Faulty Reloads

[drum]

After loading some 7mm rem mag ammunition i attempted to shoot to establish a poi.Pulled the trigger and click.Nothing happened.Never had it happen before but thought maybe a fluke bad primer.Second bullet was a click followed by a bang.Obviously i thought something more here than a fluke bad primer.Checked the barrel for obstructions and fired a third.Click but no bang.After an hour or so i pulled the bullets on the two rounds that had failed to ignite and the powder had partially ignited in that some kernels had stuck together and turned yellow.The powder is n160 ,the primers are S and B magnum.Whats more likely the problem ,bad primers or bad powder?

Cheers for any clues.

Paul

[Popsbengo]

I've never used S&B primers myself but from your explanation it sounds like duff primers; if it was the powder surely you would have had heard the primers go off immediately they were struck by the firing pin? I assumed the powder is not from a very old part used batch ?

If it was me, I'd get some CCI or similar and try the powder again. Also, check the primer for a decent indent from the pin.

 

[drum]

The primers are showing signs of a normal strike.Ive used the same primers from the same lott in another rifle without any problems.The powder was given to me by a known and trusted source albeit in an open container.I must say im not sure whether there was a crack as i pulled the trigger as i was using hearing protection.

[Popsbengo]

Well, there's no easy explanation here then. It is possible to cause primers to malfunction if they're contaminated with lub. I'm assuming you haven't got that issue.

If the primers were ok in your other rifle, was that with a different batch of powder?

You will have to try some changes - primers or powder. One should work, if not I would suspect the pin strike or poorly seated primers (so they move forward under the strike force thereby not transferring sufficient energy to ignite).

 

[Leeman]

Seat some primers in empty cases and see if they ignite, you will hear them with no powder or bullet.

Could be weak firing pin spring or oil/grease in the bolt that is reducing the energy of the firing pin, some primers need more energy to ignite than others.

 

Richard.

[drum]

Loaded some brass with primers and fired them.Sounded like a 22lr been fired.Looking more like a powder issue which is a bummer given the price of it.Primer contamination with lube is a possibility but unlikely as ive done nothing different this time than ive done for 20 years reloading,without any previous problems.

[jcampbellsmith]

Sounds like damp cases to me.

Regards

JCS

[drum]

Possibility that damp cases could be the problem.Powder is fine in another caliber as are the primers.No way of proving internal moisture is the problem but having ruled out component fault its really the only thing left to blame maybe?

[jcampbellsmith]

How do you prep your cases? Stainless steel pins? Regards JCS

[Popsbengo]

Have you previously had success with the same load data and components or is this the first time you've put these together?

Are your cases reloaded from some sort of cleaning prep or just fired and refilled ?

[drum]

Ive used the same components for a while except for the bullet type.Cases have not been cleaned on this fireing but have been prepped by trimming ,primer pocket cleaming and chamfering inside and out .Done nothing different to what i always do really.

[Popsbengo]

If the cases were nice and dry on assembly I can only conclude the primers are duff (most likely) or the powder is in poor condition. I guess some trials with new primers may be the way forward.

[Popsbengo]

Have a look at this excellent article regarding primers     http://www.targetshooter.co.uk/?p=1471  

[drum]

Tried the primer/powder combo in a 300 wsm and they were fine.Im going with internal contamination of the brass.Either condensation or lube (i use lanolin and alcohol mixed at 14 to 1 sprayed onto the cases.Some may have found its way into the cases though its never happened before in fairness.

[drum]

Just a quick update on this,it turns out that the S and B magnum primers are a little underpowered to ignite 70 grains of powder consistantly.After loading more rounds in the wsm with these primers i started to get an odd slight delay in ignition.This was not present in any rounds loaded with new cci mag primers.