Priming tool

I've actually de-primed live primers (NOT RECOMMENDED) never had one go off. Feds are the softest primers and I think CCI have the hardest cup. The only thing I've had happen (pretty emberassing too) was I dropped a .38 Super round on the ground (course gravel) at the 1994 USPSA Open Nationals and it went off!!! Right at my feet in a crowd of people. It had been in my pocket and when I took my hand out, the round fell out at my feet. BANG! Very shocked and so was everyone else. :cool:
 
I never had a round go off outside of it's chamber and so I'm wondering what happens? Did the bullet fly out and case in tack or did the case rupture or explode?
 
I've actually de-primed live primers (NOT RECOMMENDED) never had one go off. Feds are the softest primers and I think CCI have the hardest cup. The only thing I've had happen (pretty emberassing too) was I dropped a .38 Super round on the ground (course gravel) at the 1994 USPSA Open Nationals and it went off!!! Right at my feet in a crowd of people. It had been in my pocket and when I took my hand out, the round fell out at my feet. BANG! Very shocked and so was everyone else. :cool:

Nothing happened to anyone? Could you determine where the bullet went?

Man you got lucky.

Tom
 
Did a search and here is what I found:

"the recommendations on the primers to use due to a legal issue that they had to deal with. From what I had been told, it involves what happens from the way "some" of primers are made. In a nutshell, primer compound dust built up in the flipper tray ridges that Lee uses to hold the primers, and a static electrical discharge ignited the build up of priming compound dust and then ignited the primers in the tray of the tool. One can only imagine what happened from there from a legal view! It is because of this incident that Lee makes the recommendations that they do. However, I did read several years ago,from a member of the Cast Bullet Association, how one can alleviate this situation of the build up of the primer compound dust with the Lee tool, as well as any of the primer flipper trays that are available to the reloaders. From time to time you should wash these trays in dish washing detergent and let the suds dry on the tray. This knocks the static electricity charge down and prevents an accidental ignition of any build up of priming dust. I would imagine that you could use an anti-static spray for this purpose as well, but I will still wash my trays in detergent since I know that the tray is clean, and safe."

I am told that Federal primers are a frequent culprit, but I do not know why this should be. I just don't feel good about using the Lee Autoprime with that explosive potential in front of me.
 
No one got hurt and I didn't get DQ'd thank god! I got a small nick in the lense of my Oakley sun glasses and the guy next to me who was wearing a "fanny pack" got a couple of small holes in it. Don't know where the bullet ended up but they rarely go far and with almost no energy. I've prolly dropped a thousand bullets on the ground in my life time. Several were even rim fire. That is the only time it has happened to me.

I have two Dillon progressive loaders and often have wondered as to the potential for detination in the Dillon primer pick-up tube or the priming system tube it's self. Seems like it would have an even more potentially dangerous exsplosion. One of my Dillons has actually logged over 100K rounds loaded!

I think I'll wash my primer trays when I get home. :D
 
I guess since the soap suds eventually dry then there's probably no chance of contaminating the primers, not sure with the anti-static spray.
 
I agree with BOSS.
The BEST primer available is K&M with indicator. Actually, it's the only one that even makes sense to me.
Also, it is nothing like the Sinclair, or any others discussed so far.

It's best because with it you can seat primers to exactly the same CRUSH value.
After many years of K&M use, combined with 20' screen spacing on an Oehler, I've learned that crush, and firing pin adjustment & bolt timing, greatly affect ES.
These things often need to be 'tuned' -for lowest ES.

Just throwin it out there
 
Mikecr, with the K&M/Gage is there ever a need after a period of time to calibrate or anything like that?
 
You calibrate with every seating.
Both pocket depth and primer height are taken into account with a single re-zero operation. Then that primer is seated to that pocket in another operation. So it basically takes twice as long to seat primers correctly.

Within a few, you're good with it(it's easy), and you quickly get a sense of how impossible it is to seat with any consistency by feel. There is just no way to do that, and seating by uniformed pockets alone is worse than pure abstract, due to primer height variance.
 
I didn't know K&M made one with a gage, I guess I'm going to have to give it a serious look.
 
I have used the Lee since 1980. have went through several but at 6.95 they were inexpensive. Now the last one I bought was 16 bucks but still a steal. Several years ago I bought a couple of Model 70s when Win was closing up shop, both in 300WSM for my two boys. At that time my Lee would not fit the wsm case and instead of grinding it out I bought a RCBS. What a club, very uncomfortable. PIA to change over shell holders and if you weren't careful the rod would fall out. I took a dremel and ground out the Lee. The new Lee fits the WSM and still a buy at 16 bucks instead of 45, plus its comfortable to use. as far as I am concerned the rcbs would be the last one I would buy and have steered several away from them just by letting them try both of mine and they always choose the Lee
 
I see the lee says not for use with federal primers whats that about? also what size holder for a 300rum case for a rcbs trimmer I dint see it listed.

I use Federal primers with my Lee. Only put about 20 primers in the tray at one time and always wear the safety glasses. No problems so far except for one primer I crushed and blew. My fault after about 35 years of reloading
 
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