primers fails?

[sheep]

So it appears right now that I ran into a bunch of primer fails, have any of you experienced this before?

So I bought a 280ackley, I bought 100 280 brass and loaded old components just so I could fire form. I tried firing 6, 3 fired, 3 didn't. I thought maybe light firing pin strike so I pulled the 3 bullets and removed the primers (a little scary) and installed them in cases for a rifle I have never had problems with and they still didn't fire.

So I assume bad primers.

[Dick284]

Back in the mid 90’s when we had a similar component supply issue i bought 500 CCI 250 primers that had a 25%-30% failure rate, these were a gun show buy, and I assumed the primers were likely contaminated or improperly stored, I wrote it off to a learning. I’ve purchased 1000’s of primers since and can’t recollect having a single issue since moving away from that suspect 500, I bought at that gun show.

[elkhunter11]

About 25 years ago, I had a few bad cci primers, all from one package, but I haven't had an issue since.

[catnthehat]

For me it was a 1,000 lot of Winchester large rifle primers, in the mid 90's.
Cat

[Ackleyman]

Had a few 450 small rifle primers lately that didn't do their thing.

[Andrzej]

I had a Federal ( I think GM215) box of 1000 with 33 % failure rate after loading the first 100 Cartridges. IIRC I did post pictures of those primers years ago. I end up contacting Federal with no response or solution I ended up burning 800 + of them but this is another story ...

[silver]

I had a problem with some CCI primers about 15 years ago. The primers would work in one rifle with one powder but not in another rifle with a different powder. In the second situation, the primer would fire but not ignite the powder. It would drive the bullet out of the case but only as far as the lands. I ditched those primers and no more problems.

[sheep]

I really don't know how old they would have been, anywhere from the 70-90's. I started reloading at my grandfathers desk in the mid 90's and they where there then, never left the same drawer until I loaded them for this.


So, should I shoot them all and which ever ones don't go off take apart and redo? Or should I just take them all apart now?

[leeelmer]

had a problem about 5 years ago with federal large rifle match primers
80% failure rate

[Cheyenne 1]

You are fire forming brass. What method were you using? Bullet jam, false shoulder?
If you were using CCI primers to do this they will likely not go off.
Switch to a softer primer. Federals usually work.
Most fail to fires are from excess headspace.
I had had a lot of guys bring me guns that had this issue.
Most times it was not a primer issue.

Originally Posted by sheep

So it appears right now that I ran into a bunch of primer fails, have any of you experienced this before?

So I bought a 280ackley, I bought 100 280 brass and loaded old components just so I could fire form. I tried firing 6, 3 fired, 3 didn't. I thought maybe light firing pin strike so I pulled the 3 bullets and removed the primers (a little scary) and installed them in cases for a rifle I have never had problems with and they still didn't fire.

So I assume bad primers.

[silver]

Originally Posted by sheep

I really don't know how old they would have been, anywhere from the 70-90's. I started reloading at my grandfathers desk in the mid 90's and they where there then, never left the same drawer until I loaded them for this.


So, should I shoot them all and which ever ones don't go off take apart and redo? Or should I just take them all apart now?

I would just take them apart now and burn the primers.

[sheep]

Originally Posted by Cheyenne 1

You are fire forming brass. What method were you using? Bullet jam, false shoulder?
If you were using CCI primers to do this they will likely not go off.
Switch to a softer primer. Federals usually work.
Most fail to fires are from excess headspace.
I had had a lot of guys bring me guns that had this issue.
Most times it was not a primer issue.

I was doing bullet jam and they are cci primers. So did you read the part of removing the primers and putting them in other cases for a different firearm and they still wouldn't fire? If so, I could rebuild all of them and have the same problem again.

[Andrzej]

My primers fail, not the gun or headspace.

It is not the best picture taken in March 2005.
All those primers ignited but not enough to ignite the powder.

[Cow Town Bill]

I had a number of 22 PPC rounds that didn't fire, but always fired on my second attempt. My problem turned out to be a weak 40 yr old firing spring. My smith replaced it and it now fires every time.

[Cheyenne 1]

Yes I did
After a primer is struck like that lots won’t go off.
Just try the same thing using a federal.
I have fire formed thousands of brass.
And I have been stubborn to keep trying cci primers.
Last was my dasher. Had 20 thou or more of jam. Lots of neck tension. Nope.
I only had 50 loaded at the time.
Changed to a cheap primer. Fire formed 6 or 700. Not a miss fire
Then I load the CCI 450’s and shoot with proper headspace, I washed out one barrel and am on the next and not one fail to fire.
I have seen so many people try this in competition with the same result.
So as far as CCI primers I like them and use lots, just for this application they will not work.
Anything else is good.
Just give it a try.






QUOTE=sheep;4473979]I was doing bullet jam and they are cci primers. So did you read the part of removing the primers and putting them in other cases for a different firearm and they still wouldn't fire? If so, I could rebuild all of them and have the same problem again.[/QUOTE]

[Pioneer2]

A bad batch of primers in 40+ years.The older blue box Winchester LR + LRM primers in certain lot #'s have been known to cause bolt face damage.If you have some check the #'s

[catnthehat]

"Primer failure" can be caused by by a number of things, one reason or another is not necessarily going to be thee same cause as what another person is going to experience.
Headspace, gunked up bolts, worn (or broken) mainsprings, and primers seating too shallow are just a few of the things that can cause primer failure besides an out of spec or defective primer itself.


Many years ago I ran into an issue with some factory 6.5X55 match ammo that was not reliable in the rifle I was using - turns out it was too much grease in the bolt, but earlier in the year things worked fine with it.
I also have had problems with certain primers on one of my match rifles, and that turned out to be a worn main spring. In that instance, I switched to a softer primer cup style of primer and things worked fine for a bit.
Another problem that I had was a replaced firing pin that was not dressed properly when it was installed, the gunsmith missed it when he replaced a bent firing pin.
A bit of filing and measuring and all is well once again !
The instance that I had with the Winchester primers was in fact a bad lot of primers however, I have used many Winchesters with a different lot number in the same guns with no issues.
Cat