It finally happened to me

[get2now]

I've always wondered if a primer were to go off while I was loading, would I be able to recognize what caused it. Well, I found out a little while ago. The answer is no.

Used to be when operating the handle if it felt like there was some resistance and I tried to force it, I usually ended up breaking or bending something.

Using an RL1050 it didn't feel any different than usual, just a quick pop!!! Once I came back to the loader and ignored the ringing in my ear I started looking around to find out what happened.

I took out the case at the primer seating station and found what looked like a fully seated/smashed primer in the case. Then I noticed a ring of brass around the primer seating ram. I decapped the case and ended up with several pieces. You can probably tell what happened from this picture. You can see from the primer pocket that there is still just a ring of brass in the pocket. I found most of the pieces except the anvil of the original primer. Only the flat part of the used primer was decapped and it didn't feel any different when it went through the swagging station either. I guess when I seated the new primer it stripped off the sides and pushed the new anvil and priming compound into the primer pocket with the old sides. Ergo the POP!!!

I've read stories about people having a primer go off and have a chain reaction of all the rest in the primer tube. I can't see how this would happen because the one primer that went off isn't even close to the other primers. As loud as the one primer was though, I sure am glad the others didn't go off.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my experience.

Back to reloading.

Gary

[Aristotle]

Welcome to the club, I had one go off on me as well. I now ease back quite a bit when I have to "gently" force one in, not with the authority I once had with seating the stubborn ones. I also always wear eye protection now.

I would have never guessed something so small was so freakin loud, especailly without ear protection.

Edited December 10, 2008 by Aristotle

[zhunter]

I would have never guessed something so small was so freakin loud, especailly without ear protection.

WHAT????

Yeah, I had one go off a while ago, not fun

[JThompson]

I've always wondered if a primer were to go off while I was loading, would I be able to recognize what caused it. Well, I found out a little while ago. The answer is no.

Used to be when operating the handle if it felt like there was some resistance and I tried to force it, I usually ended up breaking or bending something.

Using an RL1050 it didn't feel any different than usual, just a quick pop!!! Once I came back to the loader and ignored the ringing in my ear I started looking around to find out what happened.

I took out the case at the primer seating station and found what looked like a fully seated/smashed primer in the case. Then I noticed a ring of brass around the primer seating ram. I decapped the case and ended up with several pieces. You can probably tell what happened from this picture. You can see from the primer pocket that there is still just a ring of brass in the pocket. I found most of the pieces except the anvil of the original primer. Only the flat part of the used primer was decapped and it didn't feel any different when it went through the swagging station either. I guess when I seated the new primer it stripped off the sides and pushed the new anvil and priming compound into the primer pocket with the old sides. Ergo the POP!!!

I've read stories about people having a primer go off and have a chain reaction of all the rest in the primer tube. I can't see how this would happen because the one primer that went off isn't even close to the other primers. As loud as the one primer was though, I sure am glad the others didn't go off.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my experience.

Back to reloading.

Gary

Change the spring in the decap... when they get weak that can happen

Edited December 10, 2008 by JThompson

[Loves2Shoot]

Welcome to the club!

It happened to my assistant a couple months back and he about wet himself, but the whole tube went up on him. He found it odd I just laughed at him (I was already a member of the club.) I found it odd that he wore ear muffs while loading for awhile and he hasn't forgotten his eye protection since.

[boz1911]

I've always wondered if a primer were to go off while I was loading, would I be able to recognize what caused it. Well, I found out a little while ago. The answer is no.

Used to be when operating the handle if it felt like there was some resistance and I tried to force it, I usually ended up breaking or bending something.

Using an RL1050 it didn't feel any different than usual, just a quick pop!!! Once I came back to the loader and ignored the ringing in my ear I started looking around to find out what happened.

I took out the case at the primer seating station and found what looked like a fully seated/smashed primer in the case. Then I noticed a ring of brass around the primer seating ram. I decapped the case and ended up with several pieces. You can probably tell what happened from this picture. You can see from the primer pocket that there is still just a ring of brass in the pocket. I found most of the pieces except the anvil of the original primer. Only the flat part of the used primer was decapped and it didn't feel any different when it went through the swagging station either. I guess when I seated the new primer it stripped off the sides and pushed the new anvil and priming compound into the primer pocket with the old sides. Ergo the POP!!!

I've read stories about people having a primer go off and have a chain reaction of all the rest in the primer tube. I can't see how this would happen because the one primer that went off isn't even close to the other primers. As loud as the one primer was though, I sure am glad the others didn't go off.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my experience.

Back to reloading.

Gary

Change the spring in the decap... when they get weak that can happen

I must be dumb. What spring are you referring to???

[Thomas Moore]

wait til you get a whole tube of 100 primers go off. happened to me, the wife thought i shot myself in the basement.

[Flexmoney]

There is a chance that the old primer did decap properly, but stuck on the end of the decapping pin. Then as the decapping pin was withdrawn, it brought the old primer back into the brass.

(That may not be the issue here, but it occurs often enough.)

[High Lord Gomer]

There is a chance that the old primer did decap properly, but stuck on the end of the decapping pin. Then as the decapping pin was withdrawn, it brought the old primer back into the brass.

I used to have that happen very often (about 1 out of 20). It always left the whole, old primer in there and it was obvious when I couldn't seat the new primer. I'm using a 550, though.

I was told to, and it worked, stick my decapping pins in a drill and sand/polish them so that they would be less likely to drag the old primer back into the pocket. That was worked for me...I only get about 1 out of every 300-400 that hang on the decapping pin, now.

[uscbigdawg]

I hate PMC brass!!! The primer pockets on them are super tight.

Rich

[BlackBuzzard]

Has not happened to me yet.

Give me some idea here...... say one primer detonation for every 20,000 (or 100,000) rounds made?

I've only produced about 20,000 rounds so far on a 650. And some advocate hearing protection in addition to the mandatory eyeware.

I imagine an unexpected detonation sort of ramps up ones anxiety level while reloading thereafter? :surprise:

BB

[XRe]

I had a different one happen somewhat recently... I fumbled the loaded round bin on my 550 with about 200 rounds in it - dropped it onto the floor. While I'm watching it tumble, thinking "Aw, crap, that's gonna make a mess...", the bin lands, and I hear "BANG!". Did I just hear "BANG!"??? Yep. I check myself for wounds - actually had a small cut on my foot (maybe I won't load barefoot anymore...), but just a surface thing. A round ended up with its nose on the ground and another round's rim sitting on top of the primer. The bullet has a flat side one the nose, now, and case came apart, as expected. I still haven't found all of the case, but did find pieces all the way across the garage, some 18 feet away.... Definitely wear eye protection!

I've polished my decap pins, as well, at least in .40 - CCI primers tend to stick to decap pins, IME, so anytime I'd come across Speer factory stuff, I'd get one every 50 or 60 sticking to the pin and being reseated... Polishing and rounding the tip of the decap pin solved it 100% for me...

[Intel6]

That is called a ringer! I worked at a commercial reloading company in college and those things would bring a $40K loading machine to a schreaching halt. We had a case checking machine that would check for ringers and kick out the cases but everyonce in a while one would get through.

One time we had a batch of brass that had been out in the rain and we had so many ringers we just tossed the whole batch.

Neal in AZ

[get2now]

I'm using a Lee undersize die. There are no springs involved.

I haven't had an old primer stick to the decapping pin and reseat itself for a few years but that was a different feel when it did happen. I knew that something was wrong then.

I've probably loaded around 300,000 rounds on progressive loaders and this is the first "ringer" I've had. Seems like the swagging station should have given me some resistance so I'll have to check that to make sure it's adjusted right.

Don't think I'd use hearing protection while reloading but I *always* reload using eye protection.

Gary