Ever wonder what happens when 100 primers go boom in your press?

[alec.mc 180]

Glad to hear you are OK. Guess the outer primer tube housing did its job. A very scary occurance. All the more reason to keep extra primers and powder stored safely away.

 

I would note the lot number of the primers somewhere. Not wishing any more bad luck, but a little prudence would suggest going slow with the rest of that lot. With today's crazy pressure to produce, a QC issue is a definite possibility here. Would not be the first time a bunch with sensitive anvils made it out of the factory.

 

Exactly, The outer tube did it's job. The inner tube is obviously much smaller in diameter then the heavy walled outer. I had to beat the inner tube out with a hammer and punch because it ruptered and expaned so much. The outer tube didnt budge though.

 

You probably stroke too hard for those soft primers

 

giggity!

 

 

 

Holy smokes!

 

How are your ears?

 

What? Come again?

[Old Glock guy 1,127]

Glad that you're OK.

 

Your experience re-affirms my decision not to reload!

[alec.mc 180]

Glad that you're OK.

 

Your experience re-affirms my decision not to reload!

 

 

By all means, this was probably a worst case random fluke thing to happen. I dont intend to frighten anybody away from reloading. This was a big failure and everything held together just fine, no real injury, press did its job. Had some powder burn residual on my thumb, which is 100% fine now, and had to throw away my underwear. No big deal.

 

I've loaded probably 15k-20k rounds through this press the exact same way with hardly an issue, other reloads out there have probably loaded billon and billons of rounds of ammo without a hiccup.

 

Just bad luck on my part probably, though - I am blaming last nights Full Moon!

[ryan_j 0]

Glad you're ok. Hope that doesn't discourage you from reloading!

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

Alec:

 

Glad you're OK. I'm sure that Dillon will make good - not so sure about Hanes.

 

Adios,

 

Pizza Bob

[Steve_G 51]

Any holes in the ceiling?

 

What a waste of perfectly good primers.

[Melgamatic 66]

I guess this is finally the evidence I need to wear safety goggles when doing progressive reloading. If I hadn't seen the pictures, and heard from someone I "know" I wouldn't have believed it, but there it is. Thanks for the warning!

[JonF 79]

It certainly does reinforce the point (And not targeting anyone here, but serves as a stark reminder) of why its important to use proper safety equipment while reloading. Why anyone would choose to NOT wear safety glasses while reloading is, to be quite frank, dumb, even despite the evidence here of what are some of the more extreme circumstances. You're dealing with flammables, explosives, projectiles and parts under extreme pressure which, to put it scientifically and politely, is a recipe for massive potential energy release. Even though the process of reloading, just as the process of firing a gun itself is safe as long as you observe proper safety precautions, when shit does happen, it can be potentially catastrophic. Whether you're talking a KABOOM'D gun or a kaboom'd press, you don't want to be caught on the business end of either with your proverbial "pants down".

[Clintoon Eastwood 2]

Good to know you are ok.

 

Are you trying to scare me not to buy a dillon press?

[JackDaWack 2,895]

 

 

The primer I was seating was the first to set off I think .

 

Crazy how the spark was able to jump from primer to primer in the primer disc plate and up the primer tube.

I honestly would never think that could happen. I never looked at the primer apparatus on the Dillion but On the hornady it isolates the primer from the tube, it has a sliding arm instead of a rotating loader that closes everything off. The risk is still there and if it goes off while loading the whole shell holder could be ejected upward.

[JonF 79]

The intensity of the flame that a primer produces during ignition is called brisance and is more potent than many people realize. Below is a link to a test of various rifle primers but tout can get an idea of the amount of flame produced by such a little item.

 

http://www.6mmbr.com/PrimerPix.html

[NJKen 23]

I had one go off on me while hand priming and it scared the shit out of me. I could not imagine what 100 would sound like! One was load as hell and made my wife run away. Since that happened I started to weak safety glasses while reloading and I would recommend it to all. Dont let this scare you or anyone away from reloading though, I am sure it is still far more dangerous to get into your car and drive anywhere than to reload.

Ken

[Sht 3]

Glad your ok, sucks about the primers. As others have said I've got to get back into the habit of gloves & glasses.

[Maksim 1,504]

Glad you are ok Alec.

 

This is a dillon design issue I tlooks like. The hornady only shuffles in 1 primer at a time. The only issue I saw on hornady was a chain blow up from static. .... and the blast shield helps.

 

Hopefully dillon takes care of you. Was it a 550 or 650?

 

You can c9me reload on my lock n load any time if you want bud

 

Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[Guest]

I am wondering if it was a bad batch of primers?

[Sig226GuyNJ 128]

Wow.... Glad you're ok.

[M4BGRINGO 139]

Arg, there she blows matey! Now you see why I pay Nick to reload my stuff. Glad you're ok, that crap does make me nervous. I plan on reloading 7mm Magnum but I will be using a single stage press, certainly won't need to reload a bunch of them like we do with the handgun stuff. What a waste of hard to find Federal primers................

[kotkot 26]

Wow, thanks for reminder on safety glasses... I've been feeling too safe recently...

 

Let us know pls on how dillon handles this.

 

 

[alec.mc 180]

Well today I got a little package from dillon with all the parts I listed I needed, all via the email I sent back when it happened. Took a while, but dillon is great on their warranty.

[ronhonda 86]

Well today I got a little package from dillon with all the parts I listed I needed, all via the email I sent back when it happened. Took a while, but dillon is great on their warranty.

And that is why you buy Dillon.

Written while sipping my blue kool-aid.

[raz-0 1,259]

It wasnt a sequential bunch of explosions lighting off each primer, but 1 big ass boom.

 

I wasnt doing anything out of the ordinary, happened on the up stroke when seating a primer. Happened very fast.

 

Just a small burn on my right hand that was nearest to it all, and some brown stains in my shorts.

 

I sent dillon an email just earlier explaining the story and a list of parts that I need.

 

 

You are far from the first Dillon owner with a chain fire of primers that I have heard of.  It's all been 650 users, and pretty much all of them weren't doing anything blatantly stupid. I do wonder what causes it though

[alec.mc 180]

Well... as much as I like dillon, I've got to bump this thread.

 

 

It's happened again , and i'm getting sick of this.

 

Looks like it was a primer that went in a little sidewise/cockeyed somehow,or the primer pocket was deformed?.... ignited, and lit the entire tube off.... This time, it was probably only 60-70 primers, but regardless.

 

Was wearing short sleeves this time, so my arm is burning a little bit - but nothing visable to show besides a few specs here and there.

 

.... Does the 1050 have this issue ?

 

 

 

 

[njJoniGuy 2,131]

Was it those (soft) Federal Large Pistol primers again?

[alec.mc 180]

Was it those (soft) Federal Large Pistol primers again?

 

Yes. Federal Large Pistol Primers

[djg0770 481]

This not happen with Shitty Wolf Primers.

[njJoniGuy 2,131]

Obviously, these softer primers are just not compatible with your progressive setup.

Either use primers with a harder cup (like CCI for example) in your Dillon or handprime the brass (I like the RCBS priming tool myself) and skip that step on the Dillon (not really feasible if you're depriming as part of station 1).

 

As someone with no hairs left on his arm once said "Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me."

[Heavyopp 167]

again... You the Dillon blowing master

 

did you crap your pants this time

 

glad you're ok

[alec.mc 180]

Obviously, these softer primers are just not compatible with your progressive setup.

Either use primers with a harder cup (like CCI for example) in your Dillon or handprime the brass (I like the RCBS priming tool myself) and skip that step on the Dillon (not really feasible if you're depriming as part of station 1).

 

As someone with no hairs left on his arm once said "Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me."

 

That'd be fine and dandy, except the only thing my competition revolvers will light off is federal. So i'm stuck using them.

 

 

again... You the Dillon blowing master

 

did you crap your pants this time

 

glad you're ok

 

No #2 in the pants this time, I'm like a seasoned solider getting used to all the explosions. 

[Heavyopp 167]

you already de-prime before cleaning -- hand priming isn't that unreasonable

 

as you know -- I prefer it

[njJoniGuy 2,131]

That'd be fine and dandy, except the only thing my competition revolvers will light off is federal. So i'm stuck using them.

Then it sounds like your only choice is to hand prime the brass for these particular weapons.

Not an unheard-of necessity for competition shooters who have issues that plinkers don't.

You've gotten lucky twice not to get seriously injured.

Do you really want to press your luck?