My first reloading kaboom

[BigK]

I had NoBanStan over today doing some reloading and we noticed some finished rounds were missing primers. I took the shellplate and primer feeder off the Dillon XL 650 to clean off the Win231 that leaked out and to inspect the primer feeder. Nothing seemed amiss, so we reassembled and put in some more primers and tried to hand cycle the feeder...nothing.

 

When we took the feeder tube back off it was apparent that a primer was stuck inside. Being smart we dumped primers out of both ends before going at it with a wood dowel. After "gently" pushing the stuck primer from both ends, I was able to push a stuck primer about 2-3" with the dowel before it just wouldn't go any farther. That's when we decided to measure the depth of the stuck primer from both ends and found out there was actually 2 primers stuck in there. One was 2" into one side and the other was 7.5" into the other side. The bonus was that there was at least one loose primer rattling in between them.

 

At this point a mere mortal would have called it a day and ordered a replacement primer feed tube from Dillon, but NOOOOOOO...I wasn't being out-smarted by a metal tube filled with explosives. I decided to proceed with a plan that under normal circumstances would require a 6 pack of beer, an audience, and the announcement, "y'all watch this". I stuck the SOFT PINE dowel back into the tube set it on the work bench and gave the tube a couple of what I thought were LIGHT taps with a rubber mallet. It wasn't until I heard a loud kaboom and NoBanStan screaming like a 12 yr old girl at a Justin Beiber concert that I realized this was a VERY bad idea.

 

Thankfully nobody was hurt and nothing thing was damaged besides my ego and NobanStan's underwear. Only one primer went off. There was no chain reaction of exploding large pistol primers and the tube didn't disintegrate into a dozen pieces of flying shrapnel. The wooden dowel kind of resembles the coyote's face after a failed attempt to blow up the road runner and the tube is scorched pretty bad inside. Suffice it to say, I have lost all interest in removing the stuck primers to salvage the primer feed tube and lessons were learned, albeit the hard way.

 

So, if you find yourself with one or more primers stuck in your primer feed tube and you absolutely MUST get them out...don't say you weren't warned.

[NoBanStan]

Though I disagree about the screaming, the sudden boom was loud enough that I think I s**t YOUR underwear. Let it be stated for the record that the hammer was nay "our" idea. My idea was using consistent pressure with said dowel pin to extract the stuck primer. Thor over here broke out rubber Molinjor and decided to have at it.  :rofl: 

 

All that being said, it took me about 10 minutes to stop laughing. I have to give Dillon props though, that tube withstood it. 

[chances R]

Been there, done that. I prepared by donning full face shield. Yeah went pop but no damage. It is a little surprising that the wooden dowel ignited the primer. I hate surprises like that......load on

[CommsNBombs]

...I have like 7 stuck in my SDB.

That is what I get for buying used

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

[BigK]

Though I disagree about the screaming, the sudden boom was loud enough that I think I s**t YOUR underwear. Let it be stated for the record that the hammer was nay "our" idea. My idea was using consistent pressure with said dowel pin to extract the stuck primer. Thor over here broke out rubber Molinjor and decided to have at it.  :rofl: 

 

All that being said, it took me about 10 minutes to stop laughing. I have to give Dillon props though, that tube withstood it. 

 

Yeah, that's exactly how it happened...I shouted out "No innocents shall come to harm while mine enchanted hammer can still be raised in their defense!" and swung my mighty rubber mallet to free the trapped primers.

[NoBanStan]

Yeah, that's exactly how it happened...I shouted out "No innocents shall come to harm while mine enchanted hammer can still be raised in their defense!" and swung my mighty rubber mallet to free the trapped primers.

Lies. I heard "aloha snackbar!" *kaboom*

[Mike.357]

I use a Lee Classic loader to make .357 and .38 rounds.  The first time I set a primer off by setting it with mallet I pretty much about soiled myself.  Lots of fun. Big laugher once you realize what happened.   The grandson thought it was the best thing ever.  Me not so much.

[BigK]

I use a Lee Classic loader to make .357 and .38 rounds.  The first time I set a primer off by setting it with mallet I pretty much about soiled myself.  Lots of fun. Big laugher once you realize what happened.   The grandson thought it was the best thing ever.  Me not so much.

 

yeah, it definitely wasn't funny when it happened...I'm glad I can laugh about it now

[Jamie Jackson]

Awesome story guys and very well told! LOL.

 

I'm certain you both were in total control and all events were actually planned and handled with expertise. :pleased:

 

I've had "sticky" Dillon primer tubes in the past, but hadn't had that particular issue before...thankfully! And my 550 is approaching 30 years of age. Dillon mailed me replacement tubes, at no charge, withing a couple of days of me e-mailing them about it. Their customer service is second to none in my book.

 

 

Comms...e-mail Dillon and they will no doubt get you fixed up.

Edited October 25, 2015 by prag

[RED333]

Primers are "shock" sensitive, Drop them just right and it will go off.

A few youtube vids out there about primer tubes being shredded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTmtJj-mick

[Pete123]

That is a funny story!

[BigK]

That is a funny story!

 

It won't be funny when my wife finds out. She already can't believe I haven't burned the house down yet.

 

Of course she'd never know if SOMEBODY (hint: the only other eye witness) hadn't told my big mouthed daughter about it last night.

[Grand Torino]

I gotta give you guys props for telling this story.....from my side it was funny as hell.  From your side.....not so much. I'm glad nobody was hurt.

[netmindr]

This isn't surprising knowing that this is the same one who uploaded a video to YouTube with another unnamed TGOer shooting darts through a blow gun with a primer taped to the end.

[Trekbike]

This isn't surprising knowing that this is the same one who uploaded a video to YouTube with another unnamed TGOer shooting darts through a blow gun with a primer taped to the end.

Link?

[BigK]

 

This isn't surprising knowing that this is the same one who uploaded a video to YouTube with another unnamed TGOer shooting darts through a blow gun with a primer taped to the end.

 

You gotta lot of nerve telling that story, since YOU are the unnamed other and it was YOUR teenage son doing the actual shooting.

 

 

Link?

 

Against my better judgement..here ya go:

 

 

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knUf0e-54Do[/media]

[hipower]

Gee...you guys almost make me feel not so much like an idiot. lol

 

Back in my youth, many decades ago. I was watching Dad go thru his reloading processes.

 

He asked me to clean up and sweep around the bench when he was done.

 

I diligently cleaned everything around, and off the floor, took it out to the trash barrel behind the house where we burned all the trash. (You old farts remember doing this don't you? You know, the days when trash pick up wasn't a paid service.)

 

I just dumped everything in the barrel and forgot all about it...until the next day while burning trash.

 

I was told to always stand close by with water in case the fire got out of the barrel. Ok...stop laughing at me.

 

I lit the paper and stood a bout a yard away with the hose. Heard some hissing and popping sounds. Hmm. I wonder what that is?

 

As I walked over to look in, the loose powder and primers I'd swept up went off.

 

I had a hard time that summer with no eyebrows.