Misfire Today- You'll NEVER Guess Why

[M E Morrison]

Back in 2000, two friends and I went to Tanzania on a Cape Buffalo/Plains Game hunt.
On our last day there, the top guy at the camp asked if we would like to assist in culling some zebras ( ) Of course we were happy to assist. Later in the day, we ran across a few and my buddy lined up his Winchester M70 chambered in .375 H&H on a nice zebra, pulled the trigger and all we heard was pffffttt..! I had him put his rifle against a tree as it sounded like a hang-fire, and finished up on the zeb with my rifle. When the shooting was over, we checked his rifle, and low and behold the round had a primer loaded backwards This was with factory new Federal Premium Safari ammo, which cost (at that time) about $80/box.
Funny that we got half way around the world, hunted for 10 days, etc., and it was never noticed until he was in the moment.
It's just a good thing he wasn't facing down a buffalo at the time....!

Makes a good case for inspecting your ammo, doesn't it?

 

[Ed Fowler]

Dumped a box of Federal primers into a primer tray and found a bunch of priming compound. It was very explosive, have not used Federal Primers since.

Happens quite a bit with 22 ammo, don't usually think much of it, it is the way too hot rounds that worry me.

 

[SMSgt]

I think the amount of defective ammo produced by any means is highly exaggerated in many minds. I doubt I've had more than five in my lifetime--including reloads, commercial loads, shotgun, rifle, handgun, center fire, rim fire. Heck I've bought more cans of beer that the pop top failed to open than that!

 

[DWalt]

Some years ago, I had a .30-'06 military round with no flash hole. That's not supposed to happen either. I also once had a function test .30-'06 round, no powder but charged with what looked like fine white sand. It looked like any other round.

 

[SmithNut]

Makes a good case for inspecting your ammo, doesn't it?

Yes, 'sactly what I told him back then, and about every time we talk about the Africa trip these days...

 

[Ceapea]

Several years ago, the club where I shoot PPC had placed a very large primer order. IIRC, somewhere around 60k-70k, for the PPC guys to split
That particular LOT of Federal SPP produced approx. 45 bad/dead/no compound primers. I know 45 out of 65k! But still. One guy had 3 bad in one flat of 100....during a match! I had 3 bad out of 1k. I've also had WSP fall out of three 9mm cases. When I put CCI's in them, they were good to go.
So yeah, I have seen it.

 

[amazingflapjack]

For several years now I have more faith in my hand loads than factory stuff.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

I've seen an anvil fall out of the cup just by the normal shaking of the primers in the primer tray.Don't remember the brand though.And loading over 10K a year for over 40 years,I consider the ratio to be pretty good.
Qc

 

[Ed Fowler]

It really pays to look them over in the flip tray, both sides.

 

[29aholic]

I lost a skeet match due to a bad factory Win. AA target load. I called Winchester and they had me give the shell to one of their reps at the next match. They gave me a free case of shells.


Now for the kicker!!! The very next month I lost first place (and a fair amount of money) in a sporting clays match on another bad AA...OUT OF THE FREE CASE THEY GAVE ME

 

[LAA]

It really pays to look them over in the flip tray, both sides.

I'll at least see the anvil side in the flip tray. I'll see the other side
when checking with a case gauge or barrel.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

I lost a skeet match due to a bad factory Win. AA target load. I called Winchester and they had me give the shell to one of their reps at the next match. They gave me a free case of shells.


Now for the kicker!!! The very next month I lost first place (and a fair amount of money) in a sporting clays match on another bad AA...OUT OF THE FREE CASE THEY GAVE ME

Perfect definition of ''consistency''!Sorry for those lost matches.
Qc

 

[USN-RET]

Shooting my 657PC 41 Magnum l had a MISFIRE...

Never say Never, but l got one today at the range...

Tried the RD 3 times. Still NOTHING. When something

like this happens l get a bit rattled.. At least NO KABOOM..

l come home and get out the old bullet puller and disassemble

the round.. Out falls bullet and powder. Leaving primed case..

Next l knock out the primer.. No charred or blackened primer..

Still nice and shiny inside...Looking closer l don't see the yellow

primer mix.. Taking vise grips and paper clip l pry the little

anvil out.. l cant believe what l see.. Primer cup is EMPTY..

NO PRIMER MIX.. Not seen this one in 40yrs of reloading..

They were CCI 300 LP primers purchased back in the Fall..

Guess l will give CCl a call tomorrow. Maybe post a pic...

Anyone on the forum ever had EMPTY primer????

Well it appears you are not alone and now I feel better too. I had something of a similar nature happen to me a number of years ago and when I disassembled the faulty round I found a completely empty Primer Cup. Viewing it with a magnifying glass you could see it had never been scored when the anvil should have been. I just considered it a Friday Primer. I check the primers in the tray a LOT closer since then, but have not found another in over 6,000+ rounds.