Another Defective Primer

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stubblejumper

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In over 30 years of reloading,I have found exactly three defective primers,including the one that I found yesterday.Yesterday,I was load testing with my 22 Hornet,and one round failed to fire,I waited about 30 seconds,then recocked the rifle,and pulled the trigger a second time resulting in a second loud click.I waited again,then removed the cartridge and disposed of it,after examining the dent in the primer.The next 20 rounds or so fired normally.
After discovering two defective CCI primers about 20 years ago,I switched to Federal primers,and haven't had any issues until yesterday,when I decided to try the CCI BR4 in the 22Hornet.
 
Not very comforting to hear. I don't recall any failure to fire in tens of thousands of reloads of CCI, Winchester and Federal combined.

I want my ammo and guns 100% reliable because I am not. Yeah no such thing but that is the goal.
 
stubblejumper said:
In over 30 years of reloading,I have found exactly three defective primers,including the one that I found yesterday.Yesterday,I was load testing with my 22 Hornet,and one round failed to fire,I waited about 30 seconds,then recocked the rifle,and pulled the trigger a second time resulting in a second loud click.I waited again,then removed the cartridge and disposed of it,after examining the dent in the primer.The next 20 rounds or so fired normally.
After discovering two defective CCI primers about 20 years ago,I switched to Federal primers,and haven't had any issues until yesterday,when I decided to try the CCI BR4 in the 22Hornet.
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Did you manage to sleep last night with a traumatic experience like that? lol:D
You will be okay..
 
stubblejumper said:
In over 30 years of reloading,I have found exactly three defective primers,including the one that I found yesterday
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Can you tell us how many rounds you have reloaded, so we have a percentage or a statistical number of bad primers 3 equates to? less than 1%?
 
I loaded over 6K of small CCI pistol primers.

I think I had two that didn't go bang with my P226 in the first 3k. Who knows if it was my fault at the time. I may have forced it in a little too hard and dented it!?
 
Can you tell us how many rounds you have reloaded, so we have a percentage or a statistical number of bad primers 3 equates to? less than 1%?
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I probably load close to 1000 rounds of centerfire ammunition per year on average,so likely in the 20,000 to 30,000 in total.Of that number,likely only a few thousand have been CCI primers,with the vast majority being Federal primers.It does seem odd,that all three duds were with the primer that I have used the least.
 
It's very likely you. I have loaded more than 30,000 rounds in the past year alone and the only primers that didn't go off were due to error on my part.
 
It's very likely you. I have loaded more than 30,000 rounds in the past year alone and the only primers that didn't go off were due to error on my part.
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Not likely at all due to any error that I am making.I took new primers,poured them into the tray of my auto prime, and then primed the cases.Using the hand priming tool,I can feel the primer as it enters the case and as it is seated,so they aren't seated too shallow or being deformed upon seating.I never touch the primers,and they are stored in a clean dry location.
 
I have been told, so I am not sure if this is correct, that CCI primers are a tad bit stronger/tougher/less mailable than Winchester and other brands.

I use Federals in a few firearms that have a marginally "lighter" firing pin strike ever since I got two CCI fails in a row with one firearm awhile back. I use CCI's in everything else, especially semi-autos, and the CCI's have never failed in those.
 
stubblejumper said:
Not likely at all due to any error that I am making.I took new primers,poured them into the tray of my auto prime, and then primed the cases.Using the hand priming tool,I can feel the primer as it enters the case and as it is seated,so they aren't seated too shallow or being deformed upon seating.I never touch the primers,and they are stored in a clean dry location.
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Is it possible the cases are contaminated with lube etc., enough to kill the odd pimer?

Is it also possible the cartridges could have been in contact with gun oil etc?

Shooters think that seating a primer seals the case against contamination, but I have found that water will kill primers in cartridges set base up in typical ammo boxes exposed to rain for a few minutes. Not all of them, but enough to have dead ones and squibs. Found that out the hard way.
 
Is it possible the cases are contaminated with lube etc., enough to kill the odd pimer?
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No contamination at all present,I am very meticulous with my loading.I use very little lube,and none was near the primer pockets.I size my brass,carefully wipe down each case,and then wash my hands before loading begins.The brass was also new brass,so there was no contamination from previous firings.
 
It could be firing pin related as well.

I had a Savage in .223 that would FTF 50% of what I out in it. Tried Win, CCI and Feds all with the same results.

The BR4's have a thick cup (similar to the 450 Magnum). I have heard of people using the Small Pistol Primers with the Hornet since they have a more malleable cup.
 
It could be firing pin related as well.

I had a Savage in .223 that would FTF 50% of what I out in it. Tried Win, CCI and Feds all with the same results.

The BR4's have a thick cup (similar to the 450 Magnum). I have heard of people using the Small Pistol Primers with the Hornet since they have a more malleable cup.
__________________
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That is possible,but only one round out of 50 failed to fire.The rifle was recocked,and again it failed to fire despite a dent in the primer that looked as deep as the others.
 
Opcx6 said:
I
Shooters think that seating a primer seals the case against contamination, but I have found that water will kill primers in cartridges set base up in typical ammo boxes exposed to rain for a few minutes. Not all of them, but enough to have dead ones and squibs. Found that out the hard way.
Click to expand...

Crazy!! what kind of primer?:confused:

I let a 30-06 handload (180gr bullet, H4350 Fed 210 primer Win case) sitin a glass of water for 7-10 days. Took it out of water, gave it a shake, wwnt outside chambered it and BOOM!:)
 
Apparently the sealant in most modern primers safeguards them form contamination when handling. I presume that if you had some heavy grease on your fingers the sealant would fail though. Just what I heard- I have killed primers by soaking for a week in oil.

Be an interesting test, actually.
 
Gatehouse said:
Crazy!! what kind of primer?:confused:

I let a 30-06 handload (180gr bullet, H4350 Fed 210 primer Win case) sitin a glass of water for 7-10 days. Took it out of water, gave it a shake, wwnt outside chambered it and BOOM!:)
Click to expand...

I believe they were federal. It was an IPSC match back in the day, using .38 super, it began to rain, turned to steady rain, everyone was soaked but it was warm and the match continued. While filling magazines from 100 rd box with no shelter ammo got wet, left about 80rds in box. Later that week used that box to check zero on the gun and had duds and sqibs, finally leaving a bullet in the barrel. Cartridges weren't immersed from the rain, water sitting on top the primer/case heads fo several minutes during the match. That taught me to be more careful with match ammo especially.

Cheers
 
I've been handloading for about 23 years and am very meticulous about my technique.

I pretty much used what was on hand earlier on in this time period. Usually Federal, Winchester or CCI.

In that time I've had two faulty primers that failed to fire in two different rifles. Both were CCI.
There was no chance of contamination, improper storage, etc. Upon disassembly of both cartridges there were no signs of anything amiss.

Unfortunately, one of these failures happened while firing at a deer about 30 feet away. I recocked the hammer and tried again but no go. The deer heard the clicks and was on high alert. Working the action to get a new round in the chamber was all it took to scare it off.

I quit using CCI for anything after that and haven't had a problem since.

Prior to this season's moose hunt my hunting partner brought over some components to load some ammo for his 270 Wby. He brought CCI magnums. When test firing his loads we had two hangfires....These were freshly purchased and there was no chance of contamination here either.

For the next batch we switched to a different brand and there were no problems. (He later got his moose too).

I've also had a Win shotgun primer fail to fire but upon disassembly it was discovered that there had been water in the bottom of the shell. The powder was wet and the primer must have been killed too. These shells were loaded shortly after returning from shooting on a wet day and I hadn't let them dry out.
I'm more meticulous with my shotshell loading now too....

It seems almost every time I hear of a defective primer, it's a CCI. I use Fed Match mostly now.
 
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