Luck I had a Dillon

[Corky43]

I have been reloading for over 26 years. Friday I had my first reloading accident. I was loading some 38 specials up for my S&W 627. All of a sudden I heard a loud bang and I felt a bunch of stuff come falling down around me. I thought a primer must have gone off in the seating stage of the press. (It happens on a rare occasion). But when I removed the case the primer was OK. So I tried to cycle the press again to see the next primer, but the press would not move through the full stroke. The primer arm would not move. I reached for the primer shield to hold it while I disassembled the primer system. I noticed the shield was very warm. If you are familiar with the dillon 650 press, you know the primer tubes are about 2 inches away from where the primers are seated and isolated by a circular disk that indexes the primers. So I had no clue as to what had happened. I finally got the priming system off. All the primers on the plate were OK, but darkened. I turned the priming system over and noticed the disk was tweaked and the aluminum inner tube was stuck in the shield. Then I knew what had happened. Apparently, I had a defective primer in the system (Probably one with an anvil that was sticking out more that the others). I was finally able to get the aluminum tube out of the primer shield and the tube was ruptured in 2 locations (See photos)

The primer shield had saved me from getting a face full of shrapnel. I emailed Dillon with pictures of the damage and they are sending a new system out today at no charge.

Oh by the way, the stuff I felt falling down on my head was the drywall from the ceiling. Apparently the primers going off shot through the top of the shield and drove the primer warning stick into the ceiling.

[Prc329]

Glad to see your o.k. One of the reasons I am glad of my paranoia with priming. I find myself being overly cautious.

[proraptor]

Man thats scary.....Just when I started ordering my reloading equipment....

[Kruzr]

There have been other reports of similar instances of this when using Federal primers in a 650.

[Corky43]

As a matter of fact they were federal primers. I ran out of Winchester and was finishing up a lot of 2000 with the last box of 100 federal primers I had.

[psriley]

Scary pics. Glad you're alright. Just one more indicator that the folks over at Dillon got it right when they designed the 650.

[Corky43]

Just received my replacement priming system from Dillon. Even though the accident was not due to faulty equipment, they replaced the unit free of charge (and shipped replacement express).

Talk about customer service!!

[Fjold]

Just received my replacement priming system from Dillon. Even though the accident was not due to faulty equipment, they replaced the unit free of charge (and shipped replacement express).

Talk about customer service!!

I stepped on a primer feed tube for my 450B a few years back and bent it. I told them what I had done and they sent me a new one with the plastic end and the little cotter pin, free of charge.