Set off three primers in my press last night

[latech15]

Scared the crap out of me all three times.

I have loaded tens of thousands of rounds on my 550. This was a first for me. It happened with speer grass and winchester LRP. Each time, the primer inserting was harder than normal. I pressed harder, not nearly as hard as I have done and not nearly too hard, IMO and BAM. Same thing all three times. I have read about speer brass having squarer (SP) primer pockets than other brass and winchester primers being softer than others, but I would have never guessed this would happen.

Should I:

1 - Go back to using only CCI primers and use the Speer brass?

2 - Cull all the Speer brass and use whatever primers I want?

3 - Keep the Speer brass and buy another 1050 so that I can swage the primer pockets so they seat easier?

4 - hand swage all the Speer brass, shoot it and let it lay?

[PROBIKE101]

SWAGE SEPERATLY OR.........BUY A 1050.I USE SPEER GET A LOT OF FIRST TIMER BRASS AND IT CAN BE TIGHT ON THE FIRST GO ROUND.GOOD BRASS THOUGH.

[twodownzero]

I'd be more tempted to check your shell plate to make sure it's tight or that you don't have some other problem with the part that pushes the primer into the brass. I've whomped the handle pretty hard for years and never set off a primer. Three in a day suggests that it wasn't a freak thing and I suspect not related to the primers or brass.

[mcbutler]

I have not set off a primer [ yet ] but I have more trouble with Speer brass than any other.

[Braxton1]

I never set off a primer in a press in over 26 years of Dillon ownership. Didn't do it in the first few years of 1050 ownership, even though that thing won't let you "feel" a primer into the pocket.

Over the past six months, I've lit two. Both were after converting the 1050 over to 45ACP. One was a Federal Small-Primered 45 case; the other was a Speer.

Scary stuff when it happens to ya!

[Sarge]

I'd be more tempted to check your shell plate to make sure it's tight or that you don't have some other problem with the part that pushes the primer into the brass. I've whomped the handle pretty hard for years and never set off a primer. Three in a day suggests that it wasn't a freak thing and I suspect not related to the primers or brass.

It pains me so, but I tend to agree with TDZ.

Three in a sitting is grossly out of the ordinary. You sure they are not small pocket brass? You sure they are not a military Speer marked with year stamps or maybe NT? Could they have primer remnants in the pockets? Could the primers be a bad lot, ie deformed, out of round, etc?

If you are confident that those are not possibilities then swage them or trash them for sure.

[Hondo 60]

Sarge asked some good questions.

I was kinda thinkin along those lines as well.

[lll Otto lll]

45acp?

Sounds like you're forcing large primers into a small primer pocket. Most Speer has sm. primer pockets now.

[latech15]

Thanks for the comments guys.

No, they are most definitely not small primer pockets. I did check for old primer remnants and there are none there. Just straight, normal, Speer brass. I threw the three that went off in the can, but I might be able to locate them.

I did have probably 10-12 out of 200 that shaved the primer walls when they went in. All eIther Speer or FC crimped brass.

I checked the primer pusher and there is nothing on it. It isn't deformed. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I have been reloading for years and have loaded somewhere between 80-100k rounds. I have never had this happen before and I understand that three in one sitting is rare, but I have already checked the obvious things.

The only thing that I did differently was the winchester primers. I usually use CCI

[retarmyaviator]

Thanks for the comments guys.

No, they are most definitely not small primer pockets. I did check for old primer remnants and there are none there. Just straight, normal, Speer brass. I threw the three that went off in the can, but I might be able to locate them.

I did have probably 10-12 out of 200 that shaved the primer walls when they went in. All eIther Speer or FC crimped brass.

I checked the primer pusher and there is nothing on it. It isn't deformed. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I have been reloading for years and have loaded somewhere between 80-100k rounds. I have never had this happen before and I understand that three in one sitting is rare, but I have already checked the obvious things.

The only thing that I did differently was the winchester primers. I usually use CCI

Did you check to see if the case primer pocket had the ring of the previous primer in it? Sometimes this is hard to see unless you look very closely. Loading on a 550 I have noticed sometimes just the bottom of the fired primer will punch out leaving a ring inside the primer pocket. That ring will block a new primer from being inserted. If this is the case here pressing hard to seat a primer may be setting them off.

I do not believe the brand of primer or brass has anything to do with your problem.

Edited August 15, 2012 by retarmyaviator

[Sarge]

All eIther Speer or FC crimped brass.

What are you saying? Were they crimped brass? If so that is the problem.

[latech15]

The ones that I had other issues with....shaving the edges of the primers, etc, were Speer or FC brass.

I did gave some brass that had the outer primer ring still in there (all fc brass) but the three that exploded were not like that. They were completely normal with the exception of the exploded primers in them.

[Shadowrider]

I guess I've been lucky. I pretty much load only Federal primers in pistol calibers since I shoot tuned revolvers alot so I just consolidated on Federals for all things pistol. And I've utterly mangled a fair number with crimped primer pockets that occasionally get through and even had a few go in sideways and completely upside down, but I've not yet set one off. I would really look over your shell plate alignment and priming system. 3 in one session is just too crazy to be a coincidence it seems.

Edited August 16, 2012 by Shadowrider

[Tom Freeman]

crimped brass.

There is your problem.

[fiddler]

I'd call Dillon.

[Sarge]

crimped brass.

There is your problem.

That's the way I read it but still can't seem to get that point across.

[Merlin Orr]

I love 1050s for loading. Crimped brass. Big Deal....no problem. Never notice.

I still hate Speer brass. I have had more trouble with Speer brass than all others combined. Mostly the spent primer follows the decapping pin back into the pocket and the primer punch pushes the new primer up into the old -still there - primer.

[latech15]

crimped brass.

There is your problem.

That's the way I read it but still can't seem to get that point across.

It isn't a matter of not getting the point across. The three pieces of brass that exploded on me were not crimped.

I can't seem to get THAT point across.

[Sarge]

Thanks for the comments guys.

No, they are most definitely not small primer pockets. I did check for old primer remnants and there are none there. Just straight, normal, Speer brass. I threw the three that went off in the can, but I might be able to locate them.

I did have probably 10-12 out of 200 that shaved the primer walls when they went in. All eIther Speer or FC crimped brass.

I checked the primer pusher and there is nothing on it. It isn't deformed. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I have been reloading for years and have loaded somewhere between 80-100k rounds. I have never had this happen before and I understand that three in one sitting is rare, but I have already checked the obvious things.

The only thing that I did differently was the winchester primers. I usually use CCI

Latech, Just trying to help man. You said the brass was crimped in the above post and then left it at that. So if the brass is not crimped then I guess you need to come up with a plan B.

[latech15]

I know. I apologise for being snappy. I have talked to a bunch of people about this this week and if I have to answer the question one more time as to whether or not I was trying to shove a lpp in a spp case, I am going to throw something.

I did have issues with some crimped brass, but the ones that went off were not.

I sorted all the Speer brass in my shop and got rid of it. That will fix the problem one way or another.

[Toolguy]

I've had some Winchester brass that the primers wouldn't go into. A careful investigation showed that those particular brass had a very square corner at the entrance of the primer pocket rather than a small radius like most of them. A little chamfer with a deburring tool and then a primer would go right in. With the square corner, the primer was not able to get started and caught on the edge of the hole and got crushed. Maybe that is what is happening here.

[TonyT]

I have used a Dillon 550 for more than 15 years. When I feel resistance during primer seating I ease up and check out to see what is the cause. idoubt the issue is with the 550.

[scooterj]

Hey Jeff, your press is garbage. Bring it to Amite Sunday and I will dispose of it for you.

Is it possible that the old primer followed the decapping pin back into the case and you tried to seat a new primer on top of the old one? I sometimes have this happen with Speer 40S&W brass. Haven't had a primer light off in the press though.