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<  16ga. Ammunition & Reloading  ~  Primer goes bang!
Mattkcc
PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:34 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 124
Location: Kansas City

I was reloading low pressure 16ga. loads for my old Flues and had a primer go off while seating it. I haven't had that happen since the 70's using a Lee Loader. I was using a Mec Jr. and had just had the shot bridge on the shell before. I cleaned up the shot and when I seated the primer on the next shell "bang" with flame shooting out the top of the shell at eye level, good thing I wear glasses. I new before I check that a pellet had fallen into the primer seating assembly. Not the first time I've had a stray pellet makes it's way into the assembly makes me wonder if the Cheddite 209 primers I was using are more sensitive then Win 209's.
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Sebascodegan
PostPosted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:07 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 09 Jul 2005
Posts: 132
Location: Harpswell, Maine

Lead shot, not steel or nickel plated?!!?

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Haiwee
PostPosted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 1:33 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 25 Feb 2006
Posts: 102
Location: Boulder City, NV

I can't remember if I've told this story here or not, but when I started shooting at age 12, my Dad bought me a Pacific DL105 to reload my 20 gauge shells. Set up a little bench in my room and got to work. Couple of days later my Mom was cleaning house and vacuumed up a stray primer. Shocked I was only grounded for about a week, but I was relegated to the garage for all future reloading.
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Mattkcc
PostPosted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 2:53 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 124
Location: Kansas City

Yes, it was lead shot and when I got it out of the primer seating assembly it was flat as a pancake. Sure made a lot more noise and flash then a pistol primer.
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16gaugeguy
PostPosted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 5:04 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 12 Mar 2005
Posts: 6535
Location: massachusetts

One of the reasons the MEC presses are so safe is that it is impossible to detonate a primer into a shell with powder in it or into the powder bottle if we follow the right loading sequence. The junior press primes at a seperate station prior to dropping powder at the following station. The Grabber and the other progressive presses prime at the second station just prior to the powder being dropped down the same tube that seats the primer. However, the charge bar is full left at the time. Any force from a detonation will go up the tube and is blocked by the bottom of the bar from reaching the powder.

Its always proper to check the primer seating post for stray shot in the event of an accidental spill. It takes only a few seconds with either type press. However, the folks at MEC designed these presses to be safe as possible even though we might forget to do this check.

One other check we should do is check to make sure our empty hulls are truely empty. I've had only one accidental detonation in over 30 years of reloading. It was caused by a tiny stray pebble that got wedged between the primer and the post. To this day, I could not explain how it got into the primer seating post. It might have been in a shell and was jarred loose onto the shell carrier table, then swept into the post as the carrier was rotated, but that is speculation only. I learned to check all hulls for foreign matter after that little surprise.
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hoashooter
PostPosted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 5:40 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 3436
Location: Illinois

I can relate Embarassed Embarassed Embarassed Embarassed ----I will not go into details--- Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad Crying or Very sad
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