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primers crushed in case
peddler
Member Posts: 881 ✭✭✭✭
I reload pistol and revolver cartridges with a Dillon SDB progressive loader. Sometimes a primer will get turned 90 degress and be pressed into case. How dangerous is that, I have never had one go off yet and hope I don't. Thanks
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I had a primer tube go BOOM on a Dillon 1000 years ago. There were about 10-15 primers in the tube when it went. I pee'd my pants a bit when they popped, it was LOUD. The force bent the primer ram rod all to heck, shooting it up out of the machine but the outer steel tube held, the brass inner liner was ruined. The force blew the primer arm out of the machine, across the bench and did I mention I pee'd my pants a bit.
Steady movement of the handle reduces shock, shock is what sets off primers. I was cranking like a mad man getting a large order of 223 loaded.
Fix this and don't worry so much about popping a primer. While working on mine, I pushed quite a few primers in sidewise w/o a pop. Over the years, I've found that you have to do something pretty radical to a primer to make it pop. I've deprimed many that were upside down and the force of the depriming pin in the center of the primer-exactly like a firing pin but slow and steady-didn't fire a single one.
The old CH was out of time and the primer was sheared against the shellplate.
The other was a "ringer" on the Dillon. A case with the primer sealed in by corrosion such that the decapping pin just knocked out the anvil and top of the cup. The primer was sheared against the edges of the wall of the old primer.
I have seen primers upside down and edgewise with no detonation.
Just decap and start over.
The priming system is the weak point of progressive loaders. You are asking them to handle small explosive items on equipment made to a price point, not industrial reliability.
One or two edgewise primers out of 50 is way too many.
You need to adjust the primer feed so the cup comes up through the hole in the shellplate perfectly centered. If it snaps off the edge, that will flip the primer.
You may also need to replace the little plastic nozzle on the magazine tube. When it gets worn it can drop primers unevenly.
I had a LOT of difficulties with the primer feed before I finally got it squared away. In the end, all that frustration was caused by one worn part.
Now I know why you don't like Progressive reloaders .[:D] just wait until you get as old as me you can hear water running and pee in your pants a little bit every day [:I][:o)]
+1 I'll keep my Redding single stage. As the Beatles song goes........."I get by with a little help from Depends"....
I was wondering if something like that was happening, also wondering if the primers were turning sideways when loading them into the primer tube?
I have two SDB'S. One set for small and one for large primers. I found that if I put the plastic rod in the loading tube when loading the press tube thay don't turn at all. The little extra weight pushes them down stright [;)]
This is exactly why I went to hand priming my cases. I can't afford to go with a Dillon or other higher-end progressive, but the 1000 fit my $$. The priming was so often an issue I just got fed up with it.