Punching out live primers.

09 June 2009, 16:25

I don't know how easy it is to have primers go off, fortunately it has never happened to me when de-priming live primers - an activity born out of necessity from time to time.

During my very first introduction to practical reloading, neither my "mentor" nor I was aware that the .30-06 cases we reloaded had crimped primer pockets. Primers seated with difficulty, and eventually one went off - fortunately without any damage, although that was probably more luck than design. We were priming on a Hornady press, never really liked priming on a press - too slow and too much force available to make mistakes...

Primers are reported to go off in impact bullet pullers with some regularity. So I guess it is not that impossible to make a primer go "BANG".

I do all my priming on a Lee Auto Prime. I never had any problems doing so, but given the number of primers sometimes contained in the primer reservoir, I guess this might not be the safest tool in this World... Maybe I'm a slow learner??

- mike

09 June 2009, 16:34

Saeed

Come to think of it, the only time I have had a primer go off was years ago as I learnt to do all my handloading in my bedroom!

Using a Lee Loader.

Priming cases for that requires one to hammer them in, and I do remember that I have had a few that went off.

The first time it happened, it was at night, and my father came over ans stuck his head into the room as he opened the door.

He asked what was going on, and I told him I was loading some ammo.

All he said was "Be careful and don't hurt yourself" as he went out and closed the door!

09 June 2009, 17:42

Hot Core

quote:
Originally posted by MickinColo:
Hey Hotcore,

quote:
Hey Hunt-ducks, Have you graduated to filling a Beer can with Match Heads and smashing it with a Sledge?

I take it that you did it at least one time. You are a brave man indeed.

Not a can full!

Maybe you all can help me remember if I dreamed this up or if it actually happened. I rememebr a story(maybe) where a fellow was in the process of "pushing" a live Primer out of a Case and it went off, no towels, no eye protection, just a nice "tight" Primer fit. When the ignition occurred, the Primer Cup went down the Spent Primer Groove in the Ram of the Press and exited with enough force to go into the guys leg.

True story or something I've dreamed up? I do not know which it is for sure. But..., I have a feeling it is either something I read in a magazine long ago, or someone told me. The reason I believe it is true is because I also seem to remember that I looked closely at the Spent Primer Groove on my Rock Chucker, looked closely at what parts of me were somewhat lined up with it when I am seated at the Press, and considered that was something I'd rather not happen.

I'm sure there is a HUGE Artery in that area as well as SERIOUSLY important "stuff" that does not need a Primer Cup blasted into them - on me!

Are you all intending this to be some kind of relatively new Prostrate Procedure???

09 June 2009, 17:42

Jim C. <><

quote:
All he said was "Be careful and don't hurt yourself" as he went out and closed the door!

Your father is/was a good man!

09 June 2009, 17:52

Jim C. <><

quote:
HUGE difference in the explosive force available in the small dab of black powder in those old caps and in the compounds used in modern primers!...Your post is about like saying don't worry about sticks of dynamite because firecrackers won't kill you.... One primer anvil shooting in your eye could blind you, a simple pair of shop glasses can prevent it. .................DJ

Not valid. The "compound" in cap pistols IS very nearly the same as primers. Black powder is/was NOT the working ingredient in caps. Your analogy comparing primers and caps as dynamite to firecrackers is silly.

Please suggest how, other than magic, an anvil could possibly get out of a cup, the cup/anvil could get out of the case, and then penatrate an eye or anything else? (I suspect the incident Hot Core heard is a campfire story. It MIGHT happen but wearing jeans whould provide all the armor we might need to save the family jewels. And any arteries!)

Do you also suggest wearing eye protection when priming normally? If you don't ... wouldn't that be inconsistant?

Being careful in all aspects of reloading is certainly required. Being silly is not a way of providing safety. Do what's proper - in this instance, push the primers out smootly - and no one need wear a suit of armor and a football helmet.

It IS all supposed to be fun. Most of it is quite safe IF we approach it properly, spening time in conjecture of more potentials for danger and working in fear would seem to take a lot of the fun out.

If anyone cannot or will not excercise some small measure of common sense he should avoid reloading. And guns too. People do get hurt with those things, you know?

09 June 2009, 18:44

DMB

quote:
Originally posted by Jim C. <><:
quote:
All he said was "Be careful and don't hurt yourself" as he went out and closed the door!

Your father is/was a good man!

+2

Was thinkin' the same thing when I read his post.
Smart Father...

10 June 2009, 03:22

Alberta Canuck

quote:
Originally posted by Jim C. <><:
quote:
HUGE difference in the explosive force available in the small dab of black powder in those old caps and in the compounds used in modern primers!...Your post is about like saying don't worry about sticks of dynamite because firecrackers won't kill you.... One primer anvil shooting in your eye could blind you, a simple pair of shop glasses can prevent it. .................DJ

Not valid. The "compound" in cap pistols IS very nearly the same as primers. Black powder is/was NOT the working ingredient in caps. Your analogy comparing primers and caps as dynamite to firecrackers is silly.

Jim C.- You are correct about this part. As a matter of fact many years ago kids play caps and primers contained exactly the same primary active ingredient...fulminate of mercury. Now primers are made of various other things...I don't know about current caps for kids' cap guns...
--------

Please suggest how, other than magic, an anvil could possibly get out of a cup, the cup/anvil could get out of the case, and then penatrate an eye or anything else? (I suspect the incident Hot Core heard is a campfire story. It MIGHT happen but wearing jeans whould provide all the armor we might need to save the family jewels. And any arteries!)

I believe Hot core is right on this one, because I recall reading an article in an NRA publication some years ago (20-40 years) about a severe injury caused by a primer CUP being blown into someone's leg. I do not recall the circumstance for sure, but something in my memory keeps suggesting it was the direct result of hitting a primer with a hammer or some such careless action.
--------

Do you also suggest wearing eye protection when priming normally? If you don't ... wouldn't that be inconsistant?

Don't know about you guys, but when I am using any of my progressive presses with their large capacity primer tubes, or with one of my 4 Lee Auto-primes which I keep set up to avoid having to fiddle with changing them around for different primers, I ALWAYS wear glasses. I use 4 Lees, because I have 2 in my shop and 2 in my "take-to-the-range" kit. Incidentally, there have been enough incidents with full trays of Lee auto-primes going off that I don't use them much anymore....I use mainly a Sinclair which only holds one primer at a time.
--------------

Being careful in all aspects of reloading is certainly required. Being silly is not a way of providing safety. Do what's proper - in this instance, push the primers out smootly - and no one need wear a suit of armor and a football helmet.

It IS all supposed to be fun. Most of it is quite safe IF we approach it properly, spening time in conjecture of more potentials for danger and working in fear would seem to take a lot of the fun out.

If anyone cannot or will not excercise some small measure of common sense he should avoid reloading. And guns too. People do get hurt with those things, you know?

I think this last bit is the best summary of the whole situation. AC

10 June 2009, 04:22

djpaintles

quote:
Originally posted by Jim C. <><:
quote:
HUGE difference in the explosive force available in the small dab of black powder in those old caps and in the compounds used in modern primers!...Your post is about like saying don't worry about sticks of dynamite because firecrackers won't kill you.... One primer anvil shooting in your eye could blind you, a simple pair of shop glasses can prevent it. .................DJ

Not valid. The "compound" in cap pistols IS very nearly the same as primers. Black powder is/was NOT the working ingredient in caps. Your analogy comparing primers and caps as dynamite to firecrackers is silly.

As a kid I was just as much a gun nut as I am now, I had all the latest cap guns. I made every effort possible to detonate as many caps as possible at once including the good old sledge hammer on an entire roll of caps at a time.
As mentioned before I've also experienced the detonation of about as many primers as you would find pops in the whole roll of caps. Beleive me there is an ENORMOUS difference. The primers destroyed a light fixture overhead and several parts of the press. The same number of caps when "Bang" a little lowder than normal. The analogy is valid.

quote:

If anyone cannot or will not excercise some small measure of common sense he should avoid reloading. And guns too. People do get hurt with those things, you know

Great Statement! I just can figure out how it squares with the small measure of common sense known as protective glasses................................DJ