Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Finally, after 51 years...

I seated a primer backwards.

Been hand loading since 1968 and never had a mistake actually make it to the range. Once in a blue moon I've missed filling a case with powder and once charged 50 cases with powder but no primers. But I've adopted routines to check and double check that always catch stuff like that before heading out to shoot. One of those steps is to always look closely at the primers in the hand primer tray to make sure they're all oriented correctly before priming. But apparently not this time.

Was on the next to last round of my last group of the day when it went "click". Counted to 30, extracted the case and sure 'nuff, the primer was in backwards. Funny thing is that it fired but I didn't hear any kind of loud pop, just the click of the firing pin drop. No damage to the bolt face, in fact there isn't even any soot on it at all.


Oh well, just proves you're never too old to make a dumb mistake...



Oops.

I charged a few cases sans primers once. Did nothing to improve my sour mood that evening. I've seated bullets over 0-grain charges of powder, too. I don't believe I'll be too old to make dumb mistake even if I survive to see the year 2119.

Funny that the primer went off but you heard nothing. When I was quite young I swiped a primer from my uncle to see what it would be like to smack it with a hammer. My curiosity was well enough satisfied for many lifetimes.

Congratulations?







Sorry, couldn't help myself.

When I prep cases I always put the primed and sized case in the case holder neck down so I can see all the primers. One primed backwards would stick out like a sore thumb. Than I fill the case with powder and put it back in the case holder primer down obviously so the powder doesn't spill out...😁 I fill every case with powder than I look into the cases to check for a nice even powder fill. I never stray from this routine. It's the experiences that are shared by others that make us think to maybe modify our procedures slightly to avoid trouble so thanks for sharing. I highly doubt a primer in backward would ever cause a dangerous issue but it would really suck if one made it into the hunting ammo box unnoticed and happened to be the first round your trying to kill game with

I've never done it but good friend of mine joined me this summer to blast prairie dogs for a weekend and he had a mis-fire that turned out to be a upside down primer. Was a first for him.

Took you long enough. Did that trick 25 years ago when my wench distracted me. It was her ammo so I got a reminder later on.

You’d be impressed with what you can do to a primer with a Dillon and not make it go off.

I've decided sometimes they go hand in hand.

Good post. I've not done that yet, but I'm just shy of 60 and have plenty of time left to try...

Many years ago, when using the primer feed tube on an old Lyman turret press, I would occasionally seat one backwards. Though none even ignited. I always found them during inspection as I boxed them. The same cannot be said when I was just a teenager, starting handloading with. Lee Handloader for my .308 Win. I “torched-off” several primers when seating them using the primer seating rod (steel) and my little plastic mallet. When your holding that steel rod in your fingers, and a large rifle primer ignites, it “will” startle you....at least the first few times. After a few.....You kind of learn to expect it! memtb

For those fans of NCIS, I think I figured out what happened. Generally I put the primer box right up against the priming tool tray then upend both so the primers have a sort of controlled transfer to the tray. Those brands that load primers cup side up end up with the primers oriented correctly while some others packaged sideways, Federals especially, you have to jiggle the tray to orient them. Anyway point is they are all in view on the tray and always examined to make sure they are all anvil side up.

But occasionally you need to drop part of a row with your finger holding in the other part so the primer box can't be completely up against that tray. Even then they "always" fall into view, except this time. This time I think one primer slipped into the chute and was hidden from view as it dropped from the box and it was the upside down one. For small batches like this initial velocity series the cases go into a bowl as they are primed, then are removed and charged with powder one at a time. Since the upside down primer was first in line, its case was at the bottom of the bowl and hence was one of the last cases to be filled with powder and put in the loading block. Which jives with it being the next to last cartridge in the series.

Oh well, guess the routine needs to change a bit to make sure no primers are hiding in the loading chute. Live and learn...

I’ve been handloading for a bit over 40 yrs. and have experienced upside down primers (twice), seated bullets in cases with no powder, and put powder in cases with no primer installed. I’ve also primed, and powdered cases that have not been sized. I have tried to have these mistakes teach me to be more alert and cautious when at the bench. Knock on wood, but it’s been a long time without any recourence of the above mistakes.

Been reloading since 1975 and also did that once, I no longer load after 2 AM...

Well played

Been there, done that and they don't go bang very well.

Been there, done that and they don't go bang very well.

Did that a long time ago, what took you so long??

Rule 8: Never take anything for granted?

It's been a very long time since I managed that trick Jim. But the other day I did put one in sideways (sort of). Still scratching my head on that one.

I’ve been loading for about 50 years also. Haven’t (yet) seated a primer upside down or missed putting powder in a case but.....
About a month ago, while working up a load for my 7x57, I loaded 24 rounds with RL 19, six each of 48, 49, 50 and 51 grains. Seated the 145 Speer Hot-Cors, then happily stuffed everything into an ammo box. The following morning, at range, I opened my ammo and then realized that I hadn’t segregated/marked the cartridges as to different charge weights. Didn’t have the faintest idea what was what.🤬🤬

Everyone has his own method to differentiate powder charge weights (or COAL, or whatever the variable factor might be). Mine is to color code the primers with four different colored permanent markers, plus the silver/brass color of the unmarked primer. So, five different load levels with five clear signs. And the fact that I do it after the priming step helps. Plus, once the fired brass is de-primed, no mark remains behind. Cheers!

Sounds like a good method.
Normally I label the cartridge box with all the pertinent info then, if using different powder charges, I print the chrg. wt. on each cartridge case with a felt marker.
This time, I labeled the box but had a ‘gray moment’ and failed to mark the cases. Usually I mark the cases before charging them.
If using different powder or other components I use separate ammo boxes.