COF Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 So I'm reloading .45 on my 650 this morning and all of a sudden - KA-BOOM! First time I've ever had a primer go off in this press. Starting looking at the press and saw one of the buttons in the shellplate had popped out. Tried moving the ram and it wouldn't go anywhere so I looked at the primer system and it wouldn't rotate. Took it apart and it had cooked off the whole tube of primers. Had to drive the magazine tube out and you can see what happened to it. The diffuser on the light above the press was a little worse for wear. Found the primer follower rod up in there in three or four pieces along with a few primers. By the way, these were Winchester primers, not Federal. Good news is all the safety features built into the system worked - not a scratch on me. I've had a primer blowout on a Lee Pro-1000 and it just shredded the entire system. Now I have to wait until Tuesday to order a new large magazine tube, the follower rod and lever on the primer warning system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 Damn! Glad you're alright, I found my first reload with a primer jammed in sideways and imagined what it would be like if it lit off... I still tried to shoot it, but it wouldn't go off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 31, 2014 Share Posted August 31, 2014 Glad to hear you are A-OK. Thanks for sharing this. As I was reading your story I was wondering if they were Federals, so thanks for letting us know the primer type, too. Another example of why we should ALWAYS wear safety glasses whenever working with primers and/or powder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reinz Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 (edited) Sorry for your experience and glad that you are fine. Looking back do remember if anything felt funny? Did you have to apply more pressure? Hang ups? Double clutch? Etc? Edited September 1, 2014 by Reinz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COF Posted September 1, 2014 Author Share Posted September 1, 2014 No, I was cruising right along. I can always tell when a primer hangs up and tries to go in sideways or at an angle. This one didn't feel any different than a normal primer but it was in the case at an angle when I pulled it out after the BANG. I'm usually real careful about easing up to feel the primer seat and then giving the last shove to fully seat it. I went through everything today and made sure the reload head was tightened down and everything was working right. Had to improvise on the primer magazine and use one of the tube adapters that came with my Vibra-prime unit. I loaded (gently) a couple hundred rounds of .45 ACP and everything seems to be working. Just have to wait until I get my primer magazine from Dillon so I can put the primer alarm back together and back on the press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rottenit Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Wow, glad the system worked. I haven't had this happen to me. Does the chain start when its a bad seat then follow back up into the tube or does it happen from a jam coming out of the tube? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reinz Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 No, I was cruising right along. I can always tell when a primer hangs up and tries to go in sideways or at an angle. This one didn't feel any different than a normal primer but it was in the case at an angle when I pulled it out after the BANG. I'm usually real careful about easing up to feel the primer seat and then giving the last shove to fully seat it. I went through everything today and made sure the reload head was tightened down and everything was working right. Had to improvise on the primer magazine and use one of the tube adapters that came with my Vibra-prime unit. I loaded (gently) a couple hundred rounds of .45 ACP and everything seems to be working. Just have to wait until I get my primer magazine from Dillon so I can put the primer alarm back together and back on the press. Wow, that is strange. Gives me pause to the whole "primer dust" thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COF Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 Wow, glad the system worked. I haven't had this happen to me. Does the chain start when its a bad seat then follow back up into the tube or does it happen from a jam coming out of the tube? It started with the bad seat and then worked its way around the wheel to the tube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GDIS46 Posted September 3, 2014 Share Posted September 3, 2014 "I love the smell of cooked primers in the morning." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COF Posted September 3, 2014 Author Share Posted September 3, 2014 "I love the smell of cooked primers in the morning." May be but they don't smell too good in the afternoon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GDIS46 Posted September 4, 2014 Share Posted September 4, 2014 (edited) I'm wondering if this wouldn't be a good place to review some safety instructions for reloaders (or has this been covered anywhere else?) ..... in the event of something like this going off and ruining your clean underwear. The first thing I could think of would be to wear eye protection when reloading. Never have open powder sitting around. Fire extinguisher close at hand. (and the correct type too.) No combustibles around the reloading area. First-aid kit close by. No distractions such as TV or radio playing. Plenty of lighting and ventilation. (I don't follow any of these but think it is time to clean up my own act.) Can anyone think of any others? (Brian, this might make a good sticky note.) Edited September 4, 2014 by GDIS46 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstone Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 I actually just got off the Phone with Dillon to get parts sent for the exact same thing. primers went kaboom and I still have not separated the inner tube from inside of the outer tube. Mine were winchester primers. some times they seat with a crunch. Customer asked if it was a piece of military brass that has not been swaged. that piece might have been. I do have GSR but no more. I thank dillon for building a safe safe safe system No TV was on No radio on And I too need safety glasses close to.. And primer smoke in the afternoon not good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henny Posted September 6, 2014 Share Posted September 6, 2014 I habitualy keep a pair of safety glasses beside each reloading press that I have. When a pair gets scratched, I always pick up a new pair. Safety glasses are a lot cheaper than new eyes - and us reloaders appreciate economy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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