Primer problems

[zrifleman]

This problem raised its ugly head again last week at the range. I took a C-Sharps model 1875 to the range with 50 rds loaded with Winchester primers. 24 fired and 26 did not--the primer was not dented deep enough. My first thought  was--defective firing pin or weak hammer spring. When I got home I loaded 10 shells with Federal 215 M primers and fired them in the gun. All fired and  had a normal indentation.  I have encountered this problem with a Ruger M-77 even after changing the firing pin spring, using Winchester primers. My Colt Anaconda has functioned perfectly thru thousands of rds with Fed primers but from day 1 it would regularly missfire with CCI. My Taurus RB 454 missfires and has accuracy problems with CCI 450 but does quite well with Fed small rifle primers. I'm sharing this info in hopes that it will help some who have similiar problems.

[ricciardelli]

I have been reloading for over 45 years and I use all makes of primers and I have never had one fail to go "bang".

If I were you, an dhad as many failures as you state, I would look at my reloading technique and not the name on the primer box.

[Jerry Lester]

I have been reloading for over 45 years and I use all makes of primers and I have never had one fail to go "bang".

If I were you, an dhad as many failures as you state, I would look at my reloading technique and not the name on the primer box.

As bad as I know you won't like to hear this, I have to agree. I've also been loading for years, and out of tens(likely hundreds) of thousands of rounds, I've only had one mis-fire. That was with a Federal primer, that after carefull examination turned out not to have been charged with priming compound. It had the anvil, and foil, but no mixture.

Like ricciardelli, I've also used just about every primer on the market at one time or another. The only thing I can think of is that you're crushing your primers too hard when loading. If you're priming on your press, that could be the problem.

[zrifleman]

Like you gentlemen I have loaded tens of thousands of rounds of rifle and pistol rounds over a period of 30+ years. I use an RCBS hand primer, primers are seated flush, no contaminated primers, pockets are clean. The problem is hard primer cups that don't work well in some guns. Other shooters have written about this same problem on several chat lines.

[Catfish]

I have had problems with primers many time over the years, and for several different reasons. I guess those guy that never had any problems eather didn`t play areound much or they were very lucky. Win. primers tend to be harder than any of the the others and CCI is probibly next in line. Feds. then to be the softest and go off the easist, but also blow out first with hot loads. I have had short fireing pins that would fire some rounds and not others. I have also run into case with primer hole that were to deep and weak springs. I just broke enough off of a fireing pin on 1 of my Encore frames that it would fire every time with 1 barrel and once in a while with another barrel. The pin didn`t look short and it about drove me nuts till I got it figured out. I though I was doing something wrong because I was loading fire form laods and was sure they should work.
   Your M-77 might have a fireing pin that is just alittle short also.  If you changed the spring and not the fire pin. By just looking I thought that the fireing ping on that Encore was good untill I tried the barrel on anothe action and every round fired.

[Redhawk1]

I use CCI, Winchester and Federal primers. No problems either with them going Bang. I know the CCI primers are the hardest primers. If you have someone else with the same caliber gun, let them shot the one's that did not go off for you and see how there gun does with them.  

[ricciardelli]

primers are seated flush

Tha just may be your problem...your primers are seated "flush", primers are supposed to be seated firmly against the bottom of the primer pocket.

("Flush" to me indicates even with the case head.)

[MickinColo]

I would suggest that you invest in a primer pocket uniformer tool. I have only had 3 primers (same lot number of Remington 9 ½ many years ago) not fire.

[akpls]

....... The only thing I can think of is that you're crushing your primers too hard when loading. If you're priming on your press, that could be the problem.

This was exactly the problem I had when a batch of .257 Roberts wouldn't go bang.  Except I was able to crush the primer with a Lee hand prime!  Upon closer examination, all the primers were flattened on the bottom.  I haven't done it since, but I pay more attention to it now.

[Questor]

I've had a few Winchester WLP primers fail, in one of 1000 I had two fail. The third failed just recently. My technique is to store them in a cool, dry, dark place and use a Dillon feed tube to pick them up. I don't actually touch the primers. Perhaps the problems I encountered were from storage before I got them, but that is doubtful because of the turnover that my gunshop has with these primers.  

So, yes, it's possible to have a dud with good technique, but it shouldn't be very common. I probably shoot more rounds in a day with those WLPs than most Sharps shooters will fire in a year.

[Questor]

In reading all of the posts in this thread, I think Ricciardelli has an excellent point that may have been the cause of my primer problems with the WLPs.  Perhaps I crushed the primers. Some of the primers do flatten a bit with my Dillon machine. I think this is because I use any kind of brass I can find and mix it all up. Then I proceed to reload them until the cases split.  I'm sure that some of this flattening can damage the primer mixture.  Thanks Ricciardelli, but now what am I going to do if I can't reload when I'm ticked off? (which is most of the time lately)

[MickinColo]

I’m Curious about the last post. Interesting would be the least I could say.

[superhornet]

Primer hardness ??   Are we really talking about hardness or are we confused about Sensitivity ??   I have heard the myth of primer hardness for many years.  I doubt that the parameters between different manufacturers is all that great...I have loaded tens of thousands of Winchester primers.....Have I had misfires ??   Of course.    But, all traced back to loading technic, some high, some crushed.  Winchester primers ??  ....as good as the best, and better than the rest.  Of course this is only my humble opinion .