Primers in carpet

[YTL424]

Does anyone know "first hand" of a primer detonatiing when sucked up in a vacuum cleaner.

I have heard a 100 stories but no first hand experiances.

I'm thinking of moving by reloading equipment into the house to my "Man Cave". When the Wife vacuums my room, the consequences of a primer going off in her vacuum cleaner would be bad fo me.

[mikld]

Perhaps I'm just lucky but the only place I had a primer pop is in a primer pocket in a gun (excepting my Lee Loader). I have vacuumed some up with a Dirt Devil, I've inadvertently stepped on a few, loaded an occasional primer backwards or sideways, and in 30+ years of playing with primers, powder and bullets, not one went off when it wasn't supposed to...

I too have heard all the warnings, but do not know anyone who experienced an OOPS! with primers...

[FITASC]

Maybe IF you are using a vac with the beater brush. If I have a spill, I use a shop vac. Secondly, put an office chair mat or area rug under your reloading spot and that should take care of it - either pick them up off the hard chair mat or take the area rug to the garage and recover them.

[dahermit]

Safest to use would be a Wet or Dry Shop Vac type (or the equivalent), of vacuum...the no blades or motor between the hose and container. Air is drawn out of the container which causes a partial vacuum in the hose, which draws debris into the container. The container having a larger volume than than the hose, the draft drops and the debris fall to the bottom of the container. If one is still worried, one can put the foam "belt" (intended for wet applications) around the motor and a primer could not get through (it would not get near the motor anyway), but running the Wet or Dry vacuum with the foam filter will plug it up soon in a dusty environment.

[turtlehead]

I have one primer unaccounted for somewhere in the carpet right now.

[lamarw]

Why not practice safety and vacuum your own room? Load your own and vacuum your own. I suspect your wife will not object.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

They do in a Kirby. Just ask my wife.

[firewrench044]

while watching TV with the wife ( in the living room )
I was priming cases with a Lee hand primer
I had an OOPS and primers went every where
OK fine I'll clean them up ( out of the carpet )
I put in a new vacuum cleaner bag ( so I could retrieve the primers )
Almost done and BOOM
A primer got between the aluminum vacuum cleaner housing and the
aluminum fan blade
blew a hole in the vacuum housing
1 out of 50 got caught just rite

The wife has a new vacuum cleaner
( she picked out the HI DOLLAR one )

6 years ago, and I will never hear the end of it
I am sure it will hear about it at my funeral

And I DO NOT do any loading procedures any
where but the MAN CAVE
( NO CARPET )

[Clark]

I have been asking as long as there have been www gun forums... How can I set off a primer with vacuum cleaner?

It seems to be like light loads detonation and pointed bullets in a tube feed. All worry and no data.

[Colorado Redneck]

Yeah, i had one detonate in the vacuum. Despite denial and contrary opinion, it happened when I was cleaning the Man Cave. Immediately hauled the vac outside, changed the bag. No bad outcome, but I don't recomend doing that. A smooth floor matt would help, but a primer can go clear across the room after it hits the floor.

[FrankenMauser]

Simple solution:
Don't drop primers in the carpet.


And if you do, vacuum it yourself.
Don't let the significant other have an opportunity for an, "I told you that S*@* was dangerous!"-moment.


Personally, I've vacuumed up probably 300-400 live primers in my time. None have detonated, whether I was using the dying Dirt Devil, the stupidly-expensive Shark, or the cheap 'Shop Vac'.

I do avoid the situation, though. My last reloading room had laminate flooring, and the current location has a concrete floor. No need for a vacuum. A broom does all the work.

[HiBC]

There is more than one design of vacuum.
and yes,the previously mentioned Kirby will set off primers.

I think its because the Kirby tried to be like a Shopsmith.Multiple tools driven by a powerhead.
The dirt and debris actually goes through the high speed turbo vanes.The turbine is upstream of the filter..Sucking up a penny would make a lot of racket.I don't know the RPM,but I'd guess in the zone of 10,000. Whack. And certainly there IS a possibility the dust in the bag could act like tinder with sparks and airflow.

Most other vacuums have the turbine and motor downstream of the filter.The primers would be filtered out before striking the turbine.
Beater brushes? I won't say its impossible for them to pop a primer,but it is less likely than a Kirby type turbine.

Shop type vacs just use vacuum,no brush.Air is filtered before it reaches the turbine.

[cecILL]

If you have to vacuum primers, put a piece of panty hose in the vacuum nozzle.

[MislMan]

When I start to reload at the bench I place a large towel (beach towel) on the floor to catch any falling items. The towel being fluffy catches things and cushions the fall with little or no bounce/movement/rolling. Then just pick up towel when finished and scoop up any dropped items.

[mrdaputer]

I also say shop vac and if you don't have one we will have to shave a few points off your man card

[briandg]

A whack by a soft rubber beater or the brush is really unlikely to set it off. Those things are meant to require not only impact but crushing pressure. Sure, it's probable that it can happen, especially if the thing has many, many hard obstruction in the path of air flow.

I believe that it is possible, but highly unlikely with most vacuums.

It's going to be real hard to pull them out of a loose carpet with just suction. if the carpet isn't something that it can fall into, the thing I would do is just turn the beater off. All of ours have a way to do thta.

[Unclenick]

I like The principle cecILL presented, only I would probably pick something that allows more air flow, like Nylon window screen. You could engage it to the end of a hose with rubber bands, or if you have enough taper in the connections, you might be able to put the screen over the hose, then the nozzle over it to hold it in place. The primers will be picked up and stay on the screen until you turn off of the power. Do that with the end pointed into your collection bucket. This way the primers never go through the machinery at all.

[T. O'Heir]

Should be reloading in your "Man Cave" already. And have indoor/outdoor carpeting, not shag.
There's nothing in a vacuum cleaner that will crush a primer with sufficient force to set it off. Probably is in the power head of a high priced machine like a Kirby. Really sad thing that all of us know what that is too. snicker.

[HiBC]

No,what is that,Oheir? snicker

[colbad]

I have had a .22 detonate when it got sucked up in the vacuum so I would expect a primer to do the same. The vacuum cleaner was an old style with the agitator brushes. The comments about the brushes not moving fast enough are not true. The brushes are attached to a metal thing that spins. I'm sure it was the metal thing that set it off. I did not even hear it go off, but smelled the distinctive odor of gun powder and found the spent case rattling in the vacuum head. The loose shell did not have much power to damage anything but it defiantly went off.

[Hammerhead]

I've vacuumed my share, but my small canister vac has no beater and stuff goes straight into the paper bag. Pretty safe that way I hope, because there's plenty of powder in the carpet too.

[caz223]

I got a wet/dry vac with a HEPA filter, a drywall dust bag, and a dust deputy cyclone separator, and 300 feet of hose.
Sometimes I don't want to be the guy that has to pee on the electric fence to learn something new.
I can hear primers hit and rattle for a second when they hit the steel cyclone.
I hope they are just spent ones.......
Now I worry about the static setting them off.
I'll be back in a minute, I gotta empty the cyclone......

[robert1804]

Definitely popped a CCI SP a few days ago with a kirby. The sound, followed by the smell were proof. Kirby's are merciless.

[microgun]

Hahahaha...no but that might get the cleaning lady moving. Wsy back in high school my buddys mom sucked up a live 22 round while vacuming and it blew a hole in the vacume. Mamma wasent happy

[Pathfinder45]

What cecILL said in post#13.......It's like Hints from Heloise....