Touching primers

[Alamstutz]

I came across A reloading article recently that cautioned not to touch primers with bare hands. It said that the oil from your skin could contaminate the primer and cause an eventual misfire. Is there any truth to this. I have reloaded many thousands of cartridges and handled each primer in the loading process. Now I'm wondering if some of these may, in time, cause a problem.

What do the experts think?

[dave33]

I'm no expert and have no evidence either way but I have touched plenty of primers and never had a high rate of misfires.

[Guy Neill]

Not likely a real concern.

Back when I researched misfires, 90 - 95% were caused by primers not being seated completely. Completely being defined as the anvil legs against the bottom of the primer pocket.

All other factors, contamination, seated too deep, manufacturing defects or whatnot all lumped in the remainder.

Unless, maybe, your hands are covered with oil (like dripping ...) with oil

Guy

[bowenbuilt]

This warning has always been around as far as I can remember. I don't make a habit of touching primers on the anvil side and because of this warning have always tried not to touch them at all. I am sure it is one of those "could happen" warnings. I know people who have caustic hands and rust or corrode everything they touch. I wouldn't want them handling my primers. I believe this is a worst case scenario type thing.

[RPatton]

+1 for bowenbuilt

But maybe that warning is for those stupid enough to finish repacking a wheel bearing and the go do a little reloading without even taking a greasy rag to wipe their hands.

[Hatchet]

I sometimes touch primers. That's just how I roll.

[Steve RA]

I can't remember ever having a primer problem after touching it, that of course was back when you manually placed a primer - one at a time - in a single stage press.

[JohnRodriguez]

being a revo shooter, I will on occasion taken a new primer and case, and will spray it with a little WD-40 and see how hard my trigger job is hitting a primer. I've had a couple occasions where the primer will ignite. very loud in a little garage, so I will put some plugs in when I do it.

Edited July 29, 2014 by JohnRodriguez

[danman00]

I've handled thousands of Primers with zero misfires.. I'm calling BS on that one.

[mjohn]

I touch every primer as I case gauge as I can feel if there is a high primer when the bullet is in the case gauge.

Have not had any ignition problems.

[v1911]

I happen to be one of those guys with acidic skin oils. I rust stainless mags and blued pistols with ease. I spend last summer hand feeding my 550 dillon 9mm primers. Some of those rounds were not shot until winter. Not one of those failed to ignite. Not sure how this reloading folk lore began, but I assume it had to do with a farmer having just rebuilt his tractor engine and decided to reload without washing his hands.

[jmbaccolyte]

I was warned as a youngster to wipe my fingerprints off of blued steel with a very lightly oiled cloth. Because of the acids in our skin oils.