Small primer .45 -> BANG

[stemoo01]

I was making a couple boxes of .45 on the Dillon, go to seat the primer and BANG!

Upon investigation the case was one of those pesky small primer types. Normally the whole lip of the large primer rests against the case so you can't push the handle forward. In this instance one side of the primer had gone in small hole, so as the handle was pressed forward the other side flattened out against the base of the case & exploded.

I wonder if the case wasn't completely in the station, allowing for the edge of the primer to slip in one side? Either way I'd like to avoid this in future.

Have you seen this before? Any advice beyond hand sorting the brass before starting?

 

[orbitup]

Are your ears still ringing?

I've run across a few of those but haven't popped a primer...yet.

 

[robertc1024]

I use a manual primer and was cruising along then one just didn't feel right - I was really squeezing the handle and decided enough was enough - Yep small primer on Speer brass. Mine didn't go off but I always sort .45's by primer size now. I don't see how you can get around it.

 

[stemoo01]

Are your ears still ringing?

I've run across a few of those but haven't popped a primer...yet.

Concrete walled echo chamber apartment didn't help, yeah it was damn loud, wistle in my left ear for a good 10 mins.

 

[ROGER4314]

I've jammed up a few times but haven't set one off in many years.

I love to sort brass and for a long time bought a lot of once fired range brass. Baking pans from the 99 cent store are all arranged around the work area and the process is blazing fast!

The small primer .45 acp brass used to end up in the trash but now, I have a special container for them. God forbid but they may come in handy some day.

Flash

 

[Bozz10mm]

I set one off many years ago when all I had was a Lee Loader. The one that you use a hammer to set the primer. Scared the tar out of me. Bought the hand primer.

 

[rsayloriii]

I set one off many years ago when all I had was a Lee Loader. The one that you use a hammer to set the primer. Scared the tar out of me. Bought the hand primer.

I did the same thing... Small primer and the Lee loader. Deafened for quite a bit.

 

[Deavis]

Sorting them is the best way, but even then a few might get past you as your eyes tire. Using a loading tray is supposed to help, never tried that myself.

 

[Winger Ed.]

[QUOTE=stemoo01;1262411 Have you seen this before?



Darn interesting.
I've been reloading since the early 1980's. I do rifle stuff in increments of 100,
and handgun calibres in increments of 1,000. I've never encountered a small primer .45ACP.

I used to shoot about 4-5,000 of them a year, I'd save & scrounge brass from all over,
but never saw one with a Small Primer.

The only thing I can recomend is when you're seating primers, learn to 'feel' them,
and make that about the most important step of the reloading process.

That way you can sort out the worn out brass when they drop in too easily,
and those that don't feel 'normal' or too tight.

 

[stemoo01]

I have noted a variation in the pressure required to seat primers, but this one simply felt a little stiff, not the usual stop of a small primer case.

I've got 20 or so Case's floating around, all of it looks to be blazer. The RO's at the range I goto kindly sweep my brass into a pile for me so I occasionally get a little of someone else's.

My guess is someone was shooting small primer blazer, hence the recent spike.

 

[Younggun]

I've had quite a few primers crush during seating. Mostly while trying to work through some federal primers that my press doesn't like.

Never had one go off before.

Have heard a few pops while vacuuming around the bench a while back.

 

[Dawico]

I haven't had one pop either. Crushed quite a few on cases that had crimped in primers though.

 

[Crtsharris]

Wish they would make a standard large or switch to small primer! Pain in the butt sorting brass based on primer size but there is no choice. I sort and put the small number of small primer cases in a ziploc bag and load those cases first before I switch out to the large primer assembly. Another contributing factor is that I believe that 45 ACP large primer cases take a lot more force to seat and if a small primer case slips by my sorting, the chance of crushing and exploding that primer goes way up! Hope it never happens to me and that the primer chute doesn't chain react and explode!!

 

[stemoo01]

After having one go pop I dread to think what would happen if a full primer tube went up.

Wouldn't be pretty.

 

[Younggun]

After having one go pop I dread to think what would happen if a full primer tube went up.

Wouldn't be pretty.

Happened to my dad when he was younger.


He got evicted from his apartment.

 

[1slow01Z71]

I just shoot all 9mm now so I don't have that problem lol

My primer size sorting for 45 usually happens on the press when the primer wont seat. Odd that it was able to seat off-center. Dillon 550?

 

[stemoo01]

Yeah 550, my sister was actually running it & occasionally she'd not quite fully push the brass into the carrier. Not sure if that was the case on that round, and I'd expect the resizing die to center it, but its all I can think of.

 

[1slow01Z71]

If the little wire isn't set just right it wont keep the brass into the shellholder right and can cause problems. Many times I have to wiggle it a hair to make the primer seat well. I could see how you could get it a little offcenter pretty easy.

 

[shortround]

It is a rather common problem when CCI/Federal/ATK introduced small pistol primers into the .45 Auto cases about 12 years ago. Lots of folks did not get the word, and tried to shove large primers into small primer pockets.

I believe this began with CCI Blazer Brass cases.

I believe that Winchester, Remington, and off-shore manufacturers still load large pistol primers in their cases.

Be well.

 

[gdouthit]

This happened to me last week. My left ear is still ringing

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