a must for every reloading room

Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
1,910
Likes
166
Location
Saugus, MA
Feedback: 29 / 0 / 0
just picked one of these up. between spent primers falling out of the rockchucker (stock primer catcher is a piece of crap), brass shavings from trimming/chamferring/deburring, and tumbling media....i found myself running around with a small broom constantly.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...og.beans.EndecaDataBean@1b9824a2&ddkey=Search

the BucketHead (@ Home Depot). mini shop vac that fits on a 5gallon bucket. small size = stows easily under my bench, and no where NEAR as loud as my big shopvac (plus i dont have to lug it around between the basement and the garage)

completely worth it @ $19.97....especially if ya got a spare 5gallon bucket kicking around!
 
Nice! (As long as you don't get any live primers or powder into it).


powder, not so much worried about (theres bound to be a bit here and there...and live primers i REALLY try to find if i drop one).


either way, if i make it go kaboom, it was $19. i'll get another one :)

beats the hell out of blowing up the $80 shopvac.
 
locally. they thought they'd run out, but low and behold there was a whole pallet of them @ the Saugus H.D. took the guy 5 minutes to grab a forktruck and bring it down for me.
 
Not to be a wet blanket but aren't you concerned that the sparks from the motor could ignite loose powder?
I once saw the result when a guy at the marina used a wet/dry vac to get gasoline out of his bilge. They lost 3 boats that day....
 
How loud is it? I would love to get one for the Dillon trimmer.


loud, albeit not as loud as my big shopvac. i'd wear earplugs if i had it running for an extended length of time.

Not to be a wet blanket but aren't you concerned that the sparks from the motor could ignite loose powder?
I once saw the result when a guy at the marina used a wet/dry vac to get gasoline out of his bilge. They lost 3 boats that day....


as a rule, i try to avoid spilling powder. when i do, it's typically right under my standalone powder measure, in which case i use a dustpan and brush, and into the trash barrel it goes.


I SUGGEST EVERYONE AVOIDS USING ANY KIND OF VACUUM TO SUCK UP POWDER/LIVE PRIMERS!

(just in case)
 
Last time I cleaned my reloading room it took me all day. This time I'm going to use a leaf blower..
 
Last edited:
Not to be a wet blanket but aren't you concerned that the sparks from the motor could ignite loose powder?
I once saw the result when a guy at the marina used a wet/dry vac to get gasoline out of his bilge. They lost 3 boats that day....

I think you will find that gasoline vapor trapped in a bilge is far more volatile than gun powder and lights from almost any source of ignition. The guy that owned that boat was a fool who knew nothing about boat safety. I reload in my barn and use a torch to clean up small powder spills on the floor. The bench gets brushed off onto the floor and there is no further worry about forgotten powder in the trash or a vacuum cleaner.
 
Not to be a wet blanket but aren't you concerned that the sparks from the motor could ignite loose powder?
I once saw the result when a guy at the marina used a wet/dry vac to get gasoline out of his bilge. They lost 3 boats that day....

Wish you had a video... damn!
 
I'm still waiting for the youtube video where someone sucks up some live primers with a vacuum. [laugh]

-Mike
 
The Answer

The best thing I've found to clean everything from powder to primers is the IROBOT "Dirt Dog". Worth every penny in my humble opinion. I just turn it loose and go read the paper.
 
Primer in the vacuum

I'm still waiting for the youtube video where someone sucks up some live primers with a vacuum. [laugh]

-Mike

Has one ever really gone off or is this just another internet legend?

It seems like a one in a million chance of the primer striking a very small, sharp, pointed, object with enough force to light it off. [thinking]
 
Has one ever really gone off or is this just another internet legend?

It seems like a one in a million chance of the primer striking a very small, sharp, pointed, object with enough force to light it off. [thinking]

yes, it has. my buddy James hadda buy his wife a new vacuum cleaner. another reason to not reload in a carpeted room (aside from lots of static)
 
It happened to my buddy in high school as well. Was reloading shotshells in the living room. Must have dropped a primer and when his mom vacuumed that evening - the Kirby was no more - not injury - just a lot of explaining to do! One tough vacuum too, wouldn't want to see what a 209 primer would do to the plastic vacuums of today.
 
vacumn

I use mine all the time to suck up powder and primers.how does the primer contact any thing.theres a bag and a foam sleeve.so theres no way the primer or powder can enter the motor.and if it does go off it wont damage any thing.primers are strong but they dont destroy machinery.I use a full size shopmate.and a shotgun primer is nothing but a rifle primer inserted in a holder. we used to reload shotgun primers,when the primers were scarce.I still have the tools.
 
A friend of mine was using his ShopVac to clean his loading area and the vac went snorky when powder ignited in the motor. He hadn't put on the motor prophylactic. He ruined a perfectly good pair of underwear.
 
HEY THANKS FOR THE INFO

GREAT;; i was heading to home depot today anyways,i didnt know there was such a animal...EXCELLENT~EE
 
I picked one of these up this weekend. They had been sold out and had gone fast. It is ok. I wasn't terribly impressed. It is a lot cheaper than my Ridgid vac but also a lot weaker. It is fine to stick on the back of my chop saw station. Not great for cleaning your car.

I don't vac spilt powder. Just sweep it and save for brown brown.
 
A friend of mine was using his ShopVac to clean his loading area and the vac went snorky when powder ignited in the motor. He hadn't put on the motor prophylactic. He ruined a perfectly good pair of underwear.

Maybe the shop vac is made by the same folks who manufacture the Glock? [smile]
 
Sucked up live primers probably a few 100 times. Have yet to have one to go off even with the old hoover with the rotating brushes. Even if one would happen to ignite it only a primer that little anvil flying around in the sweeper isn't go to do a thing.

Ever throw a live primer into the old potbelly stove in deer camp. Comeon guys we're not talking about dyamite here!

Might be my first post here but I've been reloading since the '60's.
 
Sucked up live primers probably a few 100 times. Have yet to have one to go off even with the old hoover with the rotating brushes. Even if one would happen to ignite it only a primer that little anvil flying around in the sweeper isn't go to do a thing.

Ever throw a live primer into the old potbelly stove in deer camp. Comeon guys we're not talking about dyamite here!

Might be my first post here but I've been reloading since the '60's.

I agree completely.

A squib load (in this case primer only) can barely even push a .38spl slug out of a 4" barrel revolver, but it's going to "blow up" a vacuum?

I just don't think so.
 
It happened to my buddy in high school as well. Was reloading shotshells in the living room. Must have dropped a primer and when his mom vacuumed that evening - the Kirby was no more - not injury - just a lot of explaining to do! One tough vacuum too, wouldn't want to see what a 209 primer would do to the plastic vacuums of today.

This happened to me with a Kirby and 209 primer also. Mine didnt break ,just scared the shit out of me when the primer went off.Kirby have metal moving parts and probably have better chance of firing a primer.

I think shop vacs would be ok if any primers get sucked up because there are no moving parts for the primer to get sucked into unlike a Kirby ect..
 
It happened to my buddy in high school as well. Was reloading shotshells in the living room. Must have dropped a primer and when his mom vacuumed that evening - the Kirby was no more - not injury - just a lot of explaining to do! One tough vacuum too, wouldn't want to see what a 209 primer would do to the plastic vacuums of today.

I don't know what the fuss is. Hasn't anybody here had a primer blow while seating in a Square Deal B? It's a surprise when it happens but not earth shaking. If your worried put some water in the bucket first.
 
Back
Top Bottom