Reloading Kaboom Yesterday - Please Learn From This

[motosapiens]

EVERY manufacture has the same basic tube. It's not just dillon. RCBS, Dillon, Hornady. Only Lee has a different setup.

I have one of Lee's reloading books and IIRC, the specific reason they use a different setup is because they think the tubes are dangerous.

[CSEMARTIN]

For $45 bucks you can buy a conversion for the RF 100. I'm sure the dimensions are the same as a regular primer pick up tube?? Just throw on the plastic tip and you should be good to go.

Edited November 8, 2011 by CSEMARTIN

[Powder Finger]

Yup, I usually remove the follower rod and flip the alarm lever back. I'm sure I was centered at least initially. What happened during the blast, I don't know. I do know, though, I wasn't trying to fill the corner of the alarm.

Thanks for all you're doing as far as a pickup tube improvement. I must say, I'm raising an eyebrow at Dillon for having a reinforced primer magazine, a reinforced primer tube on their RF100, but basically a drinking straw in our hand for the primer pickup tube. The more i'm thinking about this, the less I'm impressed.

In the future I will be using the primer alarm lever to insure the tube is centered as I won't be looking directly at it when I remove the pin. I am making a little blast shield to prevent that last little bit of open "line of sight" between my face and the primer tube. I could just imagine what would happen if a primer went into your face.

EVERY manufacture has the same basic tube. It's not just dillon. RCBS, Dillon, Hornady. Only Lee has a different setup. And RCBS has a nice setup for the prefilled strips. But they also have a tube version for the same machine. You may want to look at the RCBS setup if your really spooked by the tube. I think what happened to you is so remote. I would be surprised if anyone on this forum ever hears of another incident at all like you describe.

that's how i have always done it except that the reason was to automaticly test the low primer buzzer.

[lugnut]

Thanks to the OP for this... always good to keep alert and be aware of the what those tiny little buggers can do! Recover quickly!

[JKSNIPER]

Wow Grant....Glad you're healing up and the damage wasn't more severe.

Don't give up on reloading because of this incident.

I'm sure it was a one in a million experience.

The static electricity seems to be a good guess as to what happened.

A buddy of mine used to wear one of those static discharge bracelets on his wrist and I made fun of him until he used a piece of equipment to show me just how much static electricity we have at any given moment.

Grounding the machine and yourself will probably solve this problem.

The anti-static mats are a great idea also.

Good luck,

JK

[bajadudes]

Holy Toledo, thank you very much for posting this. I am new to the reloading field but very experienced working with and mixing explosive powders. I worked many years for the Grucci fireworks family and as a facilities manager at a fireworks factory in the Adirondacks. I have just set up my new Dillon 1050 and was wondering why I didn't really read or hear of anyone worrying about static. At the facilities I worked in I always had a routine when making flash compositions, part of that routine was the liberal use of Spray Static Guard. Even though the tables were grounded i would spray everything with it. Me, my tools, the mixing screens, clothes, buckets, table tops, table legs, everything. I am also obsessive with touching everything multiple times to prevent static build up. After reading this I plan on grounding the press, getting a static guard mat, spraying everything with static guard, touching the pickup tube, primer tray and me to to the press before any operation involving the primers and pickup tube. I think leather gloves for that part of the operation is a good idea also. Chris Tilley tells me that he had an entire tube of primers in the magazine go off on him while operating the 1050 and it sent the magazine into the ceiling and also left him temporarily deaf. That was probably a mechanical initiation but it impressed upon me the need to respect primers.

The other thing that makes me very uncomfortable is pouring powder from a plastic jug into that plastic filler tub on the powder measure. I DO NOT just pour powder from a 4 or 8 pound plastic jug into that. I have a small metal soup can that I pour from the jug into first, then I seal the jug before transferring the cans worth into the powder measure tub. Takes me about 3-4 can dumps to fill the powder measure tub. If that powder goes up I don't want it taking the whole jug with it. I am also going to make a conscious effort to not handle equipment in low humidity conditions when the risk for a static discharge is greatly increased.

Big rule of thumb is to minimize exposure all the time. Next rule of thumb is not IF an accident will happen but WHEN an accident happens be prepared so that if you followed all the rules your exposure will be limited and injuries minimized. Handling explosives demands extreme respect and is no place for a cavalier attitude.

I don't know if the cause for your incident was static but it sounds plausible and i will do my darndest to eliminate that probability from the number of things that can go wrong.

Thank again for posting this. It is extremely appreciated.

[grant22]

Big rule of thumb is to minimize exposure all the time. Next rule of thumb is not IF an accident will happen but WHEN an accident happens be prepared so that if you followed all the rules your exposure will be limited and injuries minimized. Handling explosives demands extreme respect and is no place for a cavalier attitude.

I agree with all you wrote, but the above statement is HUGE!!! I am in the process now of doing just this, and will not resume loading until the above is met.

FYI, below is a pic of an $8 thermometer/barometer I got at Walmart. What's neat,too, is the back is a magnet, so it easily attaches anywhere that's metal near your bench, without drilling excessive holes.

After my incident, I strongly recommend this. One friend in the military told me they don't do anything unnecessary with ordinance if the RH is below 25%

Edited November 12, 2011 by grant22

[CSEMARTIN]

Grant,

Just out of curiosity, how do you feel about depriming primed brass and reusing the primers?

[grant22]

Grant,

Just out of curiosity, how do you feel about depriming primed brass and reusing the primers?

If you are talking about popping a good primer out of a case, and re-popping it back in to a case?

Not even remotely in my vocabulary. Even before this incident, I would have been too chicken to try something like that.

Besides, the primers I used were straight out of a fresh pack.

[BlackBuzzard]

WOW!

Another theory: Perhaps a bit of primer compound, stuck in pin hole of mag tube, somehow was ignited by the pinching force of pulling the pin out, which than caused a cascading ignition of primers in mag tube???

Primer compound is quite stable and much harder to ignite with a static spark, than say gasoline.

Clearly a freak accident though.

BB

[nacrotek]

Wow, what a horror story. I'm just looking at getting into reloading and this makes me really nervous. I'll definitely have to come up with a good static management scheme.

[TGibe]

Thanks for sharing the story and being so open to discussing it. I just upgraded from a 550 to a 1050 a few weeks ago and today I ordered an RF100 (before reading this post). Now that I have read the post I am glad that I will be using the reinforced tube, but realize that the danger still exists.

When filling primer tubes and reloading I have always worn eye protection, but hadn't really thought about the damage that could occur to the hands (or other body parts). Your photos of the carnage are certainly eye opening.

I hope you heal up fast and that nothing like this happens again.

Take care...

[Sarge]

Wow, what a horror story. I'm just looking at getting into reloading and this makes me really nervous. I'll definitely have to come up with a good static management scheme.

Keep in mind, as bad as this incident was, it is still in the realm of a freak accident. Be cautious not nervous.

[ima45dv8]

I use a Vibra-Prime (yes, I have one or two) to load primer tubes. When I first got one I was thinking about all that shakin'-and-bakin' the primers were getting while the unit was running and wondered if it could set a tube of them off. That's when I looked down and noticed the end of the tube was aimed....where the Good Lord split me.

I've held it differently since then. It may never happen, I don't think it will, and I'm not afraid of it. But a level of conscious caution doesn't hurt.

[grant22]

Yes, as an above poster stated, I hope people don't get freaked, nervous, or refrain from beginning this great hobby. But yes, be aware, more aware than ever, that even when you are doing things carefully, or a 'mundane' task, that chit can happen.

Thanks for all the support and well wishing. Currently, my press is grounded and ready for loading, but I am refusing to reload until I have an improved priming system. Currently, I've talked with someone at Dillon and I've requested an RF100 at dealer cost, not cuz I think they're liable, but I know my incident has sold at least 5 RF's, and I think it'd be no skin off their back to do so. Besides, I'd think they'd like to keep one of their customers in the game.

Thanks again everyone!

[CSEMARTIN]

I've talked with someone at Dillon and I've requested an RF100 at dealer cost, not cuz I think they're liable, but I know my incident has sold at least 5 RF's, and I think it'd be no skin off their back to do so. Besides, I'd think they'd like to keep one of their customers in the game.

Thanks again everyone!

One could make the argument that your thread has cost them business.

[grant22]

Yes, that is true, one could make that argument. My request for them to help me out with an RF is strictly a request, definitely not a demand. If they said no, then that's that.

However, I won't get into what the incident has cost me. Although I thank god for sick time and full medical benefits, it's still costing me a great deal to be off for over a month.

[Tactica]

Wow. Great post and sorry it had to come from an injury. This is great testiment to eye and possibly hand protection. I've read the Lee reloading manual as well as the Hornady. This would be testimony for Lee's stance that primer tubes can go bang... I wonder if Hornady has a conversion kit to get awya from the 'tube'.

I hate to admit it, but I have not used safety glasses when reloading. After seeing this, I will.

Thank you for taking the time to share. Very enlightening.

[fishpinoy27]

After reading this article I got some cotton balls and wet it with alcohol.....make some little balls of cotton that would fit a little snuggly ang push it down with the primer rod on both tubes (pick up and magazine)....and the first couple of balls that came out got some yellow residue in it...(just like cleaning your ears...lol)...I think that will be an extra steps to do once in while...

[Cjatlanta2]

I am a newb here but a thought occurred to me that if a reloading press has an electric case feeder that the ground from the feeder to the outlet may ground the machine. Perhaps this is a plus for getting a model with an electric case feeder. I don't really know so I will ask does this sound right?

[Tactica]

If I were grounding the press, I would look into what materials are involved at the various areas where you want to ground. I would not rely on the electric case feeder power cord alone.

I would consider copper grounding. Ensuring the problem areas are discharging with some testing may be worth while as well. If you are unsure on the steps, it may even be worth talking to a certified electrician to validate a solution.

[two shoes]

Something like this would work. ESD mat I used to solder to NASA standards beneath a microscope in the military. Every device with a semiconductor can be damaged with ESD and low enough that you wouldn't feel it. The mat, the press and a wrist strap would put all three at the same potential. Just remember to put on the strap first before touching the press as to not discharge through it.

[otis_bartleh]

Wow, glad you're ok, for the most part... I just got into reloading recently and do have respect for the primers, and even moreso after reading this. That being said, I agree with the statement of being cautious, not afraid. I really feel for you as I don't even know what I would do if that happened to me. I hope you have a quick recovery, and thank you for sharing your story...

[West Texas Granny]

Static electricity and dust is a deadly combination. Where I live 5-10% humidity is common in the winter and even in our summers 20% is the usual high point except durning our monsoon season so grounding of the press is a foregone conclusion. Movement of powder over a plastic surface into a plastic container seems a bit dangerous to me. Looks like I need to add a full face shield and humidifier to reloading setup.

[a matt]

Maybe next week I'll spray liner a couple of my pick up tubes and post some picks. I need see the M/ Busters to see how thick to apply it . If its just standard application it about 1/8 in" thick. Regardless of what some might think it is kinda thin.