What Could Go Wrong? Primer Detonation

[Just Dave]

I don't understand this comment and I have to give you the benefit of the doubt. But how in hell is this going to let off a whole tray ?

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I've never used that one ,, but I can see from the design, how the outer shield would direct the explosion back towards the tray.
I have been using the RCBS version pictured above, But now have serious doubts about putting another primer in it. . I often sit on the couch, listen to the radio, and prime cases with the dogs at my feet. When I first started reloading years ago, I had some .223 cases that would be especially tough to seat primers in, and shamefully admit, I just squeezed a little harder.
Now that I have evolved a little, in my case prep procedure, I do not have any issues with hard seating, and if I feel like it's hanging up at all, I disassemble the tool, and remove the case in question ..
That being said, there has to be thousands of these RCBS style in use currently, Is anyone aware of their design setting off the tray ? It seems like since it faces away from the tray, It would be safer, but if I remember correctly, it drops the next primer into the slot below the guide rod, on the upstroke when pushing in, which I could see getting struck by the guide rod, and then you have (2) primers going off, .

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I don't understand this comment and I have to give you the benefit of the doubt. But how in hell is this going to let off a whole tray ?

Actually the only one ive seen go off firsthand was THAT model. Thats why lee changed it to the goofy safety design they have now

 

[JMayo]

I don't understand this comment and I have to give you the benefit of the doubt. But how in hell is this going to let off a whole tray ?

I use that one. Getting the primer in the hole, raise the primer some then lean it forward to push primer into case, the others slide away from case area.
I've never had a detonation and I've been ruff on em. Even banging them in on a press.
I don't understand and want to place err on the person not the equipment.
I do think the percentage is very small compared to the # of handloads being done.

 

[jimmymac]

Apparently, Lee doesn't want you to use the old design anymore.

https://leeprecision.com/parts/priming-tools/hand-priming-tool/

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Apparently, Lee doesn't want you to use the old design anymore.

https://leeprecision.com/parts/priming-tools/hand-priming-tool/

Theres a reason for the new design you just dont hear about the failures- which are rare for sure

 

[jackbrownii]

This thread makes me glad my thumbs start to act a little arthritic. Made my Sinclair priming tool uncomfortable to use. Now I use one of these. Single primer machine.

Giving the primer tube on the Dillon 550 a measuring glance...

 

[mousegunner]

This thread makes me glad my thumbs start to act a little arthritic. Made my Sinclair priming tool uncomfortable to use. Now I use one of these. Single primer machine.

Giving the primer tube on the Dillon 550 a measuring glance...

When my fingers get to there I'm just going to take off the primer tube from my RCBS bench tool. In the mean time the local hobby shop has some steel tubing I can use over the primer tube to give me an extra layer.

 

[dgeesaman]

.
I have been using the RCBS version pictured above, But now have serious doubts about putting another primer in it. . I often sit on the couch, listen to the radio, and prime cases with the dogs at my feet. When I first started reloading years ago, I had some .223 cases that would be especially tough to seat primers in, and shamefully admit, I just squeezed a little harder.
Now that I have evolved a little, in my case prep procedure, I do not have any issues with hard seating, and if I feel like it's hanging up at all, I disassemble the tool, and remove the case in question ..
That being said, there has to be thousands of these RCBS style in use currently, Is anyone aware of their design setting off the tray ? It seems like since it faces away from the tray, It would be safer, but if I remember correctly, it drops the next primer into the slot below the guide rod, on the upstroke when pushing in, which I could see getting struck by the guide rod, and then you have (2) primers going off, .

I'm also using the RCBS with the green tray, metal separator, and plastic feeder body.

Each time I make sure a primer is in the slot, raise it slightly with the driver, and slide the cartridge over before pressing it into the cartridge. I should always wear safety glasses in the event the primer detonates as it's feeding over the driver. But once it's raised the primer is obstructed twice from the rest of the primers.

From a principle point of view, a single feed primer tool is less dangerous during primer seating. But then there is much more manual primer handling involved.

Safety is a relative thing, never absolute. There is no device that's perfectly safe. It's great to talk about the options and designs because oversimplifying and dismissing is how bad assumptions and risky behaviors begin.

 

[Just Dave]

I'm also using the RCBS with the green tray, metal separator, and plastic feeder body.

Each time I make sure a primer is in the slot, raise it slightly with the driver, and slide the cartridge over before pressing it into the cartridge. I should always wear safety glasses in the event the primer detonates as it's feeding over the driver. But once it's raised the primer is obstructed twice from the rest of the primers.

From a principle point of view, a single feed primer tool is less dangerous during primer seating. But then there is much more manual primer handling involved.

Safety is a relative thing, never absolute. There is no device that's perfectly safe. It's great to talk about the options and designs because oversimplifying and dismissing is how bad assumptions and risky behaviors begin.

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Just was talking to a fellow shooter Thursday night, He enforced the thought that " not everything I read or hear, is pertinent to the solution I am looking for"
It got me thinking,, After seeing this thread I was ready to throw my RCBS into the classifieds, or back drawer of my bench, and step up to a K+M or a 21st Century priming system
.
But then I thought about how many thousands of primers I have pushed thru that tool, with excellent results, and not a single incident. I use primer pocket correction tools , so really, if I get one that hangs up there must be a problem.. and if I wasn't seating my primers consistently, then I likely wouldn't be pulling my SD's into single digits like I am now.
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The OP's friend was using a bad design, that exposed the other primers to possible detonation, and like you say, the RCBS limits that greatly,
For now, I will limit myself to dumping only 20-30 primers in the hopper tray at a time, and change my pattern, so that when I am squeezing the primer, I tilt the tray, so the other primers are on the opposite side, AND I'll wear safety glasses, ( bad habit, I should know better).
Otherwise I see no logical reason to run out and throw money at a problem that does not yet exist.

 

[243winxb]

http://forum.pafoa.org/showthread.php?t=244584

I heard a primer pop and then a loud bang. Then the powder hopper with almost a full pound of powder burst into flames and looked like a rocket engine with two ft of flames coming out the top.

Federal Primers used.




When not using a progressive, i like the RCBS ram prime unit, made for a single stage press. One primer at a time.

 

[grovey]

Ouch , sorry to hear about your friend... People think the powder is what you have to worry about when they start loading , later you learn it's the primers... Those little things have some power especially when your talking about a chain explosion..

I friend who reloads learned a lesson the other day when he dropped a cigarette in a bowl of about 500 primers... I have told him time and time again but he leaves plastic bowls of loose powder on his bench etc.. luckily it didn't burn the house down...
He really shouldn't be reloading , I have told him that also , he has had alot of problems with his reloads...Plus he won't listen to anything you tell him...

Stuff like this is why you should never shoot someone else's reloads you know nothing about.