Primer Detonating

[mefitz]

Am a novice and have many questions, but really want to know what happens when a primer actually detonates after some type of "user error" occurs? Let's say something happens when you're seating a primer.

Are we talking firecracker going off? M-80? Worse? I have absolutely no idea what happens or how serious. I'm only talking about one (1) primer...

Thanks in advance

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

I set one off on purpose once, it's like a firecracker. never had an 'accident' with my Lee hand primer.

 

[billybob44]

One primer..

One primer=about like a Black Cat firecracker. The Lg rifle a little stronger-but not much. You should not come across, with the proper "Feel" in seating primers.

 

[The Bushmaster]

It goes *POP* and you fill yer pants...

 

[Historian]

I have primed thousands of rounds (pistol and rifle) with the RCBS Universal Priming Tool. I have never had a detonation. I have tested primers in a handgun to see if the striker hit the firing pin with enough force to detonate the primer. As has been said, it is about like a firecracker going off. If you are concerned about detonation while priming (or even if you're not), you should wear some form of eye protection and make certain the the priming is done in such a way that your face is protected from the unlikely blast. Read up and do your homework before you pull the handle on your press for the first time. This is a fun hobby and there is always something new to learn but above all think safety. Best of luck.

Historian

"Democracy requires wisdom."

 

[Ol` Joe]

Good way to find out, put a primed EMPTY case in you firearm and with it pointed in a safe direction pull the trigger.
Primers are suprisingly loud, especially when you don`t expect it. They also give off a pretty good flame. Other then that there is little to worry about, unless the case is charged and contained.

 

[fireman 9731]

Don't hit one with a hammer... you will end up with lots of tiny metal fragments in your hand.

 

[D. Manley]

Don't hit one with a hammer... you will end up with lots of tiny metal fragments in your hand.

OK, now you gotta' fess up how you know....

 

[fireman 9731]

Experience :banghead:

 

[flynlr]

It goes *POP* and you fill yer pants...

It depends.

 

[falldowngoboom]

I think it sounds more like an M-10 than an M-30 (black cats). Better yet more like several of those snap caps for toy guns going off at exactly the same time. I've had several go off while seating in a Lee Loader. It's really not that bad.

I've never had any debris fly out but I suppose whacking one with a hammer would create shrapnel for it to send shooting out. Safety glasses are always a good decision.

 

[Walkalong]

Loud, no biggie there, but the danger is the possible flying anvil or cup. They could lodge themselves in you or someone else nearby. This won't happen seating them, even if you could make it go off doing that.

If you are not banging on them with a hammer, you should be OK.

 

[243winxb]

Lee Hammer Loader is a good way to set them off. Your finger will end up bleeding with some makes of primers if in line with the case mouth when it goes Kaboom. As Ol Joe said, put a primed case in your gun and fire. Point is safe direction. With progressive loaders, if you force a primer and one goes off, the whole tube can go with it, now there is excitement at its finest.

 

[Bart B.]

If you've got a .17 Remington rifle, prime some cases then put a 17 caliber pellet in them, or a BB. They shoot just fine, but like the movie line says: "It'll put your eye out!" Of course, that's if you're careless.

 

[RDA 226sig]

I 2nd the not hitting them with a hammer. Otherwise they are not that fragile and normal seating procedures will not discharge them.

 

[falldowngoboom]

Lee Hammer Loader is a good way to set them off. Your finger will end up bleeding with some makes of primers if in line with the case mouth when it goes Kaboom.

243winxb, has that actually happened to you? I never thought the explosion was that dangerous but then again I always keep my fingers near the base so I don't hit them with the rubber mallet.

 

[243winxb]

243winxb, has that actually happened to you?

Yes, many years ago. No major wound. After that i taped my fingers till i bought a hand primer tool/seater.

 

[alfack]

I've loaded thousands with none of them going off accidentally. It takes a pretty sharp percussive force to set them off. Loading them with a smooth motion will not cause them to detonate. On progressive presses, the primer tube is usually reinforced metal so, if you should get an unlikely detonation, the explosion will be contained and directed straight up.

 

[243winxb]

the explosion will be contained and directed straight up.

I hope it misses the wife in the upstairs bedroom Reminds me of a shooting buddy and his Camdex. Kaboom

 

[fprefect]

The Lee

I set one off on purpose once, it's like a firecracker. never had an 'accident' with my Lee hand primer

I don't think you can beat the consistency of seating pressure with anything else.(At least that sells for under 15 bucks) I load all my 222 and PPC rounds with one. A lot more "feel" than yankin' up on the handle of a reloading press.

F. Prefect

 

[ranger335v]

I've set off a few, mostly with experiments to see (1) how hard it would be to do - it's not very easy, (2) to see how loud it is - not very but it seems loud when working in a quite shop, not as loud as a common firecracker, and (3) what it would do - virtually nothing, significantly less than a firecracker.

Why? Look at the physical size of the compound pellet in one, it's really very tiny! IF you press prime with a size die in place it won't do anything at all, the small upward blast is contained in the die and the primer seating plug contols the bottom. There's just not much to it when a cap does go off.

Unless the ducks are flying east to west, then it may blow the top off your bench and kill you with flying spinters!

 

[KenWP]

I had a primer go off with the Lee Loader once and never did find the case. I bought a priming tool soon after that and then went to a press. I bought hundreds of 30-06 cases once already primed and had to feed them all through a gun and fire them off so I could size and reload them again. I had to use a SB die for my model 742 as full lenght would not get them small enough.

 

[Mags]

I 2nd the not hitting them with a hammer.

I hit a few with a hammer to see what would happen, I wore all the correct PPE and they just make a bang and spark. No big deal.

 

[taliv]

i've had several go off while loading. not a huge deal. wear eye-pro. if you're in a small room, your ears will ring for a bit. my ring finger was in front of a case once... finger had lots of black flecks embedded for a week or two but no real damage. was unpleasant enough that i make a point of keeping my fingers away from the case mouth now

 

[RDA 226sig]

No big deal, it scattered dirt on my garage floor and brought my across the street neighbor out on his front porch to see what his crazy neighbor was up to. With proper PPE setting a primer off with a hammer isn't a problem but you could very well get something in your eye otherwise.