Reloads Misfiring?
- Thread starter Norm99
- Start date
Ok, here's what I think the problem is: I used the ABCs of Reloading, among others, as my manual. It tells me, for step 3 reloading for rifle, to lube and brush the "inside" of my cartridge neck. I think I may have overdone it and the powder may have become damp. The problem is not the primers at all. I'll soon find out when I fire some blank brass that I already have primed. A beginner's mistake, hopefully someone else can learn from this. Thanks, once again, for all your input. It really helps to talk about it and get some different opinions. Through the process of elimination, I'm pretty sure this is the problem.
Surely that would be for resizing which is done at the decapping stage, which again is before you tumble them. There is no need to get any moisture near your case from the point you have de capped. The round will need to squeze into the case and should that shave a little copper then no problem. Never lube a case after priming!
1. sort brass and inspect.
2. Lube.
3. Decap/resize.
4. Tumble in cleaner (dry).
5. Tumble in polisher (dry).
6. Inspect and clear flash hole if necessary.
7. prime.
8. Fill with measured charge.
9. Insert bullet, apply crimp (if nec).
10. Go shoot and enjoy!
No ABC just a 1-10!
1. sort brass and inspect.
2. Lube.
3. Decap/resize.
4. Tumble in cleaner (dry).
5. Tumble in polisher (dry).
6. Inspect and clear flash hole if necessary.
7. prime.
8. Fill with measured charge.
9. Insert bullet, apply crimp (if nec).
10. Go shoot and enjoy!
No ABC just a 1-10!
Hi Norm,
The inside of the case neck should be cleaned with a dry brush and lightly lubed with a graphite or other dry lube--unless you are necking the case up a size or two--then case lube should be applied sparingly inside with a Q-tip and after sizing thoroughly cleaned off the inside of the case.
Regards, Jim
The inside of the case neck should be cleaned with a dry brush and lightly lubed with a graphite or other dry lube--unless you are necking the case up a size or two--then case lube should be applied sparingly inside with a Q-tip and after sizing thoroughly cleaned off the inside of the case.
Regards, Jim
Norm99 said:
Norm99, thanks for coming back and posting - we all learn something from others honesty.
But I am curious as I have never encountered this situation. Even with contaminated powder, why didn't/wouldn't the primer go off? Would not there be a sufficient bang from the primers to know that something happened? Potentially even enough pressure to start the bullet on its way down the barrel?
44Bore said:
I use Imperial dry sizing wax which is anything but dry. It gets a fingertip spread around the neck and shoulders but a slight rub across the case mouth. Too much of anything entering the die can lead to dented cases. This I have seen with wax as much as foreign objects. The two stages of tumbling allow you to inspect the cases two or three times which never hurts and also ensures any lube is removed. just remember to push clear any media from he prime flash holes before priming, not only do you not want that going down your barrel, you dont want it delaying ignition of the powder!
Of course I forget that it gets cooler over there, that does have an effect, here its so mild that 5 degrees above and everyone wraps up for winter. I used General service ammo in the Falklands and that was cold but mainly wet cold, certainly not -40. I'm sure if it was cold enough for the lube in the guns to freeze that would cause problems with some ammo!
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Don't mean to bring this thread back again, but I thought I'd fill you in on this. I went out and bought some more primers and tried reloading with these and guess what, I'm after loading and firing another 100 rounds now, without a single misfire. I figured it had to be the primers so, I mentioned this to the dealer I bought them from . "Oh," he said, " That must have been because we lost them all over the floor." ?????????
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I know you have the answer to your specific problem, here was my primer error:-
One of my first mistakes as a newbie reloader, was to assume that the RCBS hand priming tool that I used to set my first set of 100 primers, was setting the primer to it's correct depth when the handle was being fully depressed. Of the first 100 rounds, 7 failed to fire, even though the primers were struck.
What was happening was that the primer was being pushed forward when the primer was being struck by the firing pin. It took a few calls to RCBS to identify the problem, but we got there in the end. In the body of the hand priming tool there was a rod with a ball joint on it. This part was not to the correct length (too short) which meant that the primers was not being seated to the correct depth.
My intermediate solution was to unscrew the seating plug a few turns, therefore raising the seating plug, and giving me a more positive feel in the handle when the primer was seated properly. After that the problem went away.
One of my first mistakes as a newbie reloader, was to assume that the RCBS hand priming tool that I used to set my first set of 100 primers, was setting the primer to it's correct depth when the handle was being fully depressed. Of the first 100 rounds, 7 failed to fire, even though the primers were struck.
What was happening was that the primer was being pushed forward when the primer was being struck by the firing pin. It took a few calls to RCBS to identify the problem, but we got there in the end. In the body of the hand priming tool there was a rod with a ball joint on it. This part was not to the correct length (too short) which meant that the primers was not being seated to the correct depth.
My intermediate solution was to unscrew the seating plug a few turns, therefore raising the seating plug, and giving me a more positive feel in the handle when the primer was seated properly. After that the problem went away.
I have had two misfires with handloads in my life and I know of few others.However,both of mine,and all of the others were with cci primers.It may be a coincidence,but I have not used then since and have not had a misfire since either.Now I use only federal primers as do my hunting partners.
- Location
- Vancouver Island BC
I always use the priming arm on the Rockchucker press and don't have the primer issue, I think I have had only had a few primer failures and they were all CCI brand.
