Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

What are common causes of Primer malfunctions. I had 4 of the last 50 shells I reloaded fail to fire. The firing pin dented the primer but they did not ignite. One was on a Whitetail buck!! Luckily my first shot had killed him and I was just trying to follow up.
I use a Lee hand tool now and am careful not to touch the primers. The rifle is a Ruger MK II 7mm mag SS. I had a problem years ago trying to put primers in using the press it self. I thought getting a handtool would ensure this miss fire thing would end.

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

The most common cause of primer failure is exposure to damp atmoshperes or moisture.I have however had a few cci primers fail to ignite in the past but this has not been a problem since I switched to federal primers.Another cause could be that there is no problem with the primers but rather a weak firing pin spring in the gun.

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

The Lee auto-prime works great, just be sure not to "Crush" the primer. If you look at the primers, do they have a circle mark in them? Thats because you squeezed them in there just a little to hard. Had this problem before, but when i started to be more gentle with the auto-prime, never had a miss-fire since.

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

thanks, I think I will switch from CCI to federal primers. I know I was crushing a few primers with the press itself , but thought that the Lee tool would be hard to do that with.

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Are you sure you are crushing your primers and not simply seating them correctly?

You want the primer to seat slightly below flush with the case, if using a hand priming tool, you should feel the andvil crush slightly as it seats- you want the anvil to crush a little so that when the firing pin hits the primer, it dosn't have to waste any of its energy prshing the primer forward to seat the anvil before igniting the primer.

Does your hand primer seating device have a pin in it for pushing the primer in? I use a RCBS priming tool, and there is a rounded end and a flat end to the primer seater- You mush use the flat end- the ends look fairly similar if you don't pay attention, not sure if lee's device is similar.

I would store your primers in a dryer spot- maybe one of those surplus ammo cans with a good tight seal on it along with some dessicant pouches.

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Maybe since I crushed primers with the press before I bought a hand tool I am now not seating them with enough pressure? The primer needs to be slighty recessed then?

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Another thing that happens is ,if you get some brass with deep primer pockets .When you seat the primer to the same debth as the rest there is a little room between the primer and the bottom of the pocket ,when the firing pin hits the primer the anvil dosn't contact the bottom of the pocket, the primer pellet (the part that egnites) smashes .Resolt no boom. This hapened to me ,I thought it was the CCI primers but after a call to CCI I checked the debth of the primer pockets and found some were 3-4 thou. deeper .Just enough for #####.

DU
NRA Life
Pheasants Forever

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Make sure the firing pin spring is clean and free of any grease and dirt buildup. Had a similar problem with my BSA years ago.It's amazing how dust and dirt can find its way into such places.

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

DON'T USE FEDERAL PRIMERS IN ANY HAND TOOL!!!!!!!!!!! If you check the literature that comes with the tool they will tell you this themselves. Thats why Federal primers come in such a huge package compared to C.C.I, Winchester or Remington. A few years ago, they had a whoops, and the lawyers made them package them like this. The problem is the primers are too soft, and very explosive. The tool can detonate the primer your seating, and start the hole tray off! Just check the instructions and read it for yourself. I have told this to several people, and they don't belive me. Just don't want you to get hurt.

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Another problem that can affect primers is gun oil. I/ve heard that this can be a bigger problem than moisture. I try to keep my primers away from either moisture and oils. Watch where you spray that Aerosal can.

Russ

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Thanks for the heads up. I didn't know this, but I did know that federals were more sensitive- prety much the reason I don't use them in autoloaders.

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

CCI primers are junk the metal used in them is too hard for alot of guns to set off, I would go to a winchester or federal primer just dont seat them to deep and besure not to crush them or you will be likely to run into the same problem.

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Yup CCIs are so bad that its the primer that the US Military uses for its 7.62 ammo. If a rifle doesn't set it off, then the firing pin spring is way on the weak side. I've never had a problem with them.

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

well in a rifle thats a different case then a bolt action should have no problem with a CCI I was talking on the handgun side of things

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

From what I understand, Primers are made up of the cup, compound and anvil and are coated with a very thin moisture barrier. They are almost impervious to water and humidity. I found primers that were hidden in the back of my reloading bench drawer that I had for years, put them in some ammo just for range shooting and didn't have any misfires.
Oil is the biggest culprit for primers. Be it gun oil, skin oil or any other type.
As for CCIs, thats all I use and haven't had a problem in over 20 yrs.

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Could be one of three things...contact with oil on the primer face, primers not being seated correctly(flasholes not uniform or too much residue) weak firing spring(Ruger I doubt it)

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I have been using a Lee hand seater and RCBS hand seater for years and have only used Federal primers..I will look at the box nevertheless. Wouldn't there be more of a chance of crushing primers with a press setup then a hand setup based on leverage and force exerted?

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

The ONLY problem I ever had with primers failing to fire was due to oil! Once I figured out a way to install new primers without touching them with my hands, this never happened again.

I once had an acqaintance who had a problem with misfires with some ammo he had loaded with my tools. It turned out that he had omitted the powder charge from some of them! The bullet bases were very black!! But they were still in the case! Good thing he had good neck tension, thus preventing a stuck bullet in the bore, because SOME of his loads DID have powder....

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

One more thing that could cause a miss-fire is your headspace my be off...:eek:

RE: Primers, not working!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

tom, it could be you have a sticky firing pin. Just this past Sunday my friend and I were out shooting and he brought his new Savage bolt and his Rem. pump out. During our last session a few weeks ago, he had a mis-fire with his savage. He had one again this weekend. The primer was indeed dented. I took that round and put it in his pump and it fired.
When he got home, he flushed out his bolt on his savage and found that it was 'gummed' up. He never cleaned the guts of the bolt.
I would try flushing your bolt with gun scrubber, let it drain, flush again, drain - then LIGHTLY oil. Use just enough oil to put a thin film on the parts to prevent rust. (WD40)