Not quite totally seated primer

KDX

KDX

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I just finished reloading some 223 and noticed on one of the shells the primer isn't totally seated and sticks out a wee bit from the base. I must not have squeezed the handle hard enough on that one. Is it safe to use in a semi auto or should I pull the bullet and re-seat the primer?
 
I would pull the bullet and reseat the primer. A slam fire is no fun. Trying to reseat a primer on a loaded shell is not a safe thing to do.
 
I would just use my hand tool, and press it in, carefully. But I'm one badass crazy MOFO.

YMMV, don't do this, you will blow up, your balls will fall off, the sun will supernova. There, I told you not to, you can't sue me, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it myself.
 
Thanks for the replys. I didn't think it would be a good idea, but thought I would ask anyway. I pulled the bullet and reseated the primer and loaded it up again. How catastrophic is a slam fire?
 
KDX said:
How catastrophic is a slam fire?
Click to expand...

With the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, not at all.

Slam fire is simply the chambered round GOING OFF unintentionally when the bolt closes, due to the firing pin traveling forward at a high enough velocity to ignite the primer or the firing pin is stuck in the forward (firing) position when the bolt closes.
 
Yeah and worst case if it goes off while being reseated you get some brass flying around. Yippy. But it wouldn't go off. But throw on some safety glasses, prime some cases and then try to get them to go off with your priming tool.
 
I am flabberggasted! These threads are full of writers who wouldn't load a case if it was .003" shorter than their book said, because it might "blow up in their face."
Others wouldn't use a magnum primer, if their book said standard primer, because, "I don't want my rifle to blow up in my face!"
They wouldn't load two grains more 4831 powder in their big, bottle neck case, than what the book says is "maxium." You get the point.
Then in this thread we see one of the most dangerous things a handloader could do, being talked about!!!!!
It is extremely dangerous to further seat a primer, once the cartridge is loaded. It would be very unlikely the primer would go off, but if it did, the loaded cartrdge in the steel die, held tight top and bottom, would be a virtual hand grenade. I can't see anyone within feet of that surviving.
It's something like having a sleep on a country rail road track. Unlikely a train would come, but if it did, you would be hamburger.
Throughout all my loading carreer I have stressed a few thing that are extremely dangerous.
1) Accidently loading a fast powder, when you intended to load a slow one.
2) Getting a double charge of fast powder while loading light loads, where the case is less than half full.
3) Don't ever touch your loading equipment to a primer on a loaded cartridge.
That is, never try to seat the primer deeper, on a loaded cartridge.
 
What priming tool, has the brass case contained like you suggest? H4831?
Only one I can think of, the original Lee loader and then it's just the case head.

However, I agree, it's very dangerous regardless of priming tool. The case would rupture if the primer did detonate, possibly sending out shrapnel and I've had powder burns before, when a shotgun shell fired in an open chamber, they are not nice either.
By the way, it's damned loud. I had ringing ears for weeks.
 
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KDX said:
Thanks for the replys. I didn't think it would be a good idea, but thought I would ask anyway. I pulled the bullet and reseated the primer and loaded it up again. How catastrophic is a slam fire?
Click to expand...

Talk to SKS owners. They will tell you all about it.
 
After seating every primer get in the habit of running your thumb over the case head as you remove it from the shell holder. You will feel a high primer that is not seated properly. Or, you can stand it on a dead flat surface like a piece of glass and look for wobble. I think H4831 was referring to putting it back in your press with the seating die still in place and using the primer seater on the press. That would be the equivalent of an obstructed gun barrel if it detonated while in the die. Either way, press or hand seater I share his concerns. Pull the bullet dump the powder and then seat the primer properly.
 
H4831 said:
I am flabberggasted! These threads are full of writers who wouldn't load a case if it was .003" shorter than their book said, because it might "blow up in their face."
Others wouldn't use a magnum primer, if their book said standard primer, because, "I don't want my rifle to blow up in my face!"
They wouldn't load two grains more 4831 powder in their big, bottle neck case, than what the book says is "maxium." You get the point.
Then in this thread we see one of the most dangerous things a handloader could do, being talked about!!!!!
It is extremely dangerous to further seat a primer, once the cartridge is loaded. It would be very unlikely the primer would go off, but if it did, the loaded cartrdge in the steel die, held tight top and bottom, would be a virtual hand grenade. I can't see anyone within feet of that surviving.
It's something like having a sleep on a country rail road track. Unlikely a train would come, but if it did, you would be hamburger.
Throughout all my loading carreer I have stressed a few thing that are extremely dangerous.
1) Accidently loading a fast powder, when you intended to load a slow one.
2) Getting a double charge of fast powder while loading light loads, where the case is less than half full.
3) Don't ever touch your loading equipment to a primer on a loaded cartridge.
That is, never try to seat the primer deeper, on a loaded cartridge.
Click to expand...

I am certainly with you on this one.. If you screw one up and the best choice is to throw it away, the first question is "was anyone hurt?" Throwing away screwups is the way we get to the next level on the learning curve.
 
H4831 said:
I am flabberggasted! These threads are full of writers who wouldn't load a case if it was .003" shorter than their book said, because it might "blow up in their face."
Others wouldn't use a magnum primer, if their book said standard primer, because, "I don't want my rifle to blow up in my face!"
They wouldn't load two grains more 4831 powder in their big, bottle neck case, than what the book says is "maxium." You get the point.
Then in this thread we see one of the most dangerous things a handloader could do, being talked about!!!!!
It is extremely dangerous to further seat a primer, once the cartridge is loaded. It would be very unlikely the primer would go off, but if it did, the loaded cartrdge in the steel die, held tight top and bottom, would be a virtual hand grenade. I can't see anyone within feet of that surviving.
It's something like having a sleep on a country rail road track. Unlikely a train would come, but if it did, you would be hamburger.
Throughout all my loading carreer I have stressed a few thing that are extremely dangerous.
1) Accidently loading a fast powder, when you intended to load a slow one.
2) Getting a double charge of fast powder while loading light loads, where the case is less than half full.
3) Don't ever touch your loading equipment to a primer on a loaded cartridge.
That is, never try to seat the primer deeper, on a loaded cartridge.
Click to expand...

he made it fairly plain that he was using a hand primer, where all that is held is the rim. might get a blam and a bit of shrapnel but if using safety glasses like you are supposed to be, more than likely nothing will happen. with a hand primer it is a flat anvil that covers the whole primer and some of the base of the shell. unless some how you slammed it shut with something in between there is no possible way i can see for it to set the primer off. (like saying if you step on a round hard enough it will go off not gonna happen sorry)
 
Other than a 1050 what press primes on the down stroke? And even the 1050 has no die in the priming station. Its just an empty hole. So again, worst case, you get a was rupture. Wear safety glasses (as you always should when reloading) and the most damage you'll get is maybe a burn or a small cut from some brass flying about. and that's only if you "strike" the primer. A slow push will do nothing.
 
I think the slam fire has more potential to do harm than seating this primer as is. Think about a slam fire where the round goes off before the bolt is cammed in. That's likely to result in a case head rupture.
 
When loading my 470NE the primers don't get seated fully when I prime with my Hornady priming tool. Not sure if the Redding shell holder is out of spec (doubtful) but the rim thickness is right so it could just be an issue with the priming tool itself. Regardless, I noticed it the first time I loaded for the rifle and now I have to go back and seat the primer a second time using a piece of heavy cardboard between the ram and the primer. Voila, no further problem.

But I digress. If I was in your situation I would probably seat the primer more with a hand tool and not worry about it. That said, if you're using a Dillon or seating with the ram on a press I would cut my losses and pull the bullet as I don't like the lack of feel with press-mounted priming systems.

At the end of the day you're reloading a 223 and, from the sounds of it, shooting a semi which likely means not a target rifle. You're not seating a pricey bullet like a A-Frame or other super-premium that costs you $2 per and burning $.50 worth of powder (assuming a 300 WM...something muy grande could be worse). Realistically what are you out...$.25 for the powder and bullet? Cheap peace of mind to just dump the baby with the bath water and start over.
 
The simplest thing to do is just pull the rd apart and reprime it,resize the neck and reload the case with powder and projectile. No sense in taking a chance doing something that could cause you a lifetime of hurt that would take you about 5 min. to fix. I check mine right after priming before ever charging and seating the bullet.

I always check my primers and especially for my semi auto loads on and old plastic CD case works great for that,you can also use the back end of your calipers to check the seating depth if you don't trust your eye or finger tip.

Clean those primer pockets also the anvil isn't set till the primer is seated any crud left in the primer pocket will seat the anvil deeper into the cup making a less sensitive prime more sensitive. You also want to make sure you decapping pin/expander ball is set correctly,don't just assume it all set correctly from the factory if it's to deep it can push the flash hole out into the primer pocket and not allow the primer to seat correctly.

Good article on this. http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com...your-decapping-rod-insertion-depth-correctly/
 
Just put it back on the press and push the primer back in.

Some time ago I built 1700 rounds with the wrong primer punch (large) so all of them had the primer flush. Ran them back through with the right punch to get them to that magic .003" depth. Safety glasses and ear protection just in case, but no problems.

Even if the round does touch off, nothing much will happen. Firemen in bunker gear are safe near entire crates of burning ammo - without a chamber and barrel not enough pressure builds up to do anything truly dangerous.

Here are some facts to ponder:
http://www.saami.org/specifications...212-Facts_About_Sporting_Ammunition_Fires.pdf
 
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