I'm tired of having primers go off in my face

I'll always have a soft spot for the Lee Loader. They started me on this path of my favorite hobby, and I know that I learned the fundamentals better than a lot of guys I see.

I had a few primers go off over the years, and I think that seating them is better done with "tappity tap" with a brass or nylon hammer rather than one big "thump" with a mallet.

After starting with my .243 Lee Loader, my blessed bro in law gifted me a powder scale and a Speer Manual, and I proceeded to pounding out sub MOA ammo for one of those great off the shelf shooters.

I've still got four or five of the sets in my cabinet, and can't seem to part with them... :rolleyes: jd
 
I must be a very lucky man. I have, in the past, seated primers a full 90 degrees off from what would be normal seatings. Completely crushed the primer sideways into the primer pocket. Not once have I set off a primer in my reloading press.

I've also seated primers upside down. Pressed them out with the decapping pin, very slowly and very gently. No unwanted bangs.

But now that I write this, it will probably happen..
Click to expand...

Do not take primers for granted, the things are dangerous. We are just so lucky that most of us still have all our fingers, toes, and eye balls.

But, when luck runs out and primers go off, it can be one heck of a bang.

This picture is what happened when a guy, loading 9mm with federal primers on a Hornady LNL, tried to force a primer into the pocket. As I understand, there was some resistance, and boom!




When the ammunition companies decided to make more profit, by using cheaper small pistol primers in the 45 ACP, they created the conditions for reloaders to get injured. These small pistol primer cases have a tendency to show up when you are reloading on a progressive. I had one appear on the tool head, I have no idea how it got there. I picked up my brass at the range and this case was in my collection. These small primer cases have caused a number of explosions in progressive reloading presses. The reloader was using large pistol primers and a small primer case appeared above the priming mechanism. I heard of a Dillion 650 or 1050 that totally fragmented (no pictures) and then of course, this Hornady LNL.

LNL AP Explosion/Fire
http://forum.pafoa.org/showthread.php?t=244584

Yesterday I switched my powder drop from my old Lee setup to the Hornady powder drop that came with the press. I got the insert so it flares and drops powder at the same time. I got the case flare looking good and dialed the powder drop to 4.7 gr of Titegroup for my .45 ACP rounds. It worked great. Deviation was maybe .05 gr over ten drops. I started loading rounds one at a time, checking the OAL which was 1.26 and very consistant. The last round I loaded I re-sized/deprimed. Next stage inserted primer. Now I don't remember if this felt smooth or was difficult. It may have been a small primer .45 case and I'm using large, or it may not have seated or it may have seated fine. I honestly don't remeber what happened. I indexed to the next stage to drop powder and flare the case when 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. I immediately took off to find a fire extinguisher. I tore through all the cabinets and couldn't find it. I filled up a pitcher with water and ran back downstairs. Luckily the powder burned out without catching the ceiling on fire. I dumped water on the powder hopper since it was still on fire. Looking at the carnage I think the primer did not seat into the round and when the slide went back to pick up the next primer it went off blowing the 100 primers stacked on top of it. It blew apart the primer tube and it shot out of the saftey shroud. This was sharp and blowing up, so I guess it punctured the powder hopper and lit all the powder. Loading pistol rounds the hopper is very close to the top of the primer tube.

Lessons learned:

1. Always have a fire extinguisher at your reloading bench.

2. Verify all .45 brass is large primer type. I'm not sure if this was the cause but it could have been. It could have also been a crushed primer. Some brass just sucks and the primers don't seat.

3. Install metal cover around powder hopper on the side closest to the primer tube. This should prevent anything from blowing through the cheesy plastic hopper tube and starting a 2in rocket engine on the top of my reloader.

I sent Hornady an email telling them what happened to see if they replace the parts. If not I will make some calls. All I know is if the primers explode, (which happens) the powder hopper should not be effected. If I was loading rifle cases it would have been up higher and may not have been an issue. I've used this press for two years so I know what I'm doing, I was really shocked that I've never heard of this happening to anyone else. Be careful out there. Here are some pics of the parts and my ceiling.
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My first reload tool was a whack a mole Lee.

Beat the daylights out of the cases and they failed after 3 or5 rounds.

I threw it away and got a press.

Lee makes good stuff, but that was junk (44 mag and my brother had 357, same thing)

Not primers went boom though!
 
Lee is now making a bench mounted priming tool. Notice how they oriented the tool so it is very hard for the operator to place himself in front of the case mouth. I don't think that was an accident.
 
first the smart A$$ part: Is this you?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98I1i8Toj8E

:eek:

OK now for the better behavior:
Could you use an arbor press instead of a mallet? I've seen them on ebay for 50 bucks or so. As others have already pointed out a Lee auto prime hand primer or there are also several table top priming tools as well.
 
Yes, an arbor press, a shop press not an arbor press for reloading, does a great job with a Lee Loader. I have a 1 ton press (cast iron w/2" square ram). I've been known to sit in front of my press and de-prime 150-200 .38 special cases using just the decapping base and decapping pin. Sizing is a piece of cake, even .44 Magnum brass and priming is a breeze. I still used a mallet for seating and crimping, but there's no reason why an arbor press should not be used...
 
I've got to think there is something wrong here. In 25 yrs of reloading, I've never had an issue with a fired primer. Ive used the inexpensive Lee hand priming tool for years and 1000's of primers and never an issue. If money is tight, I would go with Lee. Please remember to always wear eye protection because you never know.
 
Sounds like someone needs a Lee Hand Prime. Or you could get a lee hand press and it should come with the ram prime.

I have four or five of those wack a mole style sets and I'm never using them again. All the hammering was irritating and seemed only useful as something to leave at deer camp.
 
While not exactly the same. I used a similar Lee loader for 16ga. shell reloading. That was 1968 and I continued using it until about 1972 when I bought my first press. I never had primers detonate while using the hand loader. In fact, I have never had an unexpected primer detonation. I hope my luck continues. Best wishes
 
I wasn't going to reveal my ignorance by saying that I had never even heard of the whack-a-mole system, but it's true - if someone had told me about it I wouldn't have believed them. I'm simply in awe at the idea of bring that kind of kinetic force to bear anywhere near a primer.
I started out using my press but that seemed like too much leverage. I bought a little hand squeezer which I used until it broke, then I replaced it with a better one, an RCBS, which will no doubt still be working long after I am not. Note that the better one was even more expensive because it replaced a cheap one that broke.
 
For those that think the Lee Loaders are too slow, or too loud; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeEl9wZyabc

Yep, Mr.Lee does kinda do a "quickie" powder charge, but even if he used the "dip and strike" method his rounds would come in at less than one minute...

I've used "dead blow" hammers and a lead ingot for an anvil (not necessarily together) and my loading isn't loud...
 
Yeah, I'd go with that.
I once taught someone who'd never reloaded a single round how to reload bottle neck rifle cases on a picnic bench in the Ozarks in about 20 minutes.
Within an hour he was cranking out 3 rounds every 2 minutes.
:cool:
The hard thing was getting him to stop before he used up all our components!
:eek:
 
I went throuh my stuff and what I did for 9mm was to combine two differnt die sets so for 9mm I have a five die set with multiple seaters and sizers so I can taper or roll crimp. I found a non carbide sizeing die that I no longer use and a RCBS ram prime that is just collecting dust so if someone here has a $15 press collecting dust a work around can be done till the OP has funds to get a die set. The LGS just down the street sells used die sets for $15 bucks and he might have a set of 9mm sitting there.

The main problem is sizeing and the die that I have with some lube in a single stage press wil do that then the OP cab do the rest with the Lee loader tha he has. Till he can find a die set.
 
I think the problem is the small hammer, get a 2# sledge. And if a hammer don't fix it, it's probably an electrical problem. :-)

Be safe first of all!

I have several of those whack em with a hammer kits, never used a single one, can't even remember where I got them. Probably in a buy out years ago.
 
As berettaprofessor stated, spend the $15 dollars on the Lee hand primer. I have a Hornady lnl set up and a Lyman turret setup. I find for over half my different calibers the hand primer is the fastest and easiest. I have never popped a primer and don't want to. If you are a trooper enough to stick with it after popping that many primers, I think you answered your question about if you like it enough to get a better press.

For now though, hand priming is the way to go until you save enough for a good turret press.
 
Nosab

You are wrong. His problem is that he is using glocked brass and the loading tool he is using was NOT designed to use Glocked brass.

He needs to size the Glocked brass. Once the brass is sizewd the it will not take excessive force to seat the primer as he is sizeing at the same time he is seating. A hand primer will not fix his problem only a $15 press and at least a sizeing die will.

The LGS did not have a used set of 9mm but I do have an old noncarbide sizer that will do the trick and a RCBS ram prime.

Nosab

What you do not know about the Lee wack mole loader is clearly apparent by
your comment and your not fully reading this mans posts. He can use a hand primer till hades freezes over and it will NOT solve his problem of glocked cases and what you propose will waste primers in cases that he can not form good enough to function.
 
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Hartcreek,

I am glad you are so certain that is the issue. I'm not discounting he may need to size the brass since I don't have the power to see though the internet, by taking a step in a different direction should help him, especially since he is new to reloading.

What I was saying is not wrong otherwise no one would ever hand prime. Hand priming can help ensure you look at each round closers and it can be faster overall to the loading process when running batches.
 
Nosab, I agree with you, I use a Lee Auto Prime that I have had for at least 30 years, and I have primed literally thousands of small pistol primers with it, and never popped one. It's so easy and fast, and I can sit in the rocking chair in the reloading/music room and do them.

I don't think I would use one of those whacker models if I could get out of it.

Have a blessed day,

Leon
 
After reading the first dozen posts, would say the issue here is with the primer pockets, and the cases seem suspect. Clean & ream those crimped pockets and all will be swell.
 
First Mistake - Buying Cheap Tools
Second Mistake - Using Cheap Tools
3rd Mistake - Using Cheap Tools repeatedly that are proving dangerous!

I've been reloading since around 1993 or 1994 when I bought my first handgun to save money and NEVER have detonated a primer prematurely. I even started with a lee starter kit but went with RCBS dies right away. I got tired of the lee powder measure always leaking and the press creeking, bought some used RCBS equipment and sold off my lee stuff to a new reloader and never looked back. Don't know if I ever "saved" any money by reloading but I've been able to shoot a lot more without worrying about the cost so much. If you are going to get serious about reloading, buy decent equipment. Otherwise, sell what you got and be done with it and buy factory ammo by the case when you find good deals. My preference is RCBS dies. I've tried lee, hornady and Lyman dies too but the best quality is in the RCBS and Hornady dies. I don't like the sliding collar hornady uses in their dies or their bushing system. I hope you'll make the right decision for you before you get hurt.
 
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