Setting off a primer

[Acorn556]

I thought about reloading and had a friend say this happens. I'm wondering how often this happens, how it happens, how loud it is, and if it's ever happpened to anyone here. I couldn't find out too much addressing these few questions through searches.

[five.five-six]

I have popped primed brass (no bullet no powder) in a rifle it's prety loud. if one went off in a press, you would want eye protection on, there is a lot of power there

[Maltese Falcon]

Not the same situation, But I had some old primers given to me by someone who cleaned out their garage. I took one and whacked it with a hammer on the concrete to see if they were still good. Loud enough for me to skedaddle and lock up the garage quickly. For sure use eye protection...

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[kmca]

I've had one shotgun primer go off, in the 30 years I've been loading. No harm done, except it is pretty loud. Never had a pistol or rifle primer unintentionally ignite....knock on wood

[gunboat]

To answer the op directly --I think it is probably a rather infrequent accident. In the many years I have been reloading I have never set off a primer by accident while loading -- upside down, or cross wise, you bet, but never had one detonate. As a caveat, I do not use any auto priming devices just single station press and bench (lachmiller) or hand primers, Lee.RCBS or lyman 310. my ha-penny

[Sailormilan2]

I have been reloading now for 35+ years. I have used the RCBS Jr and Rock Chucker presses with their built in priming tool, hand held Lee priming tool, and currently use a Hornday Auto reloading with its automatic priming feed.
In that time, and with all those tools, I never have had a primer go off on me.

[NRAhighpowershooter]

25+ years of reloading..and I had 1 large rifle primer go off while priming in my Dillon650 last summer...

[Waldog]

I have been reloading for 40+ years with RCBS Rock Chucker built in priming tool, hand held tool, Hornady LNL progressive and MEC 9000 shot shell loaders. Never had a primer go off.

[dstiltner]

I have hand primed my brass with the Lee and RCBS tools and have never had one go off. I would not be worried about it any more than having factory ammo go KB. It can happen but not very likely.

[CSACANNONEER]

I haven't had it happen YET but, there is always a chance. Of course, there's always a chance that lightning will strike me or an Alligator will attack me in a Los Angeles area park.

[Air]

Never had it happen. I did set off a Percussion Cap once though on purpose, it's pretty loud.

[Triple R Munitions]

i have seen (after the fact) a camdex loader blow all 100 cups. that was something to see. i have had a .50 primer go off ...i think i lost some hearing, cause now to check if there is powder in the case (ie shake it) i have to put it to my left side so that i can hear it. cant hear it on the right. from then on i wear hearing protection. saftey glases are a must when loading a little or even on a commerical machine. my .02.

R

[Acorn556]

Its good to hear so many people are safe with reloading. I've never thought of reloading with safety glasses since it always looks so simple and safe but every so often I hear something like this and it makes me wonder about the safety of reloading, espcecially when it's not my place I'm living in and 3am primer shots might piss some roommates off.

[huckberry668]

Crushed a few primers and slammed on a few when the press handle slipped out of my hand but never set 1 off. Don't let mis-information & imagination stop you from hand loading. Always wear safety glass and you should be fine.

I set a couple off by hammer to show my son how it works. Used primed-only cases to shoot .22 pellets out of 223Rem rifle at home. Sounded loud using hammer but primed cases pushing the .22 pellet sounded like air gun pop out of the rifle barrel. I also used modified primed cases to check trigger jobs. The flash holes have to be enlarged so the primer blast doesn't blow back primer cup and lock the revolver cylinder.

[22popnsplat]

this ended up being dicussed in a thread one time , It seemed that those who had set a primer off were almost always in a progressive press . I think that is a result trying to go to fast ? Myself and the group I shoot with weekly have discussed the subject and between us we have probally loaded in excess of a million rounds and never had one go off , some of do use a progressive for pistol rounds.