Flash Over Incident with Hornady Hand Primer

[Riomouse911]

Glad you’re ok! I think we all fear something like that happening.

This type of situation is why Lee discontinued the great round-tray hand primer and went to the less-user friendly square tray device. With the new hand primer, as the handle is squeezed a little metal gate rises up to separate the single primer being seated from the ones behind it.

I don’t know if this is what makes it harder to use, but the idea of putting a small barrier between the area of potential detonation and the rest of the primers makes sense.

Again, glad you’re ok and hopefully you’ll be back at the loading bench soon .

Stay safe.

 

[stormshrike]

This might be the one to which you refer:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...fortunate-events-warning-graphic-very.776339/

I have that Hornaday priming tool as well as a similar RCBS tool. They both work basically the same. I can see where it could happen with either tool. Safety glasses and latex glove for me going forward.

I use an RCBS hand priming tool, and I had been treating the priming operation casually until I read the 'unfortunate events' thread a few months ago. Now I wear safety glasses and ear protection even though I'm not priming on a progressive.

... the idea of putting a small barrier between the area of potential detonation and the rest of the primers makes sense.

The RCBS hand tool has a barrier. I've never had a primer go off so I don't know how well it works. From a quick internet search, I couldn't tell if the Hornady tool has any sort of barrier.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I use an RCBS hand priming tool, and I had been treating the priming operation casually until I read the 'unfortunate events' thread a few months ago. Now I wear safety glasses and ear protection even though I'm not priming on a progressive.



The RCBS hand tool has a barrier. I've never had a primer go off so I don't know how well it works. From a quick internet search, I couldn't tell if the Hornady tool has any sort of barrier.

I think in this instance the barrier was OPs hand.

 

[243winxb]

Nitroglycerin

The internet lists them as the same, except yours is food grade.

I would have to take a hammer to a pill to see if it Kabooms. Wearing face shield & flack jacket, of course.

Good that you survived your heart attack, , its a warning sign, i think?

 

[CQB45ACP]

The internet lists them as the same, except yours is food grade.

I would have to take a hammer to a pill to see if it Kabooms. Wearing face shield & flack jacket, of course.

Good that you survived your heart attack, , its a warning sign, i think?

Hahaha—My thoughts exactly!!! Go out behind the shed where my wife can’t see me and pound one the pills to smitherines. Where are the mythbusters when I need them?

As for warning sign, I’d have preferred a far less dramatic one.

 

[Docendo Discimus]

Hi folks,

Had a small scare the other day whilst reloading that might be a helpful reminder to people to keep safe and follow your procedures not being sloppy. Primer popped when being seated and flashed over into try causing other primers to detonate.

This happened using a Hornady Hand Primer

My set-up post incident

View attachment 1016466

Close-up of hand primer – not sure where rest of pieces are.

View attachment 1016467

Close-up of “flashed” primers (Note empty but dented cups)

View attachment 1016468

And this is the resulting cuts to hand – fortunately they seem superficial. Blast also blew my glasses off my face and they landed ~6 feet away.

View attachment 1016469

Fortunately I was wearing latex gloves so some protection.

Be careful folks and wear your eye protection.

(Just in case people are interested, didn’t notice anything different from usual. Cases were PPU factory on ~4th firing. Primers were Federal Large Pistol. Cases had been sonic cleaned and primer pockets checked prior to priming and I’d primed ~50 that session. This process has served me fine for ~3 years of loading)

Best wishes,

Scrummy

Thank you for posting this. I am glad you are ok. This is a good safety reminder for all of us.

 

[flatsticks]

Glad you are ok OP.

Good reminder for everybody to wear their eye and other protection .

 

[Dudedog]

OP glad you are ok.
Probably not a good way to get your heart rate up.
That is one reason why it is always a good idea to wear safety glasses.

Nitroglycerin—hah. I had a heart attack last Saturday night 230am—no kidding—and now have this cute little bottle to carry with me. The tablets are smaller than an SPP

hmmm wonder if you could use them to reload primers.

 

[CQB45ACP]

OP glad you are ok.
Probably not a good way to get your heart rate up.
That is one reason why it is always a good idea to wear safety glasses.


hmmm wonder if you could use them to reload primers.

Really really expensive primers

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Thanks for posting about your experience. I've heard the internet tales about Federal Primers and Lee Priming tools but this is the first/best related experience that I've seen. Glad you were not more seriously injured.

I prime with a hand tool but its not a Lee and it doesn't have a tray. Federal makes up a high percentage of my large rifle primer use and inventory.

According to the OP:

This happened using a Hornady Hand Primer

I don’t know if the Lee and Hornady are similar enough for this to happen in one versus the other but, this time it was the Hornady, not the Lee.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Hahaha—My thoughts exactly!!! Go out behind the shed where my wife can’t see me and pound one the pills to smitherines. Where are the mythbusters when I need them?

As for warning sign, I’d have preferred a far less dramatic one.

Been there, done that. Couple years ago I thought I had developed GERD or some other chronic heartburn type ailment. Turned out I was having two or three mild heart attacks a day for over a week. Finally went to a walk in clinic owned and operated by a retired cardiologist. They took me back for digestive complaints and it turned out I was in cardiac arrest. The doctor gave me two nitro caps, two aspirin, and an adrenaline injection then called an ambulance. While we waited we chatted a bit. He said if that - the nitro caps - didn’t kill me nothing would.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Been there, done that. Couple years ago I thought I had developed GERD or some other chronic heartburn type ailment. Turned out I was having two or three mild heart attacks a day for over a week. Finally went to a walk in clinic owned and operated by a retired cardiologist. They took me back for digestive complaints and it turned out I was in cardiac arrest. The doctor gave me two nitro caps, two aspirin, and an adrenaline injection then called an ambulance. While we waited we chatted a bit. He said if that - the nitro caps - didn’t kill me nothing would.

Lucky you too—experienced emergency treatment is key.

They gave me a couple of those too but did really help reduce pain or pressure but probably saved me.

I had the widow maker—100% blockage of the left anterior descending. By the grace of God, I didn’t screw around and called 911 pronto, 8 well trained EMTs were in my living room in about 10 minutes, I was at a top flight cath lab emergency room about 15 minutes after that, and had a stent about 20 minutes after that. Was discharged 36 hours later and mowed my lawn 4 days later (with the cardiologist’s blessing).

I missed going to the range Saturday AM cause I was tired, but nothing has stopped my loading.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Lucky you too—experienced emergency treatment is key.

They gave me a couple of those too but did really help reduce pain or pressure but probably saved me.

I had the widow maker—100% blockage of the left anterior descending. By the grace of God, I didn’t screw around and called 911 pronto, 8 well trained EMTs were in my living room in about 10 minutes, I was at a top flight cath lab emergency room about 15 minutes after that, and had a stent about 20 minutes after that. Was discharged 36 hours later and mowed my lawn 4 days later (with the cardiologist’s blessing).

I missed going to the range Saturday AM cause I was tired, but nothing has stopped my loading.

Me too. LAD and Cruciform both 100% blocked. 4 Stents, two angioplasty and it was a huge blessing because I finally quit smoking. Started smoking cigars at 16 and got up to two packs of cigarettes a day before I quit after forty years. Glad I quit before it was too late.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Me too. LAD and Cruciform both 100% blocked. 4 Stents, two angioplasty and it was a huge blessing because I finally quit smoking. Started smoking cigars at 16 and got up to two packs of cigarettes a day before I quit after forty years. Glad I quit before it was too late.

Holy Cow!
I’m a darned fitness fanatic compared to you.

 

[Walkalong]

Scary, glad you are OK.

 

[lightman]

According to the OP:

I don’t know if the Lee and Hornady are similar enough for this to happen in one versus the other but, this time it was the Hornady, not the Lee.

You are correct! Good catch! I read it but I guess I had Lee on my mind.

 

[Slamfire]

Hi folks,

Primers were Federal Large Pistol. Cases had been sonic cleaned and primer pockets checked prior to priming and I’d primed ~50 that session. This process has served me fine for ~3 years of loading)

Best wishes,

Scrummy

Thank you for posting this. Telling the shooting community about these mishaps can only do good. These sort of events are not mentioned, or basically denied, in the popular press as accidents don't increase sales. Given the lack of warnings in what they read, many in the shooting community think primers are predictable, and all act the same way. They are most certainly not! We are lucky that there are not more accidents, but the potential for ignition, always exists in explosive substances. And it don't take much!

One trend, Federals are the most commonly exploding primer in hand tools.



one of my favorites. Only the roof prevented the primer tube from going into low earth orbit!





I would like your permission to use your pictures, when I encounter threads questioning whether primers will explode in priming devices.

 

[Scrumbag]

oh crap!

And other such phrases went through my head, quite right sir

 

[Scrumbag]

Question... If it flashes through the case, how can it ignite the primers in the tray?
Did it go in crooked and unnoticed... and flashed out that way?
Curious, because I've never had a primer go off accidentally. That being said, I use a had primer, but it's a KM and doesn't have a tray.
Thanks

I think possibly the primer either turned sideways or detonated before being all the way in

 

[Scrumbag]

Oh possible interest, Robert Lee in his reloading manual openly criticizes Federal primers and recommends not using them in certain equipment due to safety reasons. He obviously has/had a running feud with Federal.

I use a Lee safety loader on a single stage (where the primer being seated is unable to contact the awaiting primers). With it, I use Federal as frequently as CCI, Remington, and Winchester without problems. It’s made of plastic and is not the smoothest operating contraption, but it seems to reduce risk.

Btw, are you really in the U.K.? They permit firearms and reloading?

Yep, in the UK and we can own guns and reload for them. Ownership is restrictive though

 

[Scrumbag]

I use an RCBS hand priming tool, and I had been treating the priming operation casually until I read the 'unfortunate events' thread a few months ago. Now I wear safety glasses and ear protection even though I'm not priming on a progressive.



The RCBS hand tool has a barrier. I've never had a primer go off so I don't know how well it works. From a quick internet search, I couldn't tell if the Hornady tool has any sort of barrier.

Mine didn't have a barrier. I now have an RCBS one that does.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Yep, in the UK and we can own guns and reload for them. Ownership is restrictive though

Maybe I’ll become an expat and move to the Cotswolds.