Here is an example of static electricity in action:
Reloading safety reminder
- Thread starter Beluebow
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If you haven't had a primer detonate when reloading it is just a matter of time before it happens. If you load enough it WILL happen. If you are following safe practices you will likely only get the shizzle scared out of you and ringing in your ears. I feel bad for the guy in the pics and hope he is able to recover.
The energy in a single primer is impressive, a full tube of primers I don't want to witness.......
I have loaded a lot of ammo on progressive machines using primer tubes and do so with zero hesitation. By a lot I mean more ammo than anyone that hasn't shot clay targets and action shooting competitively for a long time would believe. My machines happen to be Dillon and have a steel sleeve around the primer tubes but I have used RCBS, Lee, MEC and Hornady progressives also. I pull the cotter pin and drop 100 primers at a time, never had a problem but understand that it could happen. I've seen the ceiling above a couple machines where the tube of primers somehow detonated, and the blown tubes. In every instance that I discussed with the person using the machine when it happened they were having an issue and got heavy handed. I have personally had 3 or 4 primers detonate when seating, one time was media in the primer pocket I think and the others were crimped primer pockets and I was heavy handed. I got what I earned being impatient and heavy handed.
Be careful and don't force anything, odds of things going bad are reduced by orders of magnitude I think.
The energy in a single primer is impressive, a full tube of primers I don't want to witness.......
I have loaded a lot of ammo on progressive machines using primer tubes and do so with zero hesitation. By a lot I mean more ammo than anyone that hasn't shot clay targets and action shooting competitively for a long time would believe. My machines happen to be Dillon and have a steel sleeve around the primer tubes but I have used RCBS, Lee, MEC and Hornady progressives also. I pull the cotter pin and drop 100 primers at a time, never had a problem but understand that it could happen. I've seen the ceiling above a couple machines where the tube of primers somehow detonated, and the blown tubes. In every instance that I discussed with the person using the machine when it happened they were having an issue and got heavy handed. I have personally had 3 or 4 primers detonate when seating, one time was media in the primer pocket I think and the others were crimped primer pockets and I was heavy handed. I got what I earned being impatient and heavy handed.
Be careful and don't force anything, odds of things going bad are reduced by orders of magnitude I think.
Equalizer
Well-Known Member
WOW! I've heard of guys popping one off but not a tube full! Glad he's recovering.
I have used three or four hand style priming tools over the years but they all started to get stiff/janky and or broke so I abandoned them.
I started priming one at a time on my Redding Big boss press. I was a little skittish at first but I have really, really whacked em in there and no pops yet.
And like a previous poster I too have seated primers upside down AND deprimed them too with no pops.
I recently got a Dillon 550 C and have only loaded a couple hundred rounds through it. Good advice from those using this machine though and I'll start cleaning the tubes every use now and I'll keep the slide bar and the primer tube mounted to the machine itself cleaned as well.
As to the storage of primers & static electricity…. How to store? I know a guy who stores his by the thousands, in the original packaging, in steel ammo cans….
I have used three or four hand style priming tools over the years but they all started to get stiff/janky and or broke so I abandoned them.
I started priming one at a time on my Redding Big boss press. I was a little skittish at first but I have really, really whacked em in there and no pops yet.
And like a previous poster I too have seated primers upside down AND deprimed them too with no pops. I recently got a Dillon 550 C and have only loaded a couple hundred rounds through it. Good advice from those using this machine though and I'll start cleaning the tubes every use now and I'll keep the slide bar and the primer tube mounted to the machine itself cleaned as well.
As to the storage of primers & static electricity…. How to store? I know a guy who stores his by the thousands, in the original packaging, in steel ammo cans….
Muddyboots
Well-Known Member
SAAMI has some good publications on variety of firearm safety and loading worth looking at.
saami.org
Informational Publications and Advisories - SAAMI
SAAMI publishes information pamphlets, guidance documents and advisories on various topics relating to the storage, use and transportation of firearms, ammunition and propellant. Advisories Guidance on Ammunition That Has Been Submerged In Water – Is it possible to salvage ammunition that has...
saami.org
Equalizer
Well-Known Member
Equalizer
Well-Known Member
Thanks. I just read it. Guess I need thousands of thousands of 1" thick wooden cabinets now. I better read up on the powder storage too lolSAAMI has some good publications on variety of firearm safety and loading worth looking at.
Informational Publications and Advisories - SAAMI
SAAMI publishes information pamphlets, guidance documents and advisories on various topics relating to the storage, use and transportation of firearms, ammunition and propellant. Advisories Guidance on Ammunition That Has Been Submerged In Water – Is it possible to salvage ammunition that has...
marchboom
Well-Known Member
This should be the rule for anything reloading. After using reloading equipment for a while you know what feels normal. When something doesn't give this "normal" feel STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND FIND OUT WHY! Especially when dealing with primers.
This topic has prompted me to clean all of my reloading equipment, including the primer tubes (never thought about it before). Also will add grounding cables to the equipment and remove the throw rug under the bench.
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Me too Equalizer and Marchboom
When I was a kid we found a shack that had dynamite stored in it.We went to a neighbor that had a phone and called the Sherriff's department and they took 1 stick out and made us stand far away and lit it.Loud bang but no damage so they took a pipe and put a stick in it with a long fuse and piled old lumber on top of it and lit it.Huge bang and plenty of destruction.Lesson learned is when you contain an explosive it exponentially becomes 10-20 times worse.
I will NEVER use a primer tube ever again as it will make the explosion worse as it tries to contain it.
When I was a kid we found a shack that had dynamite stored in it.We went to a neighbor that had a phone and called the Sherriff's department and they took 1 stick out and made us stand far away and lit it.Loud bang but no damage so they took a pipe and put a stick in it with a long fuse and piled old lumber on top of it and lit it.Huge bang and plenty of destruction.Lesson learned is when you contain an explosive it exponentially becomes 10-20 times worse.
I will NEVER use a primer tube ever again as it will make the explosion worse as it tries to contain it.
Ridgetop, your saying the lee hand primer tool had one go off on you? what was the damage? this is currently what I use. thanks! super sorry for this guy wow! i know a man that lost 3 fingers but I need to ask him the details!
If you get rid of the rug you won't have anything to vacuum the spilled powder and couple primers you dropped out of...........
A guy I used to shoot with blew his old Kirby up badly doing just that LOL. His wife was not impressed.
Hugnot
Well-Known Member
Grounding - Don't stand on carpet - skating your way to your loading zone on carpet on a cold dry day will build up a big charge of static electricity (great jumping electrons) that would create a visible and tactile spark (snap). This might be in the several hundred or more volt level. Plastics and fur store electrical charges better than metals, cats know this.
A grounding strap or mat may be used and would be grounded. The nearest ground would be the ground in an electrical outlet. Before sticking wires into electrical outlets the integrity of the outlet needs to be tested, like hot OK, neutral OK, & ground OK. A grounding mat can made from a copper/aluminum screen & connected to the ground using a 3 prong plug that has the hot & neutral prongs removed. Just be sure the ground plug is actually contacting a good ground in the electrical outlet. The grounding mat may also be connected to metal plumbing or a grounding rod (safer).
Ready made to use grounding mats may be bought on-line from Amazon & others, Pics show grounding mat plugged into ground in wall outlet..
Electrical outlets can be damaged or improperly installed to allow the ground to be energized. I saw this when a heavy computer printer was dragged from its position before being unplugged from its electrical outlet. The connection was scrambled & the ground energized. Soon smoke curled up from the printer. Total $1.2 K loss, but think of periodic payments of $ mil to dependents/family over many years. Fortunately, nobody touched the device. I, not knowing much about practical electrial stuff, tripped the circuit breaker then pulled the power cord from the wall circuit. The guy who did this was a thick necked (forcefully stupid) management level guy. The point being, the grounding mat could also be energized should the wall circuit be compromised.
^^^ Don't suck up loading room debris with your Kirby.
A grounding strap or mat may be used and would be grounded. The nearest ground would be the ground in an electrical outlet. Before sticking wires into electrical outlets the integrity of the outlet needs to be tested, like hot OK, neutral OK, & ground OK. A grounding mat can made from a copper/aluminum screen & connected to the ground using a 3 prong plug that has the hot & neutral prongs removed. Just be sure the ground plug is actually contacting a good ground in the electrical outlet. The grounding mat may also be connected to metal plumbing or a grounding rod (safer).
Ready made to use grounding mats may be bought on-line from Amazon & others, Pics show grounding mat plugged into ground in wall outlet..
Electrical outlets can be damaged or improperly installed to allow the ground to be energized. I saw this when a heavy computer printer was dragged from its position before being unplugged from its electrical outlet. The connection was scrambled & the ground energized. Soon smoke curled up from the printer. Total $1.2 K loss, but think of periodic payments of $ mil to dependents/family over many years. Fortunately, nobody touched the device. I, not knowing much about practical electrial stuff, tripped the circuit breaker then pulled the power cord from the wall circuit. The guy who did this was a thick necked (forcefully stupid) management level guy. The point being, the grounding mat could also be energized should the wall circuit be compromised.
^^^ Don't suck up loading room debris with your Kirby.
I agree with the above sentiments about if it dont "feel right" STOP. I will be slowing down and paying more attention. Nothing to do with what caused it but, other have pointed out that, that is a plain aluminum tube. I had to go check my 550 and 450 tubes, they are aluminum, but get inserted into a steel tube, and the actual priming happens away from the bottom of the tube. So I feel safe in that way. Listening to others say how little debris it took I am amazed. I have had a kernel of corn cob media find its way from the plate into the cup and when I look at my bulk reloads find little dents from seating with it in the cup, plus with the occasional upside down one. I boggles my mind I have never had one pop.
There is another aspect I dont think has been mentioned. Speed. I dont push my "550" to get 550 reloads in one hour, more like 200-250 because I only have one primer tube for each size. And refilling with the primer pick up tube from the flip tray one at a time takes a min. But the faster you go the less gentle you are with that primer, I always come to a stop when the primer starts to seat and ease it in. It disrupts the flow a bit but.....
There is another aspect I dont think has been mentioned. Speed. I dont push my "550" to get 550 reloads in one hour, more like 200-250 because I only have one primer tube for each size. And refilling with the primer pick up tube from the flip tray one at a time takes a min. But the faster you go the less gentle you are with that primer, I always come to a stop when the primer starts to seat and ease it in. It disrupts the flow a bit but.....
Baker Alvin
Well-Known Member
Never rush a primer, I've had the odd upside down as well. Use Dillon 550, Hornady single stage with primer feed, Lee Hand and
the current I've moved to is RCBS style pictured, last style for tube filling is the Primal Rights Inc tube filler, still in box
