I do have a lot of thoughts about what happened, what could have happened and what I can do to prevent this from happening again. My biggest thought has to do with the close proximity of my body to the press. I think I'm going to start looking for a new press that allows more distance between me and the loaded round.
Upon inspecting the round more closely, this is lake city brass. It appears as though I didn't get the primer pocket fully swaged, there is still a ridge around the pocket. I plan on removing the spent primer and mic'ing the pocket, though I'm not sure I will get any meaningful data.
Glad you're okay. I wear safety glasses while reloading as well. I never had something like this in mind but this sure drives the point home.
So aside from this, how do you like reloading rifle on this press? I reload 9mm only on mine at the moment, but want to try .308 on it. I use the powder measure on a riser, sitting on top of their powder-through die.
So aside from this, how do you like reloading rifle on this press? I reload 9mm only on mine at the moment, but want to try .308 on it. I use the powder measure on a riser, sitting on top of their powder-through die.
Yes, it is very possible as it has happened before. I didn't see anything in there, but with all the commotion, it could have been blown out of the primer arm.
This is the lee 4-hole turret press. it's operated by pulling the handle, 4 pulls per round so it's not speed demon. I try to be consistent with my pull. if I'm jerky with it, I will spill powder out of the round I'm loading, so a nice slow pace is needed with a high-fill powder (I was loading 18.7grs of H4198 with a 62gr bullet).
This press seats the primer on the up stroke.
With the exception of this one mishap, I've really liked this press. I load several rifle calibers on it including 30-30, 308, 30-06 and 300wm, they all require the press to be in manual mode as they rounds bind with the indexer in place, which is fine as those larger calibers need more accurate powder drops (I do it like you do, separate from the press)
What kind of primer you used?
These were Wolf primers. SR223 primers
How in the hell could a bullet be in the decapping die? No way. How could a primer be in the decapping die? Man, I'm lost on this one.
Dennis, lemme see if I can explain.
in the 4 hole turret press, the dies move counter clockwise as you bring the brass down from it's last operation. as you reach the final operation to complete the finished round, the turret spins moving the crimp die out and the decapper in, readying for the first operation of the next case.
so, here's the operation of this press:
station one: place brass in holder and raise into the FL sizer and decapper die. spent primer pops out, primer arm rotates out, place a primer. now bring the brass down out of the sizer. primer arm and good primer rotate into the plunger and the primer is seated. simultaneously, the turret press rotates so that the charging station is over the newly primed brass.
Station two: Raise the brass and charge with powder. primer arm flops out, but is no longer used. as you lower the brass, the primer seating arm flops back under the brass and the turret rotates the powder drop out of the way, and the bullet seating die over the charged brass.
Station three: raise the charged brass while placing a bullet on top to be seated into the brass. the bullet is seated at full extension of the handle. the primer seating arm pops out again, and is not used. bring the brass, with seated cartridge down. Primer searing arm is pushed back in under the brass, but not used. bullet seat moves out of the way and crimp moves over station where brass is.
Station four: raise the newly minted round up into the crimper and crimp the round. Primer arm pops out, isn't used again. As you lower the brass, the turret moves again - back to station one, ready for the next empty..
here is where you remove the newly made round and put a new piece of brass in. then raise it up as in station one above and keep making ammo.
Each time you bring the plunger down with the brass casing on top, the primer arm is positioned back under the brass, regardless of whether or not you put a primer in it. each time, the brass with a good primer lands on the end of that arm. So, at the last station when you're ready to remove a live round, the decapper is above it ready to make the next round.
clear as mud? do I need to make a video? would that help?
in the 4 hole turret press, the dies move counter clockwise as you bring the brass down from it's last operation. as you reach the final operation to complete the finished round, the turret spins moving the crimp die out and the decapper in, readying for the first operation of the next case.
so, here's the operation of this press:
station one: place brass in holder and raise into the FL sizer and decapper die. spent primer pops out, primer arm rotates out, place a primer. now bring the brass down out of the sizer. primer arm and good primer rotate into the plunger and the primer is seated. simultaneously, the turret press rotates so that the charging station is over the newly primed brass.
Station two: Raise the brass and charge with powder. primer arm flops out, but is no longer used. as you lower the brass, the primer seating arm flops back under the brass and the turret rotates the powder drop out of the way, and the bullet seating die over the charged brass.
Station three: raise the charged brass while placing a bullet on top to be seated into the brass. the bullet is seated at full extension of the handle. the primer seating arm pops out again, and is not used. bring the brass, with seated cartridge down. Primer searing arm is pushed back in under the brass, but not used. bullet seat moves out of the way and crimp moves over station where brass is.
Station four: raise the newly minted round up into the crimper and crimp the round. Primer arm pops out, isn't used again. As you lower the brass, the turret moves again - back to station one, ready for the next empty..
here is where you remove the newly made round and put a new piece of brass in. then raise it up as in station one above and keep making ammo.
Each time you bring the plunger down with the brass casing on top, the primer arm is positioned back under the brass, regardless of whether or not you put a primer in it. each time, the brass with a good primer lands on the end of that arm. So, at the last station when you're ready to remove a live round, the decapper is above it ready to make the next round.
clear as mud? do I need to make a video? would that help?
if it helps I could see how the bullet ended up there.
Most of you guys I believe reload on progressives where the bullet moves around to each die. On the Lee turret the dies rotate and the casing is just on a up and down ram. Pretty scary stuff as I have noticed small brass shavings in my primer seater before along with powder at times, But it usually needs cleaned out immediately as it causes issues.
Could it have possibly been a primer shoved into a still crimped primer hole? I would like to see a pic of the primer if you have one. Also a not fully seated primer that hit the primer cup?
Most of you guys I believe reload on progressives where the bullet moves around to each die. On the Lee turret the dies rotate and the casing is just on a up and down ram. Pretty scary stuff as I have noticed small brass shavings in my primer seater before along with powder at times, But it usually needs cleaned out immediately as it causes issues.
Could it have possibly been a primer shoved into a still crimped primer hole? I would like to see a pic of the primer if you have one. Also a not fully seated primer that hit the primer cup?
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