I should have had a primer detonation!

[Highway41]

A small primer 45acp case slipped by me into the case feeder on my Loadmaster. I have had my Loadmaster right at a week now and have taken my time reading about it, watching videos and getting it adjusted to run smoothly. I am satisfied with the way it's going but back to what should/could have been a primer detonation.

I have been taking it slow and did not feel any unusual resistance on the up stroke of the ram. When I started to lower the ram it got very tight and released with a sudden jerk. First look showed nothing so I took out the case over the priming station and bingo a small primer pocket with the three pronged anvil from a primer stuck in it. Looking down on the priming ram as best I could see was a crushed primer cup. I moved the primer positioning arm and a new primer swept the crushed cup out of the way. I got lucky.

One more part to the story. When I was researching assembly and adjustment I noticed that the primer slider that came with my press did not have the little nib that withdrew an unused primer. I thought that I had just gotten a bad part and put in a call to Lee. I got put through to tech support and the person who answered told me that the part had changed and that mine was the new design. I don't know if a situation like mine was what they had in mind with the redesign but I can see where the old style would have tried to pull the crushed cup back into the primer mechanism and caused at best a lock up or at worst a detonation with the next cycle.

I've been reloading off and on for about 25 years but this is my first progressive. Learning all the time. Just glad I didn't get a boom with that lesson.

[freebullet]

I've mangled some into unreconisable shapes and not set them off. Only I've had pop while primin were berdans.

[zomby woof]

Happens

[Cmm_3940]

I've mashed and mangled some pretty good without setting any off. A few times I've had them go in sideways. No percussion, they shouldn't go off, though I wouldn't count on it.

[jmorris]

The first story I was told about them going off while loading I didn't believe. I even smushed some completely flat in a bench vice with out going off.

I think it must have something to do with the speed of the crush, because they do go off, I just have never had it happen.

[Beesdad]

I've mashed and mangled some pretty good without setting any off. A few times I've had them go in sideways. No percussion, they shouldn't go off, though I wouldn't count on it.


This has been my experience also.. I am currently running 4 loadmasters and the only problem I have with the primer system is trying to place a large primer in a small primer pocket.

To prevent this I de-prime all my 45acp brass .... Tumbler them with SS pins and then I sort them by size.

Sorting is made easer for me by using a go no go gauge in the primer pocket. The large end of the Lee universal decapping pin is a perfect size for this task. This check has eliminated my problem....

[osteodoc08]

I also have mangled them into unrecognizable shapes and even inserted them in sideways until they were flat with the case. I've *NEVER* (knock on wood) had one go KB on me. They really are a feat in engineering those little things.

[bruce381]

blew up 2 small ones on a dillion it will happen

[MaryB]

had one upside down in some white box Winchester. Why that didn't go off when inserted amazes me.

[EDG]

I have deprimed many live military crimped in primers without setting one off.

[historicfirearms]

I bought a box of primers once at the gun shop. I was riding my motorcycle, so I just threw them in my fiberglass saddle bag for the ride home. While riding down my bumpy gravel road, I had one primer go off. Like others I've accidentally mashed them while reloading and haven't had one go off yet. I don't know if the motorcycle primer was due to friction, static electricity, or just jostling. It sure did surprise me though.

[DLCTEX]

The only primer I have had go off was one that got under the base of my Rockchucker because the hold down bolts were loose. I was sizing some stretched brass and when the press rocked back it popped. It was held under there and there was just noise and a puff of smoke..

[XDMinent45]

I crushed a lot of primers when I first set up my Load Master, thank god none of them went off. I did buy and install that special shield just to be on the safe side. I agree with keeping the primer pockets clean, brass clean, and an occasional die cleaning to keep things running smoothly. I tried to keep with the suggested primers but they are far and few now a days. I'm getting Wolf large pistol primers at the moment, but nobody knows how long that will last with whats going on in the USSR.

[MarkP]

I knew a guy who was depriming live primers and inserting new on a Dillon 650; one went off and set about 500 off. He had anvils and cups inserted in is body he was very lucky.

Very intelligent and highly educated man but accident prone.

Peirce and prime machines used in industry will have on go off occasionally. The machine operator must shut the machine down and pull the case with the fired primer.

[45-70bpcr]

I knew a guy who was depriming live primers and inserting new on a Dillon 650; one went off and set about 500 off. He had anvils and cups inserted in is body he was very lucky.

Very intelligent and highly educated man but accident prone.


Peirce and prime machines used in industry will have on go off occasionally. The machine operator must shut the machine down and pull the case with the fired primer.

How the heck many primers does his 650 hold?

[jcwit]

Once again, primers are set off by sudden impact, not by pressure. Squeeze one in a vice if you don't believe it.

[MarkP]

How the heck many primers does his 650 hold?

The spent primers went off as he had not emptied the catch container.

[wallenba]

A frequent happening with my old Loadmaster. I just decided that my shooting demands were not so much, that priming off the press was a better option for me. Been much happier since.

[gwpercle]

I also have done that, and seated them backwards and sideways. None ever went off. The only primers that did were with a Lee "whack -a-mole" . The base had a tiny teat on it, just enough to make one go off now and again. It's what inspired me to get a press and give up hammering on cases.
Gary

[45-70bpcr]

The spent primers went off as he had not emptied the catch container.

The "spent" primers went off? You have me scratching my head now.

[Walter Laich]

My KB can be traced to using a kinetic bullet puller with too much gusto and dropping a tube of new primers on way to press. The second one was quick and my chins were a bit sore. Hearing took a bit to come back.
Think I had to change out my drawers, too :)

[seaboltm]

I reloaded 500 round of 45 ACP last month on my loadmaster. I noticed I had primers that were crunched, some locking up the press. I thought I had a priming system problem, so I took it apart, cleaned it, reassembled. Same problem from time to time. then discovered that about 22 of the cases were small primer 45 ACP. Out of the 22 crunched primers, not one popped.

[garym1a2]

Try some Federal primers if you want to see one blow. My only time I had one blow was a Feberal primer with my Lee classic cast.

[MarkP]

The "spent" primers went off? You have me scratching my head now.
He de-primed live primers, the primers in the spent primer holding bin went off.

[blaser.306]

I have crushed a few when they tried to go in sideways, And they were Federals to boot. Must have been lucky as I have never set one off with my LNL. Come to think of it , the only person I know of, has done it a couple of times on one of the "blue machines" when the warranty dept. is called they sent new parts no questions asked. Almost as if the know there was an issue with the priming system?

[45-70bpcr]

He de-primed live primers, the primers in the spent primer holding bin went off.

I follow now, sorry so slow :-)

[Moonie]

I've had them go in sideways, and crushed them trying to put large ones in small primer 45 brass with no issues. I've also twice had them go off on my LoadMaster, once blowing the entire priming system off of the press and lacerating my face just under my nose. I added the blast shield after that and loaded gingerly for awhile. I currently have the latest small priming system on it and load only cartridges with small primers on it. I do large primer pistol brass on my Pro1000.