloading explosions? Just how danger is this reloading activity?

I have never had a primer discharge in my reloading presses. I always wear safety glasses since I kmnow of two fellow shooters who have had expereinces with primer detonation.

[calishootr]

i know of two times where primers wereset off, the one, an entire primer magazine went off, and basically launched the primer follower rod up into an attic crawl space, the other a lil more serious, the operator is now wearing an eye patch permanently....wear somthing/anything between your eyes and the machine...

[mcracco]

The sensible answer is wear eye protection but one point; you can minimize having a major problem if you can use something like a Lee Auto Prime instead of the type of loader that stacks primers like a pipe bomb. I realize this may not be an option for all, but for my single stage operation the Auto Prime is safer, easier to use, and allows me to watch TV while seating primers.

[wirecounter]

I know you are suppose to wear eye protection and some say ear protection when you reload, but has anyone every personally had an incident that warranted such measures? Has anyone set off a primer while priming a case, loading the fill tube, picking them up from the tray? What happened? Any reloading explosions? Just how danger is this reloading activity?

Don't know anyone (personally) that had a primer go off, but why wouldn't you wear eye protection? Reloading is dangerous just like shooting or driving a car is dangerous. Key thing is to be consistent in your process and have NO distractions.

[TGriff]

When I first got my Dillon, I used RCBS-level force to seat the primers. This resulted in the the case rim shearing off in the shellplate and the primer seated about 1mm below flush. No kaboom but I always wear eye protection when reloading.