A reminder about Primers

[DaveB]

I guess a year or two ago I had some primers light off in an un-contained environment. I posted up then.

To refresh memories, I have a Kenmore vacuum cleaner I have used for around 15 years to pick up anything on the floor or bench that needs picking up. My Lee press has nooks where decapped primers can accumulate. All I have ever done is stick the plastic tip of the host into the nooks. Never an issue. I have also always decapped live primers-never had one light off except the one I did intentionally.

So I was vacuuming the nook and for some reason a live primer was touched off. It touched off a bunch of others. I was holding the vacuum plastic tip with my left hand and took anvils in the meat of the palm and several fingers. Nice red blood everywhere. As my son was using his US Army training to pick the metal out of my hand I felt a twinge on my stomach. Pulled T-shirt up and oh boy two primer cases were heat glued to me. Peeled my shirt off and there were more on my upper chest-4 or 5 total, One was embedded little bit more than half the diameter. No blood. Cauterized. BTW, I had hearing troubles for a long time.......

So my message to everyone who reloads was and still is, Primers are dangerous. They can light off with little pressure when that anvil is pushed with enough force.

Oh, why post this today? Found the T-shirt. Inside the circles are the places where primers hot enough to burn through my shirt hit me. My chest was an arms length away from the ignition point.

 

[DaveB]

Wife washed the shirt and put it in storage.

I wear a 32 inch sleeve

 

[TnKen]

I vacuumed up a 209 primer once. It rattled around and popped. That will get your attention

 

[backyardtndeer]

I just use a dustpan and broom around my bench. I read somewhere when I first started, maybe my hornady manual, that it was dangerous to use a vacuum cleaner with powder or primers.

 

[fairchaser]

Dave, I'm surprised you let those pricey primers get away from you. I've scrounged around the floor for several minutes just looking for one! But, I appreciate the warning because my wife runs the vacuum and I get a mean look when she hears spent primers rattling up the tube. If one were to go off, I'd be sent outside for the rest of my reloading career.

 

[mr.big]

5000 Fed 205s and 8 pounds H4350 ain't no joke either.

 

[DaveB]

Yes indeed, Mr. B has some fantastic pictures of burns. Great story, worth the re-telling.

I was shaking as I read Mr. B's story.

 

[Wiley]

Vacuums produce static electricity that is more likely to set off a primer than impact from bouncing around within the vacuum.