I had my Dillon 650 (I use it for pistol) blow-up on mke a few years ago. From what I can tell when I was making some rounds and the shellplate failed to index correctly causing the primer the ram was seating to detonate. This caused a chain reaction and blew my full primer tube, I called Dillon and they sent me new parts, and it hasn;t happened since.
A friend was telling me he had personally witnessed the same thing some time ago, I was wondering if anyone else ever blew up a press or knew of someone who did?
I know a guy I used to work with that had the same thing happen to him on a Dillon press also (don't remember the model). Hopefully, you were wearing safety glasses. I'll stick with my Rock Chucker.
Posts: 425 | Location: Minnesota, USA | Registered: 01 April 2001
I had a primer detonate on me once, in a Dillon 550B, but nothing else happened. The fault was mine as I was using some brass that had crimped in primers, and apparently I didn't remove all the crimp completely. Upon examination the primer had cocked and that set it off.
Posts: 7794 | Location: Between 2 rivers, Middle USA | Registered: 19 August 2000
I have not had a press "blow up" but I have broken two lee presses in two by applying too much force to the arm. I like almost everything Lee makes but their presses are crap. A $75 contribution towards a rockchucker took care of it.
Me and a buddy tried to make a primer go off in his press (top mounted seater, RCBS I think...)
We had to slam the lever with full force before one went bang. Now, we were wearing safety goggles, but none of us had thought about ear plugs... Bad idea, they're LOUD!
I almost had a serious situation. I had my little RCBS Partner press c-clamped to the kitchen table depriming cases. In the interest of domestic bliss I had my hand out next to the slot in the ram so the spent primer didn't drop on the floor for my wife to step on. I noticed a "spent" primer looking kind of shiny, I looked closely at it and it was live. I then went through the little pile and found several live primers. After my heart rate went down I packed up for the day. My fault, I had left several primed cases in a small box on a shelf and my wife simply dumped them in a box of fired cases when she was cleaning up (after me). I should not have left them out and I should have checked the primers...I do now. If one of those had fired in the full length sizing die due to the de-priming pin crushing the anvil into the cup, it would have shot out that slot to bury in the palm of my hand. Ouie!
I had a friend set off the primer tube in his Dillion 450/550. Back then Dillion's primer follower was brass. That brass rod was blown through the ceiling and was stuck into the roof joist. As I remember, his wife, an excitable woman at best, was a bit put out. Heck, a bit of drywall compound and some paint...... I thought the primers stuck in the ceiling made an interesting texture. Jim
Posts: 6173 | Location: Richmond, Virginia | Registered: 17 September 2000
This is the first I have heard of this!! I have had a 209 primer go off on me when using my old 600jr on a 12 gage round. There was a single peice of shot on the bottom of the primer seating station. I pulled down the lever and it went BANG!!!!!
I have a Dillon 550B. Every great once in a while, I have a primer go off while being seated. On a Dillon 550B I think it would be impossible for a primer that detonates while being seated to detonate the rest of the primers in the primer tube.
Posts: 598 | Location: Missouri | Registered: 16 June 2000
[QUOTE]Originally posted by boltman: [B]I have not had a press "blow up" but I have broken two lee presses in two by applying too much force to the arm.
Which makes me wonder what part of the process were you were doing when applying too much force - on two occasions?
Posts: 360 | Location: Sunny, but increasingly oppressed by urbanites England | Registered: 13 February 2001
I had about 100 38 Spl loads where the primer didn't get seated deep enough to clear the frame on the gun.
I set up an RCBS bench primer tool behind a large piece of 3/4" plywood -- large enough to completely obscure the line of fire from the press to the operator, put on my leather bomber jacket, welding gloves, full face arc weld mask.
Then I gingerly reseated the whole batch, keeping the lot away from the press. When seating with this press, the operator's hand is below the case. I cleared the "blast area" of potential flack/schrapnel.
No problems . . . but I went right out and bought a inertia bullet puller.
Glad this forum is anonymous!
------------------ PowderBurns Black Powder / Muzzle Loading Forum:
Sorry to hear about your guys bad experiences. Hopefully the "why" it happened was recognized, to prevent future occurrances. I have had a Dillon 450 for years, bought in 83 or 84. I have never had such an experience with mine. Thinking about it though, remember that the Dillons using that long handle can generate quite a bit of leverage and force on that little primer. If the primer doesn't go in smoothly...STOP!... and find out why. Horseing one into place, even if it doesn't go BANG, can and will distort the primer. I have had mine for so long now, loaded many many rounds. I used to shoot service rifle matches in AF with my garand ( I digress...). The point is that my hand is trained to recognize the feel of a proper primer seating. If anything feels different I immideately stop and find out why. Glad to hear no one was hurt, and I hope everyone wears eye protection. Also I'd add that I now load only a hundred or so rounds at one sitting, any more than that and I find my attention starts to wander a little and I'm not concentrating on the moment at hand. When I feel that happening, its time to get up and clean cases or something else. Just my 1 cents worth.
