I soiled my pants!!!!

[jmarriott]

I have a reloading friend with lots of cash. He said If I were to pick up some pistol primers we could make some rounds quickly on his equipment to test a new 45 I picked up in a deal.
All I could find were federal primers so I bought them instead of winchester or CCI.

Well today after work I went a buddies to make some 45 with a Dillon 1050 and just after refilling the primer filler kabooooooom. A primer detonated just after pulling the arm and all of the primers in the tube detonated and if it was not for the steel shroud the aluminum tube would have split into pieces. The rod for the low primer sensor is gone to outer space and i am missing a case. I have ordered the damaged and missing pieces from Dillon for him.

His cat has yet to come out of hiding as he was on the bench when it happened.

We called Dillion and they asked if we used Federal primers. Ears ringing like hell still an hour later.

Got me wondering if reloading is not for me. I have only produced 50 rounds of 44 mag. My stuff did not blow up and all went off and grouped well.

Sounds like this equipment and Federal primers do not mix.

Anyone ever hear of such a thing!!!!!

[jmarriott]

Dillion Just called me on the cell phone and they are sending me the parts free. Must be something in the equipment and this must have happened before.

[jimh]

wow! i would still be wiping my azz.
explains why you don't have powder laying around until you actualy are going to use it.
i would post this story everywhere i could so if there is an incompatability between the two others find out and in a hurry! glad for the most part you're alright.

[Jack]

I'm glad you're ok, Jmarriott.
Dillon is renowned for the type of customer service you experienced.
I've been reloading since 1964, and I've never experienced anything like the primer explosion you did. But, I stick with single stage presses, not the type of set up you were using with a primer tube feed- I've always been wary of those.

[dovehunter]

Like Jack I have always used a single-stage press and have never experienced such a problem. I do use the Lee Auto Prime II automatic primer feeder but in it the primers are stacked side by side instead of one over the other. I have always been a little apprehensive about that sort of thing happening in a progressive reloader. I think I'll stick with my old and slow single-stage press.

You didn't by any chance have some of those weird .45 ACP cases that came through with small pistol primer pockets did you? I would think trying to seat a new large pistol primer into one of those small holes might set one off. That's why I threw all the ones I found away.

[twomoons]

Years ago we used a Star machine and we never had problems. I do know that Federal primers are suppose to be more sensitive than some others and they are not recommended for Garands or other slam fire guns.

Now for a guess, the formula for lead styphanate primers was perfected prior to WW I and I would guess the new lead free primers are not fully worked out yet.

[jmarriott]

We were using his cases, powder, and bullets. The primers were the only difference.

Dillion sent him an email with facts of federal primers being different than most. That why they have all that packaging around them I guess. In the newer manuals and online manual downloads warns against using federal primers. The manual he has does not. I just figured all large pistol primers were larger pistol primers even wolf.

They have been many cases of dillon progressives and federal primers going off on the feed tube. Dillion is also sending A couple of other items to him that they replace when this happens on 1050 re-loaders so it is not the first time. the 650 has a separate list of items they replace when this happens. Weird.

His cat still won't come out of the closet. It was a bit noisy. He hates that cat anyway it is his wifes.

[jmarriott]

Dillion sent all the parts and a few extra things and he cranked out 250 45 acp rounds for me in record time last weekend,

The cat has come out of hiding, the missing case was found in the laundry basket several yards from the bench. Dovehunter it was not a small primer case just a standard win case.

After loading up some 44 mag rounds with supervision from a friend on my equipment I can see why if you have the cash and shoot lots of one caliber why a Dillion 1050 progressive might be a good way to crank out the rounds. I bet he cranked out those rounds faster than a dominoes pizza comes to the house on a slow pizza night,

The 45 acp shot real well in the Kimber, The star pistol I picked up as a steal did not do so well accuracy wise. I can still hit a basketball at 30 feet but not a baseball like the kimber. Still I have 99 dollars in the star with a military tie down holster with extra mag pouch. I am not going to complain about the price just not as accurate as I had hoped.

[dovehunter]

Apr 29, 2010 15:45:38 GMT -5 jmarriott said:

...The star pistol I picked up as a steal did not do so well accuracy wise. I can still hit a basketball at 30 feet but not a baseball like the kimber. Still I have 99 dollars in the star with a military tie down holster with extra mag pouch. I am not going to complain about the price just not as accurate as I had hoped.

I certainly wouldn't complain about a 99 dollar M-1911 knockoff, no matter who made it. I would think that thing certainly ought to shoot better than that though . You may want to have someone take a look at it.

[jmarriott]

I had a 9mm star pistol that was a fine shooter for a 8 round 9mm. So when i found a deal on the 45 cal model I though it did good. I have some winchester ball ammo i will fill a mag with and see it it likes it better than the reloads. I think they are just china knockoffs of the 1911 and heavy as all get out. If nothing else it will just go into the safe and stay around as trade bait as it did not jam and looks ok.