What can happen when you attempt to reseat a primer on a loaded round...

[ed308]

Saw this on another forum. Don't think I'll be reseating any high primers on my 650 after watching this video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7jm...ature=youtu.be

[FrankenMauser]

Don't seat or 'reseat' primers after the case is charged. It's a simple concept.

And don't mess with rimfire cases in a reloading press. You're always working with the primer!

[MagnumWill]

Don’t consider yourself dumb if you have to use the bullet puller.

Consider yourself dumb for NOT using the bullet puller.

[higgite]

Interesting video, but a little dramatic, I thought. I was wondering how he made seated primers go off on demand by “reseating” them. Note the indentation in the primer at 2:32. He’s either using a small primer plunger on a large primer or he has modified the plunger, or both. But, it is a good illustration of how using the wrong or improperly adjusted equipment can lead to bad results.

[hounddawg]

Now lets see the maker of the video use a unmodified primer seating tool of the proper size get a primer to fire off. As Higgite pointed out the video does illustrate that using the wrong tool is dangerous and that a unsupported case being fired will explode

Anyone here ever have a primer do this during seating



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-t...er-danger.html

I have crushed one or two during my years when it went into the case sideways

[ed308]

I've reseated many loaded rounds on my press in the past. But now thinking some things don't go as planned or as they should. Common sense is now telling me it's not wise to try to reseat a high primer on a loaded round. Unloaded sure. But loaded, no.

[jmorris]

He did say “just might, keep someone from getting hurt.” Everyone has a choice.

I’ll admit to have reseated primers on loaded rounds before but I have done lots of stupid things in my life. I have never been killed by a 110 or 220 electrical shock but I also don’t intentionally expose myself to the risk to get hit by either.

Being older and more cautious these days, the risk isn’t worth the reward. I never had a primer kaboom on me now in 33 years of reloading but with my luck it would be on a loaded round.

I used to think you couldn’t kaboom a primer seating them, even crushed them flat in a bench vise to prove this to myself. I was over at a friends house around 10 years ago and he lit one off while I was working on another machine, so I know for sure it can happen. Lots of other photos and such if you search “primer kaboom”.

[JeepHammer]

I keep a collet bullet puller handy for my hand press for this very reason, sometimes progressives don't completely seat the primer, and with progressives, you don't get an inspection between primer seating powder functions.
I tear them down instead of trying to complete seating of the primer.

Takes 5 seconds to lock in the 'Tool Turret' in the old Lee 'Turret' hand press.
5 seconds is worth keeping my fingers & eyesight.

What a lot of people don't realize, powder gets through the flash hole, and if that powder cocks/compresses the anvil of the primer, you have a MUCH greater chance of a detonation.
I don't risk it, but I've seen it done, and I left when it happened. Didn't want to be the guy that had to dial 911...

[Nick_C_S]

I've reseated many loaded rounds on my press in the past.

Really? Whew. Please don't ever do it again.

Common sense is now telling me it's not wise to try to reseat a high primer on a loaded round.

It's not wise - to put it very mildly.

The chances of a detonation is rare. But the consequences are potentially severe. Aside from flying shrapnel, it would likely be harsh on the hearing.

I started loading at age 21, when I was ten feet tall and bullet proof. And even then, I knew better.

[Wag]

It just ain't worth it to save yourself $0.29 for components.

--Wag--

[mikld]

I would take the video with a grain of Bullseye. I don't think the operator was seating primers, but firing rounds outside of a chamber. While dramatic and an extreme "what could happen" video, I don't think it reflects real life. And no, I'm not advocating re-seating primers on live ammo. Just an observation...

(FWIW; I have re-seated primers on primed cases, once when I wanted to "pre-load" some primers in an experiment, and did 80 and had no pops, but again, I'm not saying anyone should attempt to re-seat primers on completed handloads).

[hounddawg]

Don't get me wrong I am all for safety and wear eye protection when seating primers but this video simply shows what happens when a round is fired outside a chamber. It has nothing to do with seating a primer

Other than when I was using a Lee "hammer" loader in the mid 70's I have never had a primer ignite when seating. Has anyone here ever had a primer ignite when using the proper size and unmodified seating tool ?

[T. O'Heir]

There's nothing in a primer seater that will cause a high primer to go bang. And it takes far more of a whack than a firm shove to set one off. Unless it's seated sideways.
"...an unsupported case being fired will explode..." Yep. He designed a way of proving his own point. Must work for the government. Don't get your education on YouTube.

[FrankenMauser]

Has anyone here ever had a primer ignite when using the proper size and unmodified seating tool ?

Yes.
1. Tool malfunction resulting in a slam.
2. Primer pocket with a ridge that caused the primer to 'hang and slam'.


...Plus a .22 WMR. But that's another story and none of the tools are/were "proper".

[hounddawg]

1. Tool malfunction resulting in a slam.

this made me curious so I put a primed case with no powder or bullet in my press, donned the safety goggles and a face shield, then and slammed that lever hard about 10 - 15 times with the primer seating arm in place. Primer had some scaring but it did not go bang till I put it in my rifle to see if it would still fire. It fired but odd thing was when it did the firing pin pierced the primer and I could see part of the anvil. Lesson learned, do not slam a primer seater as hard as you can multiple times

[RC20]

I would take the video with a grain of Bullseye. I don't think the operator was seating primers, but firing rounds outside of a chamber. While dramatic and an extreme "what could happen" video, I don't think it reflects real life. And no, I'm not advocating re-seating primers on live ammo. Just an observation...

Well put.

I got curious at what it would take to pop a primer off sans a bolt and spring.

You need a somewhat narrow object (nose of the firing pin!) and a good whack.

So while just not a good idea its not an issue either

[gwpercle]

I think that old boy rigged the test....I've been seating primers using a shell holder and press mounted priming tool for 50 years and not one has ever gone off....
Funny how every primer he puts in there goes bang....why is that ! Fake Test ?
I don't believe in Utubers...they Lie

[BigJimP]

Primers are $ 0.03 each if you're buying them in full boxes of 1,000 ( $ 30 in my area )....

so tring to seat a proud primer in a charged cartridge is really foolish in my view. ( use the bullet puller ...and think about your procedures that caused the issue in the first place... !! )

[jag2]

Been loading with the Lee hand primer, maybe 30 years and 10s of thousands and never set off a primer. A lot done while watching TV and not paying a lot of attention. A little over a year ago I started using a Dillon SD. First thing I noticed was there was no "feel" when seating the primer and I do occasionally find a high primer. Those I will put in my Lee tool and verrrry sloooowly and softly finish the seating. A little bit of risk involved? Probably so but I also could get rear ended on my way to the range but I choose to take that risk.

[NWPilgrim]

Extremely unlikely to set off a primer in a reloading press even with a small primer punch on a large primer. BUT, why take even a minuscule risk for a few pennies component? Never hesitate to use a bullet puller and deprimer to correct a mistake.

If I mess up a completed round I just "X" it with a sharpie and set it aside for after the reloading session. Any round with an "X" gets completely disassembled and reprocessed no matter the error. If an error happens before bullet seating then I dump the powder back in the hopper and reprocess. Errors are few and not worth risking any mixup or damage to equipment, me or firearm to save a few seconds and pennies.

Things learned from this video:
* Unsupported chamber is exciting
* Hollowpoints work better even without a chamber! Nice mushroom on that case.
* Explosions are always good for clickbait

[GeorgeandSugar]

Pull the bullet and dump the powder. Seems like the smart and safe way. Not worth getting hurt on a single round.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Reloadron]

gwpercle mentions:

I think that old boy rigged the test....I've been seating primers using a shell holder and press mounted priming tool for 50 years and not one has ever gone off....
Funny how every primer he puts in there goes bang....why is that ! Fake Test ?
I don't believe in Utubers...they Lie

I tend to think if we had a peek below the shell holder in the video we would likely find an electrically (maybe pneumatic but I would bet electrically) activated linear solenoid. Should that be true while the video shows what happens when a primer detonates in an unsupported case the scenario as done in the video is not likely to happen in a press or hand priming tool under normal conditions. The end moral I guess is respect the primer. Just another part of developing and applying good work habits when building ammunition.

Was the test "rigged"? I would have to say while rigged is a harsh word yeah, it was rigged. Only because it was not what we would call normal conditions.

Ron

[Nick_C_S]

I don't think the operator was seating primers, but firing rounds outside of a chamber.

Exactly.

He was not demonstrating how easy primers detonate. If that was anybody's take-away, they missed the point.

He was demonstrating what happens IF a primer detonates under those conditions. That was the point.

[RC20]

I think that old boy rigged the test....I've been seating primers using a shell holder and press mounted priming tool for 50 years and not one has ever gone off....

You can see a firing pin like device in there. A press does not have the rapidity of crush to fire a primer.

Install a barrel extra long sometime, you will not get the gun to fire but you will have a very nice dent in the primer.

All it showed was what happens to a round that is triggered in the open using some kind of sharp object if not a firing pin more like what I did with various objects.

Yes, I had heavy gloves on, face goggles, shield, plugs and ear muffs.

It took a sharp nail and a hard blow to get one to go off.

[David R]

I set one off that caused a chain reaction up the primer chute.

I also USED To press primers in a missed cartridge. Once the primer went off. The case blee apart, the bullet hit the ceiling over the press.
I think the primer went in sideways.

I no longer use that brand of press and if course never try to put a primer in a charged case.

David.