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.
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.
?
