Dangers of primers seating sideways?

[RTMiller]

I recently had a problem with my Dillon XL650 that caused some primers to seat sideways while loading 460 S&W. The problem has been fixed but it got me to wondering if it was possible to set off a primer by crushing it in the machine.

The problem was with the primer seater assembly. This is the plastic push rod that seats the primer on the upstroke of the machine cycle. The push rod was not consistently retracting flush with the primer platform. When the next primer was being fed the push rod would catch the edge of the primer and flip it on its side. The primer would then be crushed into the primer hole on the upstroke.

Has anyone ever set off a primer in this fashion or similar circumstances?

 

[jcwit]

This the perfect example of just how safe a primer is. Igintion on sharp impact, not from pressure.

Why are folks so scared of primers?

Not necessarly meaning you RTMiller.

 

[Sam1911]

Yes, I've set off a primer in a 650. It went "bang."

We said, "Huh! How 'bout that?" and loaded the rest of the box.

Kind of a non-event.

 

[Japle]

Years ago, I did a lot of my loading on an old Star progressive loader. Every once in a while, the thing would double-feed small pistol primers into .38 Spl cases. Once that happened, I had no choice but to cram both primers into the same primer pocket.

Good news: You can get two primers into one primer pocket if you crank hard enough.

Bad news: One of the primers is gonna go off.

First, I'd warn my wife that there was going to be a BANG.
Then I'd put on my muffs and lay on the handle.
There was never any damage.

I fired a 9mm round with the primer seated sideways at a match last spring. The primer fired and there was some smoke, but that's all. No damage and the powder didn't ignite. I never found the primer.

 

[gamestalker]

No doubt primers are very stable and safe to work with, but, they can and will ignite from time to time if they get crushed at the right angle. I've crushed quite a few 209's over the years when loading as fast as I can with my Mec 600 Jr. but I've never had one go bang, but the potential is certainly there for obvious reasons.

 

[GeoEmeritus]

RT:

Same thing happend to me with a 650. In my case I had just loaded the priming stack and the whole thing went off. I knew I had a problem by the way the handle felt, but it was too late to stop. The whole priming system disappeared and it sounded like somebody set off a 12ga next to my ear. Hearing returned to my right side after a couple of hours and I only had a couple of real shallow shrapnel wounds. The black primer system outer tube was embedded in the garage overhead beams, but thank god it did not rupture!

Dillon replaced the parts for free after asking repeatedly if I was OK.

Lessons learned:

1. Wear eye protection (I was)
2. Wear hearing protection (I wasn't)
3. Clean entire primer system regularly
4. Regularly check system for function
5. Include a primer pocket check in your case prep routine.
6. If it feels funny, stop pulling (good luck; things often happen too quick)

 

[snuffy]

This is the plastic push rod that seats the primer on the upstroke

Well for one thing, the primer punch is not plastic, but blued steel. I've never had that happen with my 650. Not saying it can't happen, yours is proof of that. Your next ? will be "can I safely decap those crooked primers"? Yes. They didn't fire while being crushed, they won't fire while being GENTLY pushed back out of the pocket with either your sizing die or a universal decapper.

The main fault of the 650 priming system is the failure of a primer to drop free of the disc if there's an empty spot in the shell plate. That's caused by a failure to feed a shell into the shell plate by the case feeder, resulting in no shell to prime. The un-used primer is supposed to drop free of the index plate to slide down the ski jump to be reclaimed. It hangs at an angle until it's jammed into the next primer that's coming down the primer supply tube. Then some gorilla doesn't stop pushing the handle down----,WHAM!

I had that ALMOST happen once, but because I take my time, don't try to set records on how fast I can load, I sensed a problem, found the primer trying to go back under the tube. It mat have just crushed, but it may have fired, if I was going too fast with the handle stroke.

 

[Funshooter45]

I have only had 2 primeers seat sideways. Both of them were using my RCBS hand primer tool. The first time it happpened I pondered for several days about depriming the case or just throwing it away. I finally decapped it but was very nervous about it. The next time it happened I didn't even worry about it. I did it more slowly and deliberately, but I knew nothing would happen.

 

[Walkalong]

If I shake my RCBS hand primer a little too much to get the primers to settle into the chute, occasionally I'll get one sideways. I have seat the the L out of it to get the case out of the primer. Then I decap it and re-prime it. I usually just tap it out with a Lee decapping pin. Never set one off, yet.

 

[GaryL]

Those look like factory rejects.

And yes, I have watched them get rejected looking like that.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Over the years, I have had perhaps about eight or so that ended up sideways. It happened more the first 20 years of reloading and not as much any more, if even at all. Way back, I had a primer feed arm on my Rock Chucker press which was not as good at priming as my RCBS Bench-mounted priming tool that I have used the past ten years or so.

I would put oil to the primer to kill it. Depending on the value of the case, I may have saved the case by removing the primer after I was certain it would not detonate on me. This was never a case which was charged with a seated pill.

 

[James2]

When using the primer arm on my press I sometimes had a primer go in sideways. If the shell holder was flat bottomed and did not have a primer relief groove it it, I had to smash the primer flat to get the brass out of the shell holder. I never did have one go bang. I would just decap them. I use a hand priming tool these days.