Big problem with reloads



So I deprimed the case and found that there is a small hole in the corner of the primer. It would appear to me that gas did not escape around the outside of the primer but actually blew a hole in the primer corner. Based off the link that i followed from this forum this is where the highest pressure occurs.
 
On my BLR 81 358win, full case of powder, but new brass only and kept to this rifle.
The rest of my reloading/artillery is a fair bit under max.
So to me, mixed brass head stamping isn't a concern......yet.
CCI primers is my main supply too.
 
I had this exact thing happen with winchester LR primers and federal brass. I did notice that some of my brass had loose primer pockets when I was seating primers. I think the brass is a bit to blame because these same primers have worked fine in newer brass as well as other calibres. The federal brass had about 5 or 6 reloads through it so I just tossed the whole lot and got some new brass. At the cost of a primer and a piece of brass that has already seen 6 reloads its not worth trying to see what happens, Just get some new brass.
 
257Roberts said:
Mixed cases, don't know what your load is, but I know you should not mix your brass.
Round #11 was obviously to high a pressure.
David
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Don't think so. The primer cup is obviously pierced on its radius. That is a defect in the primer, rather than the result of excessive pressure.


Cleftwynd said:
It's a problem with winchester primers, there are threads on THR about it as well.
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Ted
 
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I've been using a really old batch of winchester primers (silver) and haven't had his problem but it definitely looks like a primer problem after seeing the pic of the one you removed.
 
Thanks again for all the info, I recently went out and fired the remaining 9 shots of that batch which all worked great.
 
Yes, it's an obvious primer problem. You should try contacting the manufacturer, as they may want to see it and if' you're on a good day, they may have your bolt fixed too, if damaged (check it up).
 
Over the years, I have had several of this very type of primer failure.
They have been with Winchester, Remington, CCI, RWS and ALCAN primers.

A combination of a thin primer cup corner, and a bit looser than normal primer pocket can contribute.
Higher than normal pressure is seldom the culprit.

I am not a lover of Federal brass, since it opens primer pockets faster than any other brass out there.

BTW OP, check your boltface for fire-cutting.

Regards, Eagleye.
 
sugb said:
Yes they were winchester primers. Are these primers known for this?
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NO the WLRM is not known for this. Mixing different types of brass with loads IS known for this. WLRM is generally the hottest magnum primer available so using a hot primer and mixed brass is a recipe for disaster. Actually, mixing your brass is a recipe for disaster. You can achieve the same results you have with any other primer by mixing the brass. If you read over the reloading manual I'm sure you will find that it mentions mixing different types of brass is potentially dangerous. Using a thicker and harder brass case can easily spike the pressure in your load. Use one type of brass, bullets, powder and primers. I'd recommend you choose one type of brass and totally work up your load from the start. Also you should probably take your rifle to a gunsmith explaining what happened. Your bolt, chamber and/or firing pin may be damaged. The firing pin may be bent, torqued or etched.
 
sugb said:
Ok thank you for all the help. I will measure the case capacities with water, I just went out and measured with powder(i know this is probably not very accurate but it was a quick check) my findings were that after measuring several times the brass held the same charge to within 5/10ths of a grain. 85-85 1/2 grains total capacity.
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It's not necessarily that the capacity will cause the over-pressure, but brass hardness can influence internal pressures as well.
 
"...which hit me in the face..." That's why one should never shoot without eye protection.
"...Mixed cases..." That's why there is such a thing as SAAMI. Mixed cases has nothing to do with it. I suspect it might, very heavy on the 'might' and it's not really likely, have to do with the one case being a Federal case. They're known for being soft. Far more likely to be a defective primer.
Pop out the primer and have a look at it.
 
Soooooo many unproven theories on reloading. People will read something, then tell the world it is the gospel truth, without bothering to actually know if it is the truth they are preaching.
A case that comes to mind.
We "know" it is extremely dangerous to use mixed brands of cases when reloading, because this is what is stated on the gun nutz. Got to scratch my head on this one, because I think it is safe to say that those of us who have been reloading for half a century, once paid little attention to brands of cases we used. And guess what? The sky didn't fall and our rifles stayed in one piece.
We did discover that cases that weighed on the order of 30 grains heavier, like some military cases, had to be loaded down a grain or two of powder.
But as far as I was concerned, if the cases weighed within ten grains of each other, I considered them equal.
Eventually, I got around to testing this out, using my Marlin bolt action 243.
I had Federal, primed 243 cases that weighed 179 grains and primed Winchester 243 cases that weighed 169 grains. I loaded 46 grains of H414 powder in both types of cases, behind a 75 grain Sierra HP bullet. Here are the results of firing each group over a chronograph.

46 grains of H414, 75 grain Sierra HP bullet, Winchester cases weighing 169 grains average----------3491 fps.
46 grains of H414, 75 grain Sierra HP bullet, Federal cases weighing 179 grains average--------------3468 fps.

Damn, what happened to that theory that states that heavier cases will create more, maybe dangerous pressure, and thus give more velocity?
 
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