CCI Magnum SPP No.550 ignition issues.

[Paul in Nevada]

FWIW; in 35+ years I have had zero primer fails that were my fault. Reason? I use a ram prime...

Big fan of the ram prime. I have an older one that still has a primer feeder. Looks like the new ones are all one at a time.

 

[smithra_66]

I guess I've been incredibly fortunate with primers since I began handloading in 1965. With rifle or handgun cartridges, I try seat the primer fully which almost always means the primer is slightly below flush. It takes but a fraction of a second to run an index finger over the primer to check this; a little less convenient chore if using a progressive machine but it can still be done.

If using a handheld priming device make sure it's not worn out. A worn tool often prevents primers from being fully seated regardless of the amount of effort used.

With regard to revolvers in particular, I've yet to see an out-of-the-box unmolested revolver that would not fire any and every primer with 100% reliability. Change springs and get action jobs if you wish but you always take a chance on forfeiting reliability only for a somewhat lighter and maybe smoother trigger. Instead, consider practicing more with the as-is gun and you'll likely get used to it and be quite happy with it.

If a modified revolver requires a specific primer to work reliably, that's not really a reliable gun in the strict sense, but that's okay if that's what you want.

I present you with the 2020 Colt Python. Google search that and you'll find TONS of issues with ignition, straight out of the box.

On mine, in double action mode, CCI primers are unreliable. Federal and Winchester, no problem.

 

[cmj8591]

Good morning , thanks to everybody who gave advice on my primer ignition issue. At the range yesterday I took the same lot of my reloads. Sure enough one did not fire. This time I cycled through the cylinder and sure enough a second strike fired it off. I will attribute this to an unseated primer mentioned by many. Thanks for the help. Jeff

I don't do it because I'm not having your issue and it's a PIA when doing volume loading, but if you are having difficulty seating your primers, you might need to scrape the residue from the bottom of the pocket. The only time I really bother with it is if I'm doing accuracy loads for rifle and looking for a very uniform seating depth. Other than that I don't bother but it's one more thing to look at.

 

[rockquarry]

I present you with the 2020 Colt Python. Google search that and you'll find TONS of issues with ignition, straight out of the box.

On mine, in double action mode, CCI primers are unreliable. Federal and Winchester, no problem.

Likely a gun problem. No absolutes here; there are always exceptions.

My experience with revolvers has been limited to many Smith & Wessons and no more than twenty-five Colt double-action revolvers, the newest of which were a couple of Pythons manufactured in the '70s. I suppose I've used all US made pistol primers over the years, but at least 90% have been CCI. They've all worked fine in all my revolvers, but some, maybe many of my guns have not been fired double-action - at least by me. Whether this would make any difference, I don't know, but sort of doubt it.

 

[daverich4]

many of my guns have not been fired double-action - at least by me. Whether this would make any difference, I don't know, but sort of doubt it.

It actually does make a difference. In double-action the hammer goes through a shorter stroke and doesn't hit the primer quite as hard. I've never had a problem with CCI primers in a stock gun but in my tuned guns the failure to file happens more often in double-action than it does in single-action.

 

[rockquarry]

Maybe so, but I'm confident my guns will work okay double-action. The ones I've tried worked fine; as far the others, I may never find out. None have been tampered with as far as I know.