Primer tray initiation

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BigJimP

New member
my first thought is ........kids and / or grankids ....( or both ).

( especially since they were hidden inside the box ) ....and no damage to the outside of the box .... my instincts tell me whatever happened, did not occur / inside that box with 500 or more live primers still in it.

but then again, my boys both married well ( so my grandkids won't be as ugly as they are / and smarter !! ) ....because my boys would have gone out and done something foolish / and then tried to cover their tracks by putting them back like that .... ( kind of like beer dissappearing from the shelf in the garage ) ..... the 6 packs up front had beer in them / the ones in the back were empty bottles .... ( genius, just genius .... ) ....:D
 
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jepp2

New member
my first thought is ........kids and / or grankids ....( or both ).
Click to expand...

No kids, grankids, or anyone else of any age has been within 100 feet of them. What ever happened was not the result of anyone else, of that I am certain. And based on the flashburns in the box and the outer wrapper being blown in two, it definitely happen in the carton with the other 8 trays.

thanks for the number, I will give them a call tomorrow.
 
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SL1

New member
Priming compound dust?

I seem to remember some time ago that there was something on the web about excessive priming compound on some of the primer boxes. It looked like yellow dust. I don't remember who was the manufacturer of those primers. But, I seem to remember something about the manufacturer being concerned.

Maybe this was some sort of ignition of dust that caused some of the primers to ignite, too? What do the not (yet) igited trays look like?

SL1
 
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highrolls

New member
Wow. Those pictures are of real concern. Many years ago, I bumped a carton of primers off a high shelf on to a concrete floor. Not a single primer detonated. Primers are fairly immune to heat as well (within reason). What primers are more susceptible to than anything else (including a proper compressive whack between base and anvil) is STATIC ELECTRICITY. Any chance your storage area for those had characteristics to allow a static charge buildup ? Were they sitting on rubber, foam blocks or nylon carpet ?

Many reloaders don't worry about static (but they should !) because we usually end up putting them into a Faraday Cage (Loaded bullet is 100 percent Faraday cage unless the bullet is plastic or something other than metal). Loaded ammunition is safe to handle and even around static electric charges due to the Faraday shield. Primers alone are very susceptible to static and will go boom with no more than a snap-spark from rubbing your shoes on carpet and touching them. (Please don't try that at the reload bench.)

Combine static with SL1's suggestion about primer dust and those pictures would be a likely result. Note the cardboard is NOT even singed, just residue and no burn marks. A good indication that they detonated at the same time, hence microsecond flash heat, no time duration to ignite the cardboard.
 
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Shoney

New member
IllinoisCoyoteHunter

Since ewe are obliviously at the pinochle of mantle suckles, peas extrude urine pinion two Europe-self, and I shall keep mien.

:eek:
:D
:cool:
 
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jepp2

New member
I would guess the odds at 90/10 - 90% it happened while I had them, 10% it happened before I got them. It was just so obvious when I opened the carton today, that I can't believe I would have overlooked it before. The box is bulged from the displaced primers and the torn sleeve was displaced.

I am very familiar with what primer dust looks like. I see it on my priming trays after use. None was visible in the carton.

They are stored in an unfinished basement where I don't encounter much static, but since I live at 5000 feet elevation in a dry climate there is lots static around. But during my career I have been involved with the manufacture and use of electric blasting caps which are very sensitive to static, so I am well aware of the hazards of static and proper handling techniques. And if it did happen while in my possession, it wasn't when I was around them.

The other trays looked just fine. Some carbon on the outside of the slide sleeves from the one tray primers "bang", but all were anvil down and no dust present.
 
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jepp2

New member
Winchester response

I worked my way through the number provided (it took me to Hodgdon and they gave me the number for Winchester).

Talked with Paul and he said "it happens" and the trays are designed so it doesn't propagate. I confirmed that it worked as designed. I asked if he had any idea what might have cause them to go off, or if they wanted the lot number. He said if he could tell what made them go off, he wouldn't be working there (I asked him what might have caused it, not what did cause it). And he had no interest in knowing the lot number.

And for all you vocabulary buff's, the word used at the Winchester Primer website was EXPLODE.
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
"It happens" is not an answer that I would find acceptable.

It should only happen when something bad causes it. Whether that be static or a drop from some height or whatever.

It shouldn't be "just happening".

At this point, I've never seen reference to "spontaneous" ignition of primers from other makers. That, combined with their apparent cavalier attitude about it, makes me say that I will not use Winchester primers.
 
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BigJimP

New member
Ok, so lets get this right .....

You called Winchester .... and their rep says...

a. it happens
b. didn't want the lot number

Interesting perspective on Quality Control ...??? Sounds to me like they're saying it was your fault since you can't prove you bought them that way / and even if you could - they'd lay it on the retailers doorstep ....( or the trucker that carried the order, etc, etc ...) ....

Interesting .... ???
 
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