Primer Puzzle

[SMSgt]

Let me preface this with I've been reloading since the early '70s and have had two bad primers, both CCIs from the same package in 1976. I've never had another issue with any brand of primer in any gun since . . . until today.

I've been reloading for a wildcat caliber in an AR action for a few months now, using primarily CCIs (#41s, BRs, 450s) but some Win and Rem primers also. No problems. I uniform the pockets and flash holes, make sure my fingers are clean, seat them with a hand primer, and run my fingers across them to make sure they're below flush.

Today I had a mixture of 125 rounds, some Win primers, and about 100 CCI 450 primers. When I got to my last set of #450 loads, all was fine until I got to the last ten rounds. Pulled the trigger and Click! Ejected a loaded round. Okay, it happens. I set it aside to try again later.

Next round . . . click. Ejected another loaded round. Looked at both and both had solid primer strikes. Tried a third round and click. A third misfire. What the heck?

Now I know something is wrong. All solid strikes. Just to be sure, I pulled the firing pin, and other than being typical AR sooty, it was fine, bolt and BCG okay. So I put it back together and the next two rounds also misfired.

That's five dud primers in a row, if you weren't counting. I even tried a couple of them again, but no luck.

I had only five rounds left, so I loaded the mag and Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, just like all the precious rounds had done.

Cleaning the rifle afterwards gave no indication of any "gun" problem, and the primer strikes agreed.

Tomorrow I'll break down the defective cartridges and see if anything is amiss there, but I have no explanation of how, out of 100 rounds with the same pack of primers I managed to get five misfires in a row. Randomly I could understand, but not 5-in-a-row and then back to normal.

[Ivan the Butcher]

Like you said before, CCI 450's are a very dependable primer!

BUT 5 IN A ROW? Obviously something is wrong! One thought that comes to mint is the primer pocket itself. When you pull the bullets to examine your rounds try some more 450's primers and see if your action will detonate them, then another brand. I think a Cartridge case problem is more likely than 5 consecutive primers for an otherwise good lot.

Ivan

[SMSgt]

Oh, even better than that. Rounds won't fire with no powder...

Never missed loading powder before in my life. I'm loading small batches of loads with this rifle, ten to fifteen rounds at a time. How I missed 5 consecutive cases is my new mystery as I always visually check powder levels, until these five.

And there was no audible "pop" when I pulled the trigger, just the snap of the hammer falling. And the bullets didn't seem to budge from where I seated them. Other than sooty bases, you'd never know the primers fired.

Adding this to my stupid lessons learned file.

[iouri]

So CCI has been exonerated ?

[SMSgt]

I reckon so, even though I could not bring my mind to think they would make five-in-a-row duds.

[muddocktor]

Wow, you were so lucky the primers didn't push the bullet up into the barrel.

[diyj98]

Originally Posted by muddocktor

Wow, you were so lucky the primers didn't push the bullet up into the barrel.

Yep. I had loaded up some light 45acp target loads with Bullseye. They shot just fine in an automatic set up for light loads, but I tried one in my Blackhawk revolver and the bullet stuck in the barrel. There was just enough gas loss in a revolver to make them useless for revolvers. I caught my problem after one round and the lead pushed out rather easily. But I one had a gun shop owner show me an old Colt revolver that appeared to have at least three bullets stuck in it's bulged barrel! The owner obviously hadn't noticed the bullets were sticking or maybe thought he could "shoot them out"!

[HKSmith]

Beside the point now since you know what happened, but I couldn't resist calculating the probability of getting 5 bad primers in a row if you had 5 bad primers in a box of 100. There are 75,287,520 ways to distribute 5 items in 100 spaces, of which 96 have 5 in a row. That's a probability of about 0.000001275. Had to dust off my Statistics and Probability course that I took as a Senior in college (1964). Sorry I can't calculate the probability of leaving the powder out of 5 consecutive cases.

[DumpStick]

I was at a Military Bolt-gun match at the club a year or so back, shooting a 91/30.

Loaded a round, pulled the trigger, the firing pin slammed forward, ....nothing.....
Waited a maybe 20 seconds, just cranked the bolt up and down (Mosins cock on opening) without opening the bolt. Pulled the trigger again, same result. Nothing.

Waited 30 seconds, cautiously opened the bolt and pulled the cartridge,

there was no primer.....sheesh.

[OKFC05]

Humans make mistrakes, doan wee?

[SMSgt]

Originally Posted by muddocktor

Wow, you were so lucky the primers didn't push the bullet up into the barrel.

They didn't budge. Too much "empty" space. I guess.

[AManWearingAHat]

I am glad this mistake didn't lead to a dangerous condition! However I will admit I did have to laugh at no powder in the case. Live and learn eh?