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n00b question: re-seating primer
KSUmarksman
Member Posts: 10,705 ✭✭✭
I am almost embarassed to ask this question, but I am a newbie at reloading.
I started priming some .45 ACP and one of the first cases I primed looks like the primer did not seat flush with the case. Should I just put it back in the priming tool and apply some more pressure or leave as is.
Odds are I simply did not push it in far enough the first time, I cleaned out the primer pocket so it was probably not a physical impediment.
I started priming some .45 ACP and one of the first cases I primed looks like the primer did not seat flush with the case. Should I just put it back in the priming tool and apply some more pressure or leave as is.
Odds are I simply did not push it in far enough the first time, I cleaned out the primer pocket so it was probably not a physical impediment.
Comments
However;
PLEASE NEVER MAKE THE MISTAKE I MADE IN 1982.
I was reloading 9MM in the basement. My eldest son John, then a few months old was behind me in a cradle.
On final inspection I found a few high primers on a loaded rounds. It was surplus MM 44 head stamped brass with very heavy military crimps. I thought I had removed the crimps sufficiently to allow proper seating of the primers, I was wrong.
I found several rounds that had primers above flush when completing the loading of the 1,000 rounds needed for the weekend. I re-seated five or six high primers with no problem. Unfourtunately, the next one I tried to seat was sticking, I applied more pressure and it went BANG in my hand, 18" from my face.
I was deaf, I squeezed my eyes shut in utter shock feeling a burning sensation in my eyes. My head was ringing like a bell from the concussion of the blast next to my face.
As I slowly gained some semblance of consciousness again I turned in my chair fearing my son was hurt; he was OK; startled and whining but uninjured. I stood up and fully opened my eyes, they were burning and had powder flakes in them. The remnants of the case head was still in the RCBS priming tool. Not much was left of the case. It was simply gone.
I still have the case head in my gun tool drawer as a reminder.
I looked in astonishment at the brass sticking into the Formica counter top of the reloading bench. As I looked up I saw a perfect keyhole in the ceiling from the bullet, that scared me; my wife was up there in the living room.
I was utterly deaf from the blast.
As I took stock of what had happened, still in shock and deaf, I looked down at my foot as it seemed to be getting cold. It was bright red on top of my white sock from leaking blood.
That sure as hell woke me up. I unbottoned my shirt to find a small problem.
Some of the case had hit me in the guts and I was bleeding like a stuck pig. I hollered for my wife; she came bursting down the stairs worried sick about her son and husband. Seeing me covered in blood did not help her mental state. She ran to our son and grasped him in her arms crying. I told her I was hit, not John. She looked at me in confusion and declared that we were going to the hospital in my truck not her car. She did not want blood all over the seat.
We went to the hospital where a doctor sliced and diced for some time into my right abdominal area. He finally delcared that he could not remove all the brass visible on the xray. I asked how much he got; he said; NONE, thanks doctor!
At 49 years of age I still have the scar and the brass from that experience.
LESSON LEARNED???????
DO NOT SEAT HIGH PRIMERS ON LIVE ROUNDS.
BTW. I am using a Lee autoprime (the hand-held) and already read somewhere that you never ever ever ever re-seat the primer on a loaded round, which is why I asked if I need to re-seat before I went further.
thanks everyone, I just re-seat the primer.
BTW. I am using a Lee autoprime (the hand-held) and already read somewhere that you never ever ever ever re-seat the primer on a loaded round, which is why I asked if I need to re-seat before I went further.
KSU; I grew up at 2810 Lovers Lane Ravenna OH. This is, indeed; a very small world.
On the other hand, if it is an empty and you have to force it a bit, the worst that happens is the primer goes off in the empty case. No biggie. I had this happen once or twice. It stung my hand a tad but didn't even burn, no worse than having a small firecracker go off when you haven't had time to throw it yet, in fact not as bad.