Challenger Primer Change

[twiki]

My 725 has extractors, rather than ejectors, and it's becoming a habit to check the primer before tossing the empties on the ground.

I took the lower FP to a 400 grit waterstone, and it has reduced in the incidence of pierced primers somewhat. I started by removing the visible pitting, figuring that's where the primer is being pierced and the FP being eroded.

I had pierced primers on the lower barrels on both my Browning Citori and my Baikal Sporting. I attribute this to the angled firing pin "smearing" the primer. I was able to remedy this by re-radiussing the firing pin to a flatter profile. While picking up spent shells at the local club, I noticed that a fair number of Challenger hulls displayed pierced primers. Obviously, the owners of the shotguns were unaware of the problem. I suspect this is more common that most shotgun owners realize.

 

[kevin g]

Not having kept count of how many pierced primers I've had, I'll add that my 725 is known (lower barrel, at least) for piercing primers. Polishing the FP tip has helped some.
Of late, I've had a few on my upper barrel–not something I'd ever seen before the silver-coloured heads.

Finishing off my Challenger, and switching to Federal Top Gun.

We've seen the total opposite with the Fed TG's twiki...myself and a couple of squad mates have had "dud" Fed Top Guns ! They were tried in different barrels...one guy even asked his bud to try his in the guys semi auto A-400....ho did so....still a dud !

 

[twiki]

Well, then I really hope my, so far, good experience with Federal TG continues, as I just bought 10,000 rounds.

We've seen the total opposite with the Fed TG's twiki...myself and a couple of squad mates have had "dud" Fed Top Guns ! They were tried in different barrels...one guy even asked his bud to try his in the guys semi auto A-400....ho did so....still a dud !

 

[Arietta]

We've seen the total opposite with the Fed TG's twiki...myself and a couple of squad mates have had "dud" Fed Top Guns ! They were tried in different barrels...one guy even asked his bud to try his in the guys semi auto A-400....ho did so....still a dud !

Every brand of low cost shells will have duds. Shoot often and you'll come across one eventually.

 

[Westward1]

Every brand of low cost shells will have duds. Shoot often and you'll come across one eventually.

I have seen lots of AA’s with quality issues. When you consider the amount of cartridges that are produced to meet the demand of hunters and target shooters, the failure rate to me at least, seems quite low. Even with the promotional products.

 

[Arietta]

I have seen lots of AA’s with quality issues. When you consider the amount of cartridges that are produced to meet the demand of hunters and target shooters, the failure rate to me at least, seems quite low. Even with the promotional products.

Agreed. I've seen quality issues with AA and Remington STS and I shoot far less of them compared to Challenger.

 

[broadway]

We've seen the total opposite with the Fed TG's twiki...myself and a couple of squad mates have had "dud" Fed Top Guns ! They were tried in different barrels...one guy even asked his bud to try his in the guys semi auto A-400....ho did so....still a dud !

That's been my experience with Federal Top Guns lately also. I used up my Challenger supply back in August, found a good deal on Top Guns so I stocked up. Now I'm getting 1-2 light primer strikes per case. I shoot a Blaser and the firing pins has less than 15K through them. The light strikes with the Top Guns happens on my unsingle and both barrels of my over under. My Blaser has no issues with any other shell - AA, Super Target, Gun Clubs, STS, Nitros, Gold Medal Grands, the older Gold Medals, Clever etc. I had a AA dude a few years ago but that primer was hit hard.

The top gun shell with the light primer strike doesn't go off in my buddy's Caesar Guerini Summit either. The primers on the Top Guns seem to be set a hair deeper than other shells. Maybe that's the issue. In saying all that though, the only guns that a light strike top gun went off in was a Kolar over/under and a Beretta field gun. My buddy's Fabarm over under fired off my last light hit shell but it didn't on the one before that.

Anyways - just my experience. Top Guns were always a favourite of mine. Might switch to something else for competition though.