What a thrill!

baddarryl · September 11, 2016, 04:27 PM

Wow. I shot my first reloads today. 9mm 115gr plated with 4.5 gr of Win 231 and CCI 500 primers. Very accurate and cycled my G19 perfectly. We did have one primer fail to ignite, but that was the very first round loaded in my wife's Glock 19 so who knows. I dropped a few primers on the ground in the loading process. Can that mess them up? Looking forward to buying almost no factory ammo in the future. How cool to roll my own!

nhyrum · September 11, 2016, 04:36 PM

I wouldn't know about dropped primers getting contaminated. Since even match primers are cheap if they get dropped, they get the vacuum.

Reloading is fun and rewarding!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Nick_C_S · September 11, 2016, 04:46 PM

Quote:

they get the vacuum.

Seriously? You vacuum up primers? Uh, kaboom!!?

Anyway, I've dropped quite a few primers in my day and picked them up with tweezers (and NOT with a vacuum) and used them without problem. Now if they fell into something (oil or some other crud), I wouldn't use them.

On the one that failed to ignite, did you try to fire it again? Usually they'll go off if stabbed a second time. If not, it's probably best to just pull it and move on. Make sure you're seating them nice n deep. They're designed to be somewhat "compressed" into the primer pocket. By far, the number one reason why a primer fails to ignite is that it wasn't seated firmly.

At any rate, it's great to hear you enjoyed your time shooting your own crafted ammo. Feels good; doesn't it. I like your bullet/powder combination, btw - you did well.

**Unclenick** · September 11, 2016, 05:15 PM

Baddarryl,

Welcome to the hobby.

Nhyrum,

As suggested by another board member, put a screen over the end of your vaccuum hose so it picks up the primers, but can't swallow them. You then pick them off and put them in a box. Some vacuums pass the dust through their turbine blades, and that can set them off, and has.

603Country · September 11, 2016, 06:56 PM

I don't vacuum live primers or gunpowder, if I can avoid it. My shop vac is full of sawdust and shavings. Nothing good can come of that combination.

Longshot4 · September 11, 2016, 07:58 PM

What process do you use for seating primers?
If the primers aren't seated fully that could result in not firing.
Are you able to feel your primers seat?
Do you check to make sure they are flush or below the head stamp?

baddarryl · September 11, 2016, 08:50 PM

I use the Lee Classic Turret press. I did check them and I thought they all appeared flush. On looking at this one I realize it is not. It protrudes sightly. This were the first loads I ever did and did struggle with the Primer Arm as indicated in another thread. Some thing to pay attention to. Thanks.

lamarw · September 11, 2016, 09:12 PM

I think you found the problem. Congrats of your reloading. I can recall back to the 1970's when I reloaded my first in both shotgun and rifle ammunition. I was pretty dang proud of myself.

I sweep up primers all the time. Never had a problem with them not going off. They are easier to pick out of a dust pan than off the floor.

I reload when I feel the notion, and don't when I am not into it. You want to be in the mood for placing your full attention to the job. I don't reload if I have something else on my mind or bothered by other thoughts.

Now, what is the next caliber you plan on reloading?

JeepHammer · September 12, 2016, 09:59 AM

Congratulations Darryl!
I like the 'Gadget' end of things, the mechanical process.
Not a fun as shooting, but you can do it in all weather any time you have a little 'Down' time.

As for a primer that didn't do its job, you will have that once in a while...
Even in factory loaded ammunition.
It's easy to dislodge an anvil in the primer and not have I go off on the first try,
You can also get a 'Short Cup' where the primer doesn't seat fully, and the strike just seats it fully but doesn't set it off.
There are other things that will keep a primer from doing its job...

Glad to hear everything went well, and you are happy with the results.
Welcome to the madness that is reloading!

baddarryl · September 12, 2016, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Now, what is the next caliber you plan on reloading?

.223 the either .30/06 Springfield or .308 depending on what flavor my Garand arrives in.

T. O'Heir · September 12, 2016, 12:39 PM

"...Can that mess them up?..." Not unless you drop 'em in oil(water does nothing at all) and even then it's unlikely.
"...Uh, kaboom!!?..." Not likely. Takes a fair bit of smack to set one off. Nothing in a vacuum bag to cause it anyway. Doesn't 'kaboom' either. Loud crack though.
Even if a live round gets into a lit fire place, not much really terrible happens. Loudish crack and not much else. Bit louder than a pine log cracking. The bullet goes nowhere.
No tweezers required either. Your fingers are not going to get blown off just by picking one up.

Nick_C_S · September 12, 2016, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Your fingers are not going to get blown off just by picking one up.

I don't use tweezers for safety. I use tweezers to mitigate the possibility of contamination - I don't want my skin oils on the primer. I never touch primers with my bare hands. Whenever I prime brass (Lee Auto-Prime), I always have a pair of tweezers handy for handling the primers.

mrdaputer · September 12, 2016, 06:30 PM

Welcome baddarryl your going to love it here I am sure you have searched the forums and have a lot more reading to do. I will just say be safe.

849ACSO · September 12, 2016, 07:14 PM

Quote:

I don't use tweezers for safety. I use tweezers to mitigate the possibility of contamination - I don't want my skin oils on the primer. I never touch primers with my bare hands. Whenever I prime brass (Lee Auto-Prime), I always have a pair of tweezers handy for handling the primers.

I think that theory has been tested and de-bunked. I seem to recall reading somewhere that some gun writer type had done all sorts of things to primers and didn't have any fail...........

I handle primers with my hands all of the time, especially when loading rifle, as I do those one at a time.

I am shooting 3-4 year old stuff sometimes, and never had one fail.

Any-how, tweeze away brother, if that's your preferred method.

BTW, good job baddaryl! 2nd best hobby I ever picked up, right behind making empty cases to be reloaded.

Damon555 · September 12, 2016, 08:08 PM

It's a great hobby to enjoy along with shooting.....I can't imagine why someone wouldn't reload if they love to shoot.....If you live in your own home and can set up a safe area to reload you might want to give it a shot. The feeling of accomplishment that the OP feels is a wonderful thing....We can all vouch for that.

briandg · September 13, 2016, 06:57 PM

There is one question that comes to mind. Did you accidentally pick up and load a used primer?

I doubt it, but if you aren't completely positive about your answer, it indicates that you aren't paying close enough attention to the work.

In fact, I can't imagine someone going through the entire process and not noticing used primer, but some very strange things have happened.

Nick_C_S · September 14, 2016, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Did you accidentally pick up and load a used primer?

It happens. I have a friend (seriously, it was not me) who did this. We then had a conversation about his loading routine, processes, etc.

briandg · September 14, 2016, 03:14 PM

I'm sure that it does happen. It would be simple to pick one up in any situation and accidentally work it into the priming device. I believe that nobody is so fastidious that they don't have a used primer floating around on their bench or floor on occasion, and it wouldn't be that far away to drop a live one and mistake a dead one for the lost one. There should be a whole lot of checks and balances, however, that would keep it from going into the chamber of a gun. I personally have at least three. First, I check the box as it is opened, I load them into the tray and when closed, I verify that every one of the primers is bright and new, I try to look at every casing head to verify this as they are being primed, and If I forget that, I still always feel the thing with my index finger to verify that one went in. In any case, you'll notice if the primer wasn't inserted by lack of pressure.

Last step is boxing them up. Bullets down in a rack. Once you are there, you're finished.

There shouldn't be any rounds at all in your entire kit that isn't complete. Dummies should be left with empty primer pockets.

A while back after several rounds of sorting I put a .380 case into my 9mm resize die. I'm not really sure how it happened, but that's as far as it got. There were at least a half dozen steps after that that would have showed the error.

briandg · September 14, 2016, 03:22 PM

I've always believed that reloading can be made nearly 100% safe. This isn't like typing a novel or playing a piano. It is a purely mechanical process. Use proper data and materials and equipment. Set up a process that gives you a clear, solid set of checks. If every set of checks is done every time, the process shouldn't fail.

In theory, a factory load should always be perfect mechanically. There may be failures to fire, or other problems, but in theory, it should always have a primer andbullet, they should be inserted properly, the charge should be correct, and it should chamber properly.

Even machines can have breakdowns, remember that.

September 11, 2016, 04:27 PM	#1
baddarryl Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2011 Location: Cape Fear! Posts: 1,683	What a thrill! Wow. I shot my first reloads today. 9mm 115gr plated with 4.5 gr of Win 231 and CCI 500 primers. Very accurate and cycled my G19 perfectly. We did have one primer fail to ignite, but that was the very first round loaded in my wife's Glock 19 so who knows. I dropped a few primers on the ground in the loading process. Can that mess them up? Looking forward to buying almost no factory ammo in the future. How cool to roll my own!

September 11, 2016, 05:15 PM	#4
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	Baddarryl, Welcome to the hobby. Nhyrum, As suggested by another board member, put a screen over the end of your vaccuum hose so it picks up the primers, but can't swallow them. You then pick them off and put them in a box. Some vacuums pass the dust through their turbine blades, and that can set them off, and has. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

September 12, 2016, 12:39 PM	#11
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...Can that mess them up?..." Not unless you drop 'em in oil(water does nothing at all) and even then it's unlikely. "...Uh, kaboom!!?..." Not likely. Takes a fair bit of smack to set one off. Nothing in a vacuum bag to cause it anyway. Doesn't 'kaboom' either. Loud crack though. Even if a live round gets into a lit fire place, not much really terrible happens. Loudish crack and not much else. Bit louder than a pine log cracking. The bullet goes nowhere. No tweezers required either. Your fingers are not going to get blown off just by picking one up. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

September 13, 2016, 06:57 PM	#16
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	There is one question that comes to mind. Did you accidentally pick up and load a used primer? I doubt it, but if you aren't completely positive about your answer, it indicates that you aren't paying close enough attention to the work. In fact, I can't imagine someone going through the entire process and not noticing used primer, but some very strange things have happened. __________________ None.

September 14, 2016, 03:14 PM	#18
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	I'm sure that it does happen. It would be simple to pick one up in any situation and accidentally work it into the priming device. I believe that nobody is so fastidious that they don't have a used primer floating around on their bench or floor on occasion, and it wouldn't be that far away to drop a live one and mistake a dead one for the lost one. There should be a whole lot of checks and balances, however, that would keep it from going into the chamber of a gun. I personally have at least three. First, I check the box as it is opened, I load them into the tray and when closed, I verify that every one of the primers is bright and new, I try to look at every casing head to verify this as they are being primed, and If I forget that, I still always feel the thing with my index finger to verify that one went in. In any case, you'll notice if the primer wasn't inserted by lack of pressure. Last step is boxing them up. Bullets down in a rack. Once you are there, you're finished. There shouldn't be any rounds at all in your entire kit that isn't complete. Dummies should be left with empty primer pockets. A while back after several rounds of sorting I put a .380 case into my 9mm resize die. I'm not really sure how it happened, but that's as far as it got. There were at least a half dozen steps after that that would have showed the error. __________________ None.

September 11, 2016, 04:36 PM	#2
nhyrum Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2016 Posts: 588	I wouldn't know about dropped primers getting contaminated. Since even match primers are cheap if they get dropped, they get the vacuum. Reloading is fun and rewarding! Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

September 11, 2016, 06:56 PM	#5
603Country Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: Thornton, Texas Posts: 3,998	I don't vacuum live primers or gunpowder, if I can avoid it. My shop vac is full of sawdust and shavings. Nothing good can come of that combination.

September 11, 2016, 07:58 PM	#6
Longshot4 Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2014 Posts: 868	What process do you use for seating primers? If the primers aren't seated fully that could result in not firing. Are you able to feel your primers seat? Do you check to make sure they are flush or below the head stamp?

September 11, 2016, 08:50 PM	#7
baddarryl Senior Member Join Date: March 29, 2011 Location: Cape Fear! Posts: 1,683	I use the Lee Classic Turret press. I did check them and I thought they all appeared flush. On looking at this one I realize it is not. It protrudes sightly. This were the first loads I ever did and did struggle with the Primer Arm as indicated in another thread. Some thing to pay attention to. Thanks.

September 11, 2016, 09:12 PM	#8
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	I think you found the problem. Congrats of your reloading. I can recall back to the 1970's when I reloaded my first in both shotgun and rifle ammunition. I was pretty dang proud of myself. I sweep up primers all the time. Never had a problem with them not going off. They are easier to pick out of a dust pan than off the floor. I reload when I feel the notion, and don't when I am not into it. You want to be in the mood for placing your full attention to the job. I don't reload if I have something else on my mind or bothered by other thoughts. Now, what is the next caliber you plan on reloading?

September 12, 2016, 09:59 AM	#9
JeepHammer Junior member Join Date: February 27, 2015 Posts: 1,768	Congratulations Darryl! I like the 'Gadget' end of things, the mechanical process. Not a fun as shooting, but you can do it in all weather any time you have a little 'Down' time. As for a primer that didn't do its job, you will have that once in a while... Even in factory loaded ammunition. It's easy to dislodge an anvil in the primer and not have I go off on the first try, You can also get a 'Short Cup' where the primer doesn't seat fully, and the strike just seats it fully but doesn't set it off. There are other things that will keep a primer from doing its job... Glad to hear everything went well, and you are happy with the results. Welcome to the madness that is reloading!

September 12, 2016, 06:30 PM	#13
mrdaputer Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2013 Posts: 493	Welcome baddarryl your going to love it here I am sure you have searched the forums and have a lot more reading to do. I will just say be safe.

September 12, 2016, 08:08 PM	#15
Damon555 Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2012 Posts: 384	It's a great hobby to enjoy along with shooting.....I can't imagine why someone wouldn't reload if they love to shoot.....If you live in your own home and can set up a safe area to reload you might want to give it a shot. The feeling of accomplishment that the OP feels is a wonderful thing....We can all vouch for that.

September 14, 2016, 03:22 PM	#19
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	I've always believed that reloading can be made nearly 100% safe. This isn't like typing a novel or playing a piano. It is a purely mechanical process. Use proper data and materials and equipment. Set up a process that gives you a clear, solid set of checks. If every set of checks is done every time, the process shouldn't fail. In theory, a factory load should always be perfect mechanically. There may be failures to fire, or other problems, but in theory, it should always have a primer andbullet, they should be inserted properly, the charge should be correct, and it should chamber properly. Even machines can have breakdowns, remember that. __________________ None.