Those Pesky Primer Pick-Up Tubes Or Don't Be a Crater Face

[BamBams]

How many times can you say "Pesky Primer Pick-Up Tubes" really fast?

Okay, so you can do it!   Well, can YOU prevent "Crater Face?"
Always wonder what would happen if your primer pick-up tubes go KA-BOOM?
Have you stepped on one yet?

Well, fear no more!  I've got just the solution for you.  Read on:

Before:


After:


So here's how to keep you good looking:

1) Go to "Home Depot" and buy:

a. 12" of 2" galvanized steel pipe - threaded on both ends
b. A 2" galvanized steel flange fitting
c. A 2" galvanized steel cap fitting
d. 1 can "Rustoleum blue spray paint
e. 4 x 5/16" bolts, 8 x 5/16" washers, and 4 x 5/16" nuts

Like this:


2) Drill a hole in the cap.  If you do not, then you are making what the BATF calls a pipe bomb.  Instead of being a crater face, you will become headless.

Like this


2) Wash all the parts with a "Brillo Pad" and let dry thoroughly.  Then paint.

Like this:


3) On the next day. Put the flange on your reloading bench where you want to keep your PPTs (Primer Pick-Up Tubes), and with a pencil, mark all the holes.  Then drill them out.  Make sure you drill a hole in the middle also.  Otherwise, you are making what the BATF calls a rocket and you will blow a hole in your ceiling.

Like this:


4) Put some masking tape over the middle hole.  Two pieces should do it.

Like this:


5) Now bolt down the flange with the bolts, washers, and nuts to your bench.  Screw in the pipe, and put in your PPTs.

Like this:


6) Screw on the cap and admire your work
Like this:


Now you won't ever be a crater face!  Enjoy!

[williamlayton]

That was not only a good read, and helpful, the tutorial was wonderful. Ya did good.
Blessings

[rickyp]

From a safety stand point this is a very bad idea!!
You should always keep your primers in the factory box when not being used. IF you keep the primers in the tubes You may ( will) forget what primer type is in what tube! labels do fall off or become unreadable over time.
If i have 100 rounds to prime then I only have 100 primers out  and all others put in the factory boxes away from my reloading operation

[BamBams]

I've gotta disagree with you Rickyp.

Some things for you to consider:

Sometimes I will reload up to 1000 rounds in an evening.  I can reload 100 rounds in less than 15 minutes.  To stop and flip primers, and then pick up 100 of them in a tube every 15 minutes would be a REAL PIA and is quite unnecessary.  Commercial reloaders fill many tubes at once - thousands and thousands of primers at a time. Both Dillon and Midway sell machines to do exactly that as well.  It IS a safe practice to have more than one tube loaded up at once -- assuming this is being done by a responsible reloader.

It is far safer to have the tubes safely stored where they can not be knocked on the floor and stepped on, or somehow entangled into the press while it is operating.

As for mixing up primers.  That's not even possible since I only load one caliber anyway.  If I DID reload multiple calibers, I would establish a practice of dumping everything out after a session.  I do agree that a main key to primer safety is safe storage, but I do not agree that the factory container is the "only" way to store them safely -- even though it may indeed be the "safest."  If I stop reloading for an hour to go eat dinner, you sure aren't going to find me returning 340 primers to their factory containers first.

As someone with 25 years of reloading experience, I am acutely aware of the sensitivity of primers. Federals are the most touchy - CCI and Winchester the most hardy.  Anyway, even a static electricity charge can set them off.  I am always considering ways to make my reloading practices safer, and "anyone" who uses a progressive press is already making some safety "concessions" whether they care to admit it or not.  Somewhere between ultimate safety and getting the job done, there is a compromise where efficiency is high, and the risk of a mishap is extremely low.  That is where I want to be, and this idea for storing PPTs stems from that desire.  My reloading bench is now a safer place, and I still get the job done.  That equals success to me.

As I've pondered things, I have decided to leave off the cap though.  I really don't see a need for the cap as the pipe would still direct the explosion upward and downward instead of outward.

[rickyp]

If you use ONLY ONE TYPE of primer then storing them in the tubes are fine. IF you are doing a loading marathon and need to have 4 tubes filled then it is fine to fill 4 tubes and put them in the pipe. If you leave for an hour or two it is fine to leave them in the tubes.  some people will load what they need then may not come back to the reloading table for a few weeks or longer. This is where the troubles come in " Now what primer was in what tube?"

I load small rifle small pistol , large rifle, small pistol and some of these are mag primers.  In my 15 years of reloading I have made mistakes before. and have always caught them before anything happened.

Just because someone has 25 years of reloading experience doesn't mean everyone does. we all  have to take into consideration the new person just starting out. he/she may get a wrong idea and could hurt them selves or others.  

When it comes to reloading I like to play it safe. Someone once said " there are old reloader and  there are  bold reloaders but there are no old bold reloaders"

[williamlayton]

From an outside observer of this conversation I can see the merit of both sides. I agree on the safety issues and the need to be careful of misinterpretation by readers with little or no experience, however; as a idea of a way for an individual to overcome a concern this is a good thought. If applied correctly, I do not see the safety concern and has merit for organizing a potentially dangerous situation.
You could, potentially, use a number of these, setup and labeled properly, for different primers. This would require a lot of holders, hoever, we all get a little anal in different ways.
Just my thoughts, wheather or not it suits my needs.
Blessings

[BamBams]

I am really not trying to be argumentative, but you raise a good point about sharing reloading information.  Here is my disclaimer:  I think disclaimers are for litigious whimps and I don't use them.  I've never been afraid of a lawsuit in my life, and I won't start now.

The problem with sharing ideas like this is that one can't share them at all if they worry too much about beginners mis-applying those ideas. If one wants to get across that idea anyhow, I agree it has to be done with some level of concern, but certainly not so much as to prevent conveyance of the idea altogether.  It's definitely trying to walk a fine line - not always the easiest thing to do.  Since I'm not going anywhere, and just so people know, my attitude on this is thus:

I "try" to be as clear as possible, and include as many warnings as I can think of along the way.  That's the limit of the responsibility for others I am willing to take - not an ounce more....for the following reasons:

1) Most people who are brand new to reloading will buy a good reloading book.  All good reloading manuals are replete with primer safety and powder safety warnings -- as well as detailed explainations of how both work.  If they don't get informed - only God can save them from themselves anyway, so I ain't gonna carry that burden.  Safe reloading requires a mature, responsible, informed head.  Every "how to" publication on reloading assumes this as a "given."  If that's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.
 
2) The one's who can't read, won't be reading my idea, so I won't worry about them either.

3) Individual safety is an individual matter.  Some people, frankly, should never even own a gun, let alone reload the cartridges.  If the primers don't kill them, they'll eventually succumb to some other "accident."  If they manage to survive their first lethal mistake, and still don't wake up, they are beyond help, so I won't worry about them either.

4) The IQ factor - Read #4.

5) Alcohol & guns don't mix at all.

6) Alcohol, television, anti-depressants, kids, pets, and telephones, don't mix with reloading at all.

7) Young people should NEVER EVER be permitted to reload without adult supervision right there at the bench!

8 ) I'm always happy to spend time with a sincere beginner to help them get off to the right start in a safe and enjoyable hobby.  Reloading is less dangerous than driving to work, IF a person follows the rules and uses some common sense.  I'll answer anyone's questions, as long as they can be asked respectfully and with a positive, constructive attitude.  I consider that a moral obligation -- indeed a duty -- for any experienced shooter.

9) You cannot anticipate every question, and you cannot take responsiblity for every question someone else fails to ask.

10) IF you take my ideas, mix them up with your unsafe practices, and blow your head off, then you can't sue me, and the human gene pool will benefit from you.  That is my hope.

I can see that on the surface, the pipe storage idea appears ominous and forboding -- even to the point of looking like a homemade bomb..  On another BBS, the moderator immediately locked the thread when one of his cronies said it was extremely unsafe.  It just shows me that some people have very closed minds and can't think beyond anything they read or hear.  In their mentally shackled world, nothing ever improves.  If that moderator had any sense at all, he would have permitted me to clarify the idea more, or he would have deleted the thread entirely.

It's obvious now that when the other considerations are factored in that the idea becomes more clear.  I probably should have prefaced the idea with more details.  Let's face it, not too many people out there will load up 16 tubes for one reloading session, but one colleague I know does exactly that!  He would normally put all the tubes in a large McDonald's soda cup.  He can't count how many times that got knocked over.

Finally, I am one for sharing (contributing) anything and everything I can to help others enjoy the hobby/sport more -- and also to make it safer. I always expect flak, and as you can see, I get some too!   I never let it bother me a bit though.  I just keep pressing on - heck somebody has to do it.  All criticisms are welcome, and I appreciate everyone's thoughts on the tube idea.  You can only make ideas like this even better as far as I'm concerned, and hey, if the idea sucks, and you can show me that....I'll be the first to toss it off my bench - NOW!