45acp 625 primer issues

[Blowncar]

Picked up a nice 625jm and it came with 200 rounds of reloads 200gr lswc over 4.5 grains of trailboss. I pulled down several rounds and they came out right on the money so I decided to shoot them. Shot 36 with very good accuracy and had 1 miss fire due to light strike. The primer actually looked like it was set deep. When looking at other spent rounds most strikes were really good and none too light. However all primers were concaved/dished. Clearly the rounds are not hot. I measured the moon clips and they range from .375 to .380. Headspace issues?

 

[Coastie762]

Was the 625 purchased used? Assuming so as it came with reloads the first thing I would look at (after the reloads) is the strain screw and mainspring.

Check to ensure that the strain screw is tightened in all the way. Also check the strain screw tip for signs that it was shortened or if the end is deformed due to peening.

Look at the mainspring and see if it is flat or is ribbed. If the latter, the previous owner may have installed a reduced power Wolff mainspring. These can cause ignition issues with certain brands of primers.

 

[Blowncar]

Will check that out. Could that somehow cause the primers to dish?

 

[Coastie762]

The dishing you see is caused by the shape of the firing pin bushing. Take a look at the firing pin hole in the back of the frame. The bushing has a distinctive rounded shape (at least on my 625s) that cause the concave appearance you see on the fired primers.

 

[Tom Beavert]

Stay with Federal primers for your 625, at least I have good luck with them when I run lighter springs.
tb

 

[alwslate]

A slightly warped moon clip can cause a misfire because it cushions
the firing pin strike.

 

[Blowncar]

The dishing you see is caused by the shape of the firing pin bushing. Take a look at the firing pin hole in the back of the frame. The bushing has a distinctive rounded shape (at least on my 625s) that cause the concave appearance you see on the fired primers.

We have a winner! Next question, does it make any difference?

 

[Coastie762]

Depends on what kind of difference. As far as reliability goes, no difference. I have several newer revolvers with the rounded bushing, they all work as well as those with flat ones.

 

[fredj338]

Brave man, I won't shoot others reloads.
Tighten the mainspring up if it's tuned. Still having issues, switch to Federal.

 

[Rule3]

I think you are making more of this than need be.

One 1 misfire out of 36 unknown primers or how they were loaded. Could simply be a primer was not seated correctly. Could be a moon clip

Invest in a box of factory ammo ( I know it's hard to do)

spend the $30 and see if they all go bang. First make sure the mainspring screw (strain) is tight. If they all go bang then its a primer seating issue (probably)

 

[oldgranddad]

Blowncar,
I have the exact same problem in my 625-4 (.45ACP). When I was using Winchester Autocomp powder there was never any unburned powder in the cylinder or under the extractor and I got 100% reliable ignition. I recently bought some Clay's Universal and now I have unburned powder all the time and light primer strikes and FTFs after about 40 rounds. I believe some unburned powder flakes are blowing back under the extractor preventing the moon clip from seating the way it should. I'm working on a little heavier load to see if I can get all the powder to burn...at least until I use up the Clay's.
Hope you find the solution.

 

[daniel lawecki]

I've been reading post after post. And I'm still wondering how in the world can people have so many problems. If it's not COL its seating or primers or something of the sort. Are people not reading the manuals or just not paying attention. I shoot cast bullets been reloading since 1979. And had two squib bullets and out of 20 thousand Tula primers I had 5 FTF. Now new reloader's I can say they look to the internet for their info rather the reading a manual printed on paper heaven to bid.

 

[Blowncar]

Thanks for those with helpful responses. I went back and shot my reloads which are new starline brass and Cci primers. I have shot over 800 of mine prior without failure. Also shot 6 factory rounds. All 66 rounds went bang. All were dished after firing, its the bushing.

 

[Coastie762]

FWIW, the change in bushing shape appears to coincide with the introduction of the frame mounted firing pin on centerfire revolvers in the late '90s. Guns produced using the original hammer-mounted firing pin (hammer nose) also used a flat hammer nose bushing.

 

[Blowncar]

Interesting, I have a dozen or more models post late 90's and I have never seen a dished primer from any of them. All N frames .41.44 & .45's. If it doesn't effect anything; guess I won't try to fix what's not broke. Thanks

 

[Coastie762]

The oldest gun I have with the rounded bushing is a late 90's 696-1. That dates to the start of the change over to MIM parts and frame mounted firing pins. I also have several J frames dating from 2007 to, well, today (I just brought home an M&P 340) along with two 625-8's. They all contain a rounded bushing. I think fired cases from all show some dishing of fired primers and I consider this to be normal.

Enjoy your new 625 and I hope all here have a great holiday season!

 

[metalman60]

Dished primers are produced when the primer is seated in the shell , using a lot of force.. I have heard that some re-loaders do this on purpose. It is supposed to make the primers more sensitive to ignition. However, I have never done this. The thickness of your moon clips is actually .0375-.0380 etc. I use moon clips from Wilson Combat. they measure .039 typ. and work just fine. You may find that moon clips that measure .041 and above tend to hang up a little in the 625.

Trail Boss is good powder to use with large lead bullets in the 625.

 

[rockquarry]

I've experienced the concave spent primers as well with 625s. As already mentioned, the "bowl" appearance of a fired primer is an impression of the rounded bushing in the frame. It's slight and hurts nothing.

This has occurred only with use of my N-frame guns with the newer rounded bushing. Cases fired in about a dozen other older N-frame revolvers show no such sign. Primers are seated in the same manner in all the guns. I am certainly no expert on anything mechanical, but in this case, I would have to conclude that forceful primer seating has nothing to do with the shape of expended primers.

 

[Blowncar]

Rock you are right on the money. Of course if they were concalved before going in i would have mentioned that. I did shoot a few that were roundnose out of my 45 Dan Wesson, no dished spent primer. It seems only the 625s with the rounded bushings do this. All I can deduce is that the moon clip holds the the round closer to the bushing after the hammer hits the primer or the whole clip somehow moves backward with enough force and it transfers the bushing shape into the primer.