Anyone Ever Actually Blown Up A Lee Hand Prime?

[Ranger J]

I have loaded several thousand primers in my Lee tool and never had one go off. I have had them load upside down and have crushed them as they tried to load sideways and no detonation. These were all Winchester and CCI not Federal. Back when I used one I did have some go off in the Lee Classic loader. The small primers are not so bad but the large rifle primers will definitely get your attention. The occasional detonation in the Classic was the main reason I went to a single stage loader and got the Lee Auto Prim. When this one wears out or breaks I’ll pop for another one for $10.
RJ

 

[toecutter]

Lee Unter alles!

Since when did potmetal appear to be "robust?"

I have to agree with this sentiment. I've noticed that most of the people on this thread are on thier third or fourth lee hand primer. While I never had a problem with any primers when I had a lee tool, the handle did break cutting my hand up nicely. I've been a big fan of RCBS since I started buying them after much of my lee equipment broke. I recently started buying lee again, for the most part, constantly being reminded why I stopped in the first place. The RCBS hand priming tool takes standard shell holders, and is IMHO of better manufacture and material than the lee unit. Primers made these days are pretty insensitive to mechanical forces and can withstand being sheared in half, smashed, and in other ways destroyed by priming equipment. Of course there is always the possibility that one will go off, that's why we wear safety glasses.

What happens when a primer goes off? it shoots a large flame out the end of the case. I would worry about this more in the case of a chain detonation, but a single primer going off isn't particularly dangerous. It may burn your fingers, and throw out debris. The ones to handle with care are shotgun primers.