Bad primer ?

[JD 500]

How many have had issues with ignition on reloads ?

Had my 1st failure to fire, and unfortunately it was in my new 4" 500.

Primer had a pretty good hit in it, and I'm surprised it didn't go. It did go the second time I hit it.

Wondering if it could just be a bad primer ?

 

[shovelwrench]

Probably, the primer was'nt seated all the way. It common for the first hit to seat it, next one sets it off.

 

[JD 500]

Thanks shovelwrench - Using the primer arm on my rockchucker to prime my brass. I've probably loaded 2500 rounds on it in several calibers. I guess one certainly could have got past me.

 

[pownal55]

i switched to a hand priming tool, allows you you feel the primer bottom out in the primer pocket. 1 in 2500 is an excellent record, 0 is better.

 

[robertrwalsh]

I second the hand primer. I have had issues with the same thing and it has NEVER been a bad primer, it was always a badly seated primer.

 

[n4zov]

i switched to a hand priming tool, allows you you feel the primer bottom out in the primer pocket.

I've been using an old Lee hand priming tool for years because I like to have complete control over the priming process. It lets me "feel" that the primer is fully seated, and I can adjust the depth of the primer easily. Priming is one step in the reloading process where faster is not better.

 

[Bugs100]

Strangely enough I had my first bad primer today in my 41Mag.

The first time it hit nothing so I put it back in after looking at it. It had a good hit and the primer was seated good.

2nd time nothing, 3rd time nothing.

I was real surprised I've been using Winchester primers for years and never had this happen before.

 

[JD 500]

I'm also using Win primers.

 

[HAWKEYE10]

i wore out a lee hand primer and now use a rcbs, they are both good. i also like to hand prime so i can watch TV. it's a pain to get up during a good show to load another 100 primers.

don

 

[gregintenn]

I've been using an old Lee hand priming tool for years

Me too. You just can't beat em.

 

[Rule3]

Must be the Moon Phase or something.
I just had my first several but I am thinking it's the gun. I loaded up some more today and actually cleaned the primer pockets. I loaded 50 with cci and 50 with Win primers. I switched from the Lee to the RCBS Universal hand tool. Both work great. I plan to shoot tomorrow, If it still fails, I am returning the gun to S&W for adjustment. For the price it darn well better work with anything!
http://smith-wessonforum.com/e...70103904/m/826108521

 

[Forester]

My only non-firing primer events were with Winchester primers. Happened on two revolvers, a 642 and a 65. The 65 ended up needed a shim due to endshake and now that gun is 100% with any primer. The 642 was brand new though.

 

[44forever]

While less likely using a hand primer, it might be a good idea to check and clean your reloading area to make sure you are not inadverantly introducing foreign cotnamanents to the primer at some step in the process.

 

[NFrameFred]

After loading over 100,000 rounds I can recall the only "bad" batch of primers I ever got was a case of Remingtons, and I suspect some UPS gorilla probably shot-putted them onto a loading dock somewhere and broke them up. One batch of ammo loaded with them had consistent mis-fires. I dumped the case and never had any other problems.

Any other mis-fire issues with primers I have ever witnessed in over 30 years of reloading have been due to a) not seating deep enough and "arming" the primer; b) too much "oomph" on the seating stroke and crushing the primer; or c) mis-storage of primers to where they got contaminated by moisture or solvents and became unreliable.

Given the billions produced annually I am amazed at the reliability of commercially available primers.

 

[David LaPell]

I tried the priming tool on my RCBS, but switched to a Lee Hand held priming tool. I have had no problems since.

 

[straightshooter1]

I load more rifle and shotgun than pistol. For a period of time, I had several failures with Winchester large rifle primers. On another forum, there were several posters with similar experiences.

CCI primers, and especially their commercial primers, have always been known as "hard" meaning they really need more of a whack with the firing pin to go off.

One local commercial reloader uses them and they will rarely fire in my Model 64 which has a very nice trigger job. Factory ammo always fires.

The fact that your shell fired when hit a second time eliminates any possibility of oil contamination, so I suspect the other posters may be correct-it wasn't seated fully.

Bob

 

[JD 500]

Thanks all !

Just ordered the RCBS Universal hand priming tool, after verifying it would hold (and prime) the 500.