Dummy Alert! - Which Side Up?

[OldLincoln]

Using my Lee Hand Primer, I primed 1K 9mm rounds over 3 days. I looked at every one of those puppies to make sure they were good.

When I started loading these, I decided I would take my time and be extra careful, quite unlike me. One step I added is to take another good look at the primer when placing cases into the loading tray. Yup, there it was, one primer installed showing it's nasty bottom to the world.

Fortunately, it has been just that one in the last 500 rounds, but it does very much reinforce my taking my time quality check. I was able to remove it very carefully and reinstall it with just a tiny dimple.

I'm thinking I could have used a thicker wooden dowel to push it out and spread the load like the Lee primer does. I have that size but didn't consider it at the time.

Consider it another lesson learned.

[Bawanna]

Nothing much bigger than the depriming pin wil go through that flash hole Old Lincoln. I would have tossed the case and not took the risk myself. I might have deprimed it and reused the case but I wouldn't reuse the primer.

Just not worth it to me. 1 out of 500 ain't bad. I've seen factory rounds with primers upside down. a little scarey when you ponder it.

[Scoundrel]

I went to the local gun store looking for reloads today. I was just curious how much they would cost. Well, they were $12.something for a 50-round box. So I went home, fired up ammoman.com, and ordered 1000 rounds of S&B for $219 and another 1000 rounds of Wolf for $179, with free shipping.

I mean, if reloads aren't cheaper than factory, then what's the point?

I guess when I have reached a point in life where I have more time than money, and want to spend the effort to reload them myself, the scales might shift in that direction.

[OldLincoln]

I went to the local gun store looking for reloads today. I was just curious how much they would cost. Well, they were $12.something for a 50-round box. So I went home, fired up ammoman.com, and ordered 1000 rounds of S&B for $219 and another 1000 rounds of Wolf for $179, with free shipping.

I mean, if reloads aren't cheaper than factory, then what's the point?

I guess when I have reached a point in life where I have more time than money, and want to spend the effort to reload them myself, the scales might shift in that direction.
I've reached your time vs money point. Wasn't always that way, but retirement is tough on the budget.

As for cost, I ran the numbers one more time and my 9mm come to $6 per 50, but then I doing them myself. They aren't going to go that cheap when resold for all the usual reasons. Reloading companies have to pay for permits, insurance, big machines, and the general cost of running a business. Then they sell to the retailers. My shop sits on a 24" 2X8 that clamps to my desk and makes just as good reloads as the pros.

BTW, $4 of the $6 is for plated bullets. Lead shooters that can cut that in half or better by pouring their own but I cut myself making a sandwich so won't go there.

[Scoundrel]

Yep, there is always a balance between labor and cost. You can reload your own for less money, at the expense of your labor. You can cut costs even more by melting and pouring your own lead, at a resulting steep increase in the labor.

At some point the labor might become its own benefit - a ward against boredom, and a way to keep yourself in some sort of shape.

[OldLincoln]

It's a great time filler and I can tell my wife how much money I'm saving us like when she buys stuff on sale!

[tv_racin_fan]

Yep, there is always a balance between labor and cost. You can reload your own for less money, at the expense of your labor. You can cut costs even more by melting and pouring your own lead, at a resulting steep increase in the labor.

At some point the labor might become its own benefit - a ward against boredom, and a way to keep yourself in some sort of shape.

Not to mention you can taylor the load for best accuracy from YOUR firearm.

[Ikeo74]

I have 2 safety checks when loading with the lee hand primer. #1, I raise the new primer up in the shell holder to visually check it before sliding in the case, then prime it and place the newly primed case upside down in a loading tray. I do 50 at a time. #2, When the tray is full I look at all the cases for high primers. I can run my finger over the entire 50 in less than a minute. I never find any.
The next step I do is bell all the cases before any powder goes in. In the belling process I put each case back right side up and do the whole tray.
The next step I load the powder into each case and take them from 1 tray, add powder and put into the second tray for the entire 50. Then I hold the tray under the light to visually check the powder level in all the cases. I can tell if any are low or high. I never have any uneven ones.
Last step insert the bullets and seat them and transfer back to a empty tray for all 50. I always use 2 trays to insure each bullet gets the same single process without a chance for an error.
Your bad primmer, I would have put 1 drop of oil on the upside down primer to de-activate it before depriming or just discarding the whole thing. You are lucky that one didn't fire and cause a chain reaction which could have caused a sever injury.

[OldLincoln]

I tried to check primers as I went but did the prime in front of the TV thing for a show and that must be the one I missed (make that out of 1,000 now).

You are right about not removing that primer. I have removed some put in correctly without harm and thought if this would come out without damage. It does have a little tiny dimple like a very light strike, but not worth the risk.

I prefer to primer all I intend to load and put them into my loading jars. Then I set up 100 in 2 trays checking them carefully as I go. I powder all checking each tray visually against the rim of the tray pocket. Then I set bullets on both and press then crimp them. I've tried smaller batches and larger batches and find this works best for me.

[Ikeo74]

1 out of 1000 is a prety good average. The Safety feature is that you caught the mistake in that stage before it became a hazard. Thats good enough for me. TV is distracting for us "older guys" with all the police and Hospitol thems. I bet your gripping hand (and thumb) is feeling the effects of that 1000 squeezes of the Lee Primer tool.:D

[OldLincoln]

Yeah, I wrote about that as a key learning. It never occurred to me to grease the cotton pickin Lee Hand Press and both hands were killing me as I had to use them both. At about 800 rounds the light came on, I lubed it and the rest were a snap. Also, I did that over 3 days.

I have the newer square tray model and it doesn't mention lube whereas the earlier round model states it up front. Grrr.. I always read the manuals and am sure I would have done it.