Bonehead move

[Pointman]

My only major flub was while loading for a trap session, I checked one roun d and found that I had forgotten to prim e the shell. It resides in my drawer as a con stant remin der that distration is a reloaders worst enemy.

 

[Axl]

Curious, why did you sell it?

After many hundreds of rounds fired (annealed vs. not) in 6 different rifles, the result was annealing either made no difference or got a little worse on the target.
I still anneal a couple cartridges, with hard to find brass, to extend neck life. I use a homemade flame annealer. Most of my cartridges, the primer pockets go before any problems with necks splitting.

 

[BALLISTICJESUS]

I have been handloading just shy of 40 years. Several weeks ago. I accidentally pulled the anneal a primed case stunt. Startled the heck out of me. When that CCI 450 went off. Somehow a primed case had gotten in with a batch of fired cases. A small piece hit me in the right cheek and I heard other pieces bounce off the walls.

SPOOKY STUFF! Stay safe.

 

[Critter Picker]

Glad you didn't get hurt worse!

 

[roger8]

This thread was started as a reminder of what can happen, it is called an accident! It takes a brave person to admit that they made a mistake, especially on a forum. Well done Randy. There are only two types of people in this world those that admit to their mistakes and the rest are liars. If you play around with reloading and case forming etc eventually a mistake will happen, it might not be a primer but something else, so instead of all these people explaining how they go through their holier than holy reloading rituals please take note of how something can go wrong. To all the new reloaders out there take note, of the volatile products we use and even the smallest of them can be quite dangerous

 

[southpa]

After many hundreds of rounds fired (annealed vs. not) in 6 different rifles, the result was annealing either made no difference or got a little worse on the target.
I still anneal a couple cartridges, with hard to find brass, to extend neck life. I use a homemade flame annealer. Most of my cartridges, the primer pockets go before any problems with necks splitting.

Man I cannot get anyone to accept what you stated. It's crazy. I fail to see the point of annealing when the primer pockets don't last long enough to waste the time. Exercise in futility.

Glad the OP is okay. Keep your head up sir, this is proof that what we do is dangerous. Stay safe and diligent fellas, it could keep you alive.

 

[Randy Tidwell]

Man I cannot get anyone to accept what you stated. It's crazy. I fail to see the point of annealing when the primer pockets don't last long enough to waste the time. Exercise in futility.

Glad the OP is okay. Keep your head up sir, this is proof that what we do is dangerous. Stay safe and diligent fellas, it could keep you alive.

I don't want to get off the subject of my reason I posted this red faced moment, so in regards to annealing not making a difference I'm going to start another thread.

 

[PlumberEd]

Been there, done that and received the annealing/primer detonation prize. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Svashtar]

Thanks for sharing! I use a flame annealer and haven't done that particular goof (yet), but can tell you what I _have_ done several times, and I'll bet others have as well, and that's to decap a live primer, and WITHOUT safety glasses! I got away with it for years on my single stage, then one day on my 550 progressive the primer exploded. A Winchester LP, and the bang was pretty impressive.

It left an actual etched "snail trail" in the metal of the small priming platform (technically the top shelf of the roller bracket assembly) where brass is slipped into station one.

I was going to get a replacement part from Dillon, but after thinking about I left it as a reminder, polishing out the worst of it. It still works fine, it's just a cosmetic thing, but every time I look at the scar I'm reminded not to decap a live primer and to make sure I have my glasses on!

That was 12 or 13 years ago, and I've been pretty good about it since, but it only takes one slip to lose an eye.

 

[Jester896]

I have a couple of good Dillon priming stories on 1050s...no glasses either time. Both of them left a primer alarm rod dent in the plywood ceiling. You talk about make Z shaped figures out of a rod! Discharging primers have a taste I don't really care for.