CCI primers

[Weatherby]

Have any of you guys had any problems with CCI primers. I know a guy that was using them and they would not fire. He was thinking maybe he wasn't seating them far enough or his firing pin was busted. Just as a test he loaded some Winchesters without bullets and powder. All of them fired without any problems.  Is the quality that bad or did he just get a bad batch? Just curious.

[Questor]

CCI primers are top quality stuff. I'd suspect any other component, especially the gun, before suspecting the primers.  Do they have a good dent in them?

[Loader 3009]

I've run into that problem with CCI and Remington primers.  I guess any manufacturer can have a bad lot.  I've also had store-bought ammo that would not fire.  Contact the people at CCI and give them the lot number; they will "make it right".

[Graybeard]

I've loaded more CCI primers (shotshell, SP, SPM, LP, LPM, SR, LR and SR BR) than all other brands put togehter. I like them and am happy with them or else I'd not be using them. They are as good as any on the market.

GB

[longwinters]

Around here guy are nuts for CCI.  I have shot CCI, Win. and Fed.  All worked great. :grin:

[cherokee]

CCI primers require a harder firing pin strike than other primers. Try Federal primers they are the best choice for guns with light firing pin strikes.

[Questor]

If the gun can't dent a CCI primer, the gun is broken.

[Geno]

bolt action. Didnt seem to like reloads, which is a ridiculous statement, I know. But I managed to buy it cheapp because it's prior owner thought so. Took the bolt apart and cleaned it good, no more problems.  :-D

[Weatherby]

He was reloading for a contender pistol .223 cal. I don't know much about contenders. Do they have light firing pins?

[John Traveler]

ah, yes!

The Contender pistol is nortorious for misfires if the case is full-length resized and the shoulder is set back.

True, CCI primers are on the "hard" side, but it is proper reloading technique that makes for reliable reloads in the Contender.

Try suggesting to your friend that the case should be resized only enough to chamber and close the action easily.  That will avoid pushing the shoulder back and giving (essentially) excess headspace to cause misfires.

[flatlander]

I know the guy that Weatherby is talking about. He was getting less than 50% firing rate. He was even rotating the round and striking it 2-3 times. Using everything exactly the same except switching to Winchester primers, he went to 100% firing. I got a look at the primers and he was denting them plenty enough to set them off.  We decided that his gun didn't like that lot of CCI's so I guess he's going to shoot Winchester primers from here on in that load. I don't know what the ultimate cause of the whole problem was, but switching primer brands cured it.

[Tom W.]

I had the same problem with my new Weatherby Mk V. there were some loads it just would not set off. I got nice, deep indentations in the primers, but they didn't go boom. I first took it to a "gunsmith" and asked him ti disassemble  the bolt and make sure it wasn't clogged with grease or whatever, and he didi, and still didn't work. He asked me why I was using .280 cartridges in a 30-06, and I told him it was because I could. He didn't understand reloading. I sent the rifle back to Weatherby and told them that it wouldn't work right, they adjusted something ( I can never read the repair order) and now it's fine.

[Lloyd Smale]

I hope you mean using .280 brass not 280 ammo in you 06.

I had the same problem with my new Weatherby Mk V. there were some loads it just would not set off. I got nice, deep indentations in the primers, but they didn't go boom. I first took it to a "gunsmith" and asked him ti disassemble  the bolt and make sure it wasn't clogged with grease or whatever, and he didi, and still didn't work. He asked me why I was using .280 cartridges in a 30-06, and I told him it was because I could. He didn't understand reloading. I sent the rifle back to Weatherby and told them that it wouldn't work right, they adjusted something ( I can never read the repair order) and now it's fine.

[Tom W.]

Yes, I've been doing this kind of stuff for about 25 years. Sometimes my fingers don't always transmit my thoughts properly. I was reforming the brass. :lol:

[IronKnees]

I've loaded CCI primers in large and small pistol, and large and small rifle and magnum rifle for more years than I care to mention. In all that time, I have had a total of one (1) misfire. And, that was early on in my reloading career. I had crushed the primer trying to use the "in-press" primer tool on a Lee Turret press. This is one of those that seats the primer on the up stroke (of the handle) and the down travel of the ram. You can't feel the primer seat, and I crushed the heck out of that one... Other than that, I have used nothing but CCI and have no problems at all with them... Dave

[Horsefeathers]

I had misfires with CCI primers back in the 60,s.  I had an action job done on a  S&W M 10 .38SPL included lightening the hammer spring. Had no problem with softer Remington primers. The CCI,s were harder. Ive since then replaced the spring with a standard one.   Horsefeathers.

[c mac]

A couple of years ago I know of 2 guys that both bought tc contenders in 35 rem. Both had to be sent back to the factory because of misfires. tc had a problem with these. The dent in the primer was not what it should have been. they did make it right.
c mac

[Jack Crevalle]

Interesting article in in the most recent American Rifleman. It says, in a nutshell, that "hard" primers are a myth and that most problems with the primer not firing can be found elsewhere. The article acknowledges that this does not mean that there are not less sensitive primers such as the CCI 34 and 41 made for military autoloaders. For the article, they try to get data from manufacturers comparison tests of each others primers but cannot. They quote one manufacturer who implies that this is because they find little difference in primers from one manufacturer to another.