Will BP blow up my progressive press?

Noz · February 08, 2012, 09:17:22 AM

You've seen both sides here.

Big problem

No problem

You make the decision with which you are most comfortable.

Me? I load from the bottles furnished with the press with no reservations.

Dick Dastardly · February 08, 2012, 10:02:52 AM

When the dealin's done it's your decision. No one will take responsibility for what you do, especially the manufacturers, and I can't blame them. What with lawyers hiding under every rock and cow pie waiting for a free meal.

DD-MDA

Pettifogger · February 08, 2012, 10:11:23 AM

Quote from: Dick Dastardly on February 08, 2012, 10:02:52 AM
When the dealin's done it's your decision. No one will take responsibility for what you do, especially the manufacturers, and I can't blame them. What with lawyers hiding under every rock and cow pie waiting for a free meal.

DD-MDA

Lawyers are like members of Congress. They are all crooks and bums, except, of course, for the one you have.

PJ Hardtack · February 08, 2012, 01:21:47 PM

Re: members of Congress .....

"Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress ... but I repeat myself ...." Mark Twain

"Put a banker, a lawyer and a politician in a barrel and roll it down a hill. There'll always be a sumbitch on top." Robert Duvall in 'Broken Trail'

;>)

Yesterday I loaded 75 rds of BP 50-70 using my Lyman DPS III 'lectronic powder spitter. I've never loaded BP on my Dillon progressive - yet.
I like using the Lyman as it gives me time to drop tube and compress the powder while dispensing the next powder charge.

Short Knife Johnson · February 08, 2012, 01:55:02 PM

I have run Goex through my Dillon. With the aluminium charge bar I couldn't see anything to build up a static charge. I did wipe out the hopper with a Bounce sheet though. It worked OK, but the short drop didi not give good compaction. What I have been playing with as an ad hoc solution is to leave the locator button out of the expander/powder station and just make sure the case is seated firmly with my fingers. The belled case is then removed from the press and charged with powder delivered via drop tube and then affixed with a wad, and put back in the press.

It is a bit tedious, but better than doing it single stage.

Slowhand Bob · February 08, 2012, 01:56:50 PM

Told one of the Hornady guys about the static spark debunking stuff going around, years ago, and he immediately said that it was still unsafe in an AP due to the chance of a friction spark! Guys that trumps any attempt at trying to use grounding techniques! By the way, that was when I decided they would never condone loading black powder in anything or under any circumstances.

Abilene · February 08, 2012, 04:36:22 PM

PJ says "...If you ever get a 'snap' of static electricity when you touch your progressive press, I'd be concerned. Standing on a rubber mat is one way to avoid that..."

Sorry, but that is bad information. Standing on a rubber mat can be as bad or worse than carpet. Unless it is a specialized static dissipative mat (as used in electronics manufacturing) that is grounded.

Springfield says "John Boy: You'd be better served by grounding yourself to the press, not a water pipe. It is the potential between you and the press that causes the static spark that might set things off..."

That is good information. If you ground a press to a "hard ground" (water pipe, 3rd wire on electrical outlet, etc), then you need to ground yourself as well. Grounding yourself to the press without attaching either to "hard ground" is just about as good.

And if you are really trying to minimize static charges, there is really a lot more to it than that. Eliminating large plastic and synthetic items on the bench (or treating them to minimize static, such as with dryer sheets), and avoiding polyester clothing are important.

Lucky R. K., thank you for sharing your experience with us. On my website I am documenting BP accidents, static or otherwise, and will add yours. Can you tell us what operation you were doing on the press at the moment of the ignition?

G.W. Strong · February 08, 2012, 05:21:09 PM

I have decided to try my luck with loading BP in my Lee 1000. I'm not ready for it yet but when I get ready I will wipe the canisters down with dryer sheet and have at it. I have gotten some Pacific BP powder hoppers/measures on the way and I will see if I can adapt them in any way.

G.W. Strong · February 08, 2012, 05:22:08 PM

Now I need to find a big lube bullet mold in .44 to use. Any suggestions?

rickk · February 08, 2012, 06:08:53 PM

I am sure others will have different experiences, but the LEE Pro1000 is dangerous enough already. Why risk fate?

I had a PRO1000 primer feeder blow up back around 1990 (only 8-10 primers in it). If it was full, I would not be typing this.

I know, many people have loaded thousands of rounds on one and it hasn't blown up yet.

I had two.

I picked pieces of primer and plastic out of my face. Luckily I was wearing glasses. There was no permanent damage.

When the primers went off in my face I dumped them both real quick and real cheap.

The basic LEE turret presses are awesome btw. I have one, I love it. I recommend it.

The PRO1000 scares me.

I am not alone : http://www.google.com/search?q=pro1000+primer+explosion&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Wagon Box Willy · February 10, 2012, 06:48:33 AM

The best argument for caution that I've heard on this subject was made to me by Driftwood. To paraphrase him he said that he "don't like all that black powder at the same level as my head".

Makes sense, doesn't matter what the cause, if there's any accident and it goes off it's going to do some damage.

I don't heed that warning by the way other than only putting small amounts of powder in the hopper.

Willy

Dick Dastardly · February 10, 2012, 08:41:27 AM

LEE advises the use of CCI or Winchester primers in the PRO 1000. I use any large pistol primers, but I also keep the primer feed very clean. The primer is pressed into the shell on the down stroke. There is no reason to ram it into place. Simply press it in. A tipped primer rammed home can detonate. Same goes with any other press or hand priming tool. The problem is not endemic to the PRO 1000.

If anyone has doubts about the PRO 1000 unit, the Classic Turret Press might be best for them.

DD-MDA

G.W. Strong · February 11, 2012, 12:07:01 AM

Quote from: Dick Dastardly on February 10, 2012, 08:41:27 AM
LEE advises the use of CCI or Winchester primers in the PRO 1000. I use any large pistol primers, but I also keep the primer feed very clean. The primer is pressed into the shell on the down stroke. There is no reason to ram it into place. Simply press it in. A tipped primer rammed home can detonate. Same goes with any other press or hand priming tool. The problem is not endemic to the PRO 1000.

If anyone has doubts about the PRO 1000 unit, the Classic Turret Press might be best for them.

DD-MDA

I have 3 Lee Pro 1000s and have loaded thousands of rounds on them in many calibers- .38 SPL, .38 S&W, .357 mag, .44 S&W, .44 Colt, .45 Colt, .45 acp, 9mm, .32 ACP, .30 carbine, .223 rem and others I cannot remember. I like the tool. I'm sure others are better but i am committed to this device.

Springfield Slim · February 11, 2012, 12:53:05 AM

Hopalong: I use the Big Lube 44 mould as offered by DD at www.biglube.com Actually the are 2, a 170 grain and a 200 grain, I have a couple of both.

fourfingersofdeath · February 11, 2012, 11:29:58 PM

I load my BP on a Lee Classic Cast Turret press and use Lee plastic scoops and an old crystal bowl with a rubber band stretched around it to scrape the excess powder off. The cyrstal bowl just happened to be handy in the garage and was the right size, several years ago and I never bothered getting another. I size and decap and prime, remove the case, place powder in the case, seat a boolit, place it back in the press, seat then crimp. I have reloaded BP on the Lee 1000 before but the three stations cramped my style a bit. I am about to convert to a Hornady LnL AP, we'll see how that goes.

will52100 · February 14, 2012, 09:47:53 AM

I basically do the same, except I use the Lee powder through expander die with a funnel in it and either the Lee powder measure or for larger rounds my lyman powder measure. I keep several cases with a spent primmer handy to dump powder from the measure to the funnel. Works well for me and if I have a primmer detonation the powder measure is mounted on the bench a foot or so away, not rite above the press.

I have both the 1000 and the lee classic cast turret press. I probably would not have upgraded from 1000 but it doesn't handle rifle length cartridges.

G.W. Strong · March 07, 2012, 08:34:09 PM

I bit the bullet today and used my lee 1000 to load black powder rounds. It worked like a charm. I used Dick Dastardly's Big Lube bullets as well. Thanks for the help

Pony Racer · March 08, 2012, 05:53:19 AM

I use a dillon 550 to load my BP ammo.

But I hand dip with lee dippers to load in powder. It is a bit slower but plenty fast for me

I also only hand prime all my cartridges. What I found while using the dillon primer feeder was that every once in awhile I would have a high primer. I had a hand primer in my reloading arsenal and started to use it.

Now that i hand prime shells I have never had a high primer in over 10 years.

All i do resize and deprime in lots of 500 shells and then typically handprime same amount. I then keep the shells in a sealable container until ready for loading.

PR