Federal primer went off - The Firearms Forum

gdmoody · 06-19-2012, 09:37 PM

I just had something happen that I have never had happen before. A primer went off while I was using a kinetic bullet puller.

My next door neighbor called me and asked me to come over because he was having problems seating some primers in his 9mm cases. When I got there I looked at the problem cases. He had a bunch of WCC 09 brass with crimped in primers that he had de-primed. He then had shoved some Federal primers into the primer pocket using a Lee Ram Prime. He did that without swaging the military crimp out of the primer pocket.

I found two cases that had a bullet pushed way deep into the brass and had a screwed up (deformed) primer in them. I took his kinetic bullet puller to pull the bullet. I whacked it a couple of times without the bullet moving. The third time I whacked it pretty hard and "bang" the primer went off and shot the primer out of the primer pocket. Boy, I was sure happy that he did not put any powder in that case. The bullet still did not budge. It scared the crap of my neighbor and didn't do a whole lot for me either. The second one was taken out and thrown into the woods behind my house, since I was not about to do that again.

I have been reloading for over 35 years and this is the first primer that I ever saw go off by accident, and it was while pulling a bullet in a kinetic puller.

Hammerslagger · 06-19-2012, 09:53 PM

Thanks for the post and description.

What is described is a new one for me. As the folk saying goes: "Just when you think that you have about seen it all, you discover something totally unexpected."

jack404 · 06-19-2012, 09:54 PM

sounds like it was pre crushed or under existing pressure , do that and they will go off easier than usual ( learned this when making my own mix's )

X Ring · 06-20-2012, 07:54 AM

And Federal primers are the most Sensitive bar none.

gdmoody · 06-20-2012, 09:40 AM

It is a pure wonder that every one he put in didn't go off. They were really jammed into the primer pocket and every one deformed (only on the WCC 09 brass)!! I told him about the Federal primers being soft and he said that he had 2000 of them to use up. Then I let him borrow my RCBS swaging die, showed him how to use it, and let him have at it. I also let him borrow my RCBS bullet puller die and collet so he could pull the bullets on the ones that the primers were crushed on.

06-19-2012, 09:37 PM	#1
gdmoody Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northeast Georgia Contributor Posts: 6,407	Federal primer went off I just had something happen that I have never had happen before. A primer went off while I was using a kinetic bullet puller. My next door neighbor called me and asked me to come over because he was having problems seating some primers in his 9mm cases. When I got there I looked at the problem cases. He had a bunch of WCC 09 brass with crimped in primers that he had de-primed. He then had shoved some Federal primers into the primer pocket using a Lee Ram Prime. He did that without swaging the military crimp out of the primer pocket. I found two cases that had a bullet pushed way deep into the brass and had a screwed up (deformed) primer in them. I took his kinetic bullet puller to pull the bullet. I whacked it a couple of times without the bullet moving. The third time I whacked it pretty hard and "bang" the primer went off and shot the primer out of the primer pocket. Boy, I was sure happy that he did not put any powder in that case. The bullet still did not budge. It scared the crap of my neighbor and didn't do a whole lot for me either. The second one was taken out and thrown into the woods behind my house, since I was not about to do that again. I have been reloading for over 35 years and this is the first primer that I ever saw go off by accident, and it was while pulling a bullet in a kinetic puller. __________________ NRA Endowment Member GeorgiaCarry.Org Member Retired US Army Postal Worker Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant) -->

06-19-2012, 09:53 PM	#2
Hammerslagger Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,099	Re: Federal primer went off Thanks for the post and description. What is described is a new one for me. As the folk saying goes: "Just when you think that you have about seen it all, you discover something totally unexpected."

06-19-2012, 09:54 PM	#3
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	Re: Federal primer went off sounds like it was pre crushed or under existing pressure , do that and they will go off easier than usual ( learned this when making my own mix's )

06-20-2012, 07:54 AM	#4
X Ring V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Ohio Posts: 194	Re: Federal primer went off And Federal primers are the most Sensitive bar none. __________________ Load More = Shoot More http://s1096.photobucket.com/albums/g327/Wynn3/

06-20-2012, 09:40 AM	#5
gdmoody Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northeast Georgia Contributor Posts: 6,407	Re: Federal primer went off It is a pure wonder that every one he put in didn't go off. They were really jammed into the primer pocket and every one deformed (only on the WCC 09 brass)!! I told him about the Federal primers being soft and he said that he had 2000 of them to use up. Then I let him borrow my RCBS swaging die, showed him how to use it, and let him have at it. I also let him borrow my RCBS bullet puller die and collet so he could pull the bullets on the ones that the primers were crushed on. __________________ NRA Endowment Member GeorgiaCarry.Org Member Retired US Army Postal Worker Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant)