Primers not working

[Dac9976]

Hi

 

I've had a few miss fires since I've started reloading, about 3 in every 10 i load. I'm using a lee priming tool, I'm wondering if it this tool or me being the tool:)

Any ideas chaps?

 

Cheers

 

Danny.

[1967spud]

are they getting dinted?

[sonic]

shouldn't be the tool contaminated primers? some case lubes can kill primers how old are the primers how have they been stored?

[Dac9976]

Hi spud

 

Yeah primers have been struck, can't see any differences in the ones that have fired to the ones that haven't.

[Dac9976]

They are cci br4 small primers, stored in cupboard in the packaging. Couple of months old.

[dannywayoflife]

Either a dodgy batch of spark plugs or are they contaminated? How are they stored!?

[goldie]

Are they Remington primers

[Dac9976]

Where should they be stored?

[1967spud]

hdo the dints look uniform with dints on priomers that work ok

[Dac9976]

Yeah they look the same spud

[6.5shooter]

Have they got damp?

[Dac9976]

No damp, stored in a dry cupboard.

[farmer7]

If you overdo it seating them you can crack the priming compound and render them useless.

 

Ideally around 5 thou below flush or so to pre-compress the priming with the anvil. How much force are you using when seating? Can you post a picture of an unfired case?

 

I've never had a misfire yet, i always use CCI BR primers.

[Dac9976]

Best pic I could do.

[sonic]

I store mine in a air tight box with silica gel in it.(reloading gear is in a shed)

 

what sizing lube do you use? does it have warnings that it may damage primers/powder?

[Dac9976]

RCBS case lube-2.

[gbal]

Is this the first time you have reloaded,or the first time with this 6BR set up? Have you reloaded successfully before,these or some other cases?

 

If you can,use a different priming tool for some cases and try them,and/or have someone else prime them,being careful not to get any lube etc near them. Try some other batch of primers,Rem 71/2 eg for the 6BR,but any will do.

We're trying to eliminate possible causes one at a time-no other way to find out....the options are your technique,contamination,faulty batch of primers;then it's wrong sort of primer for cartridge/rifle or firing pin isn't right (though it seems to strike fine),maybe contaminated powder/inside cases?More test results should diagnose better.....

Gbal

[That bald headed Geordie]

Another possible cause is that your loaded round has too much headspace and when the firing pin hits the primer, it pushes the whole round forward and doesn't set the primer off. I have had this happen to me and to resolve it, I have had to seat the bullet out well into the lands to give some 'resistance' which stops the case from being pushed forward. This has happened in my 6BR once or twice probably due to a case that had a shorter base to datum measurement on the shoulder which allowed the case to move forward resulting in a light strike. It happened more frequently in my 6.5x55 Ack Imp chamber, as the parent 6.5x55 case had quite a bit of slop and the bullet was not seated out far enough to give the said resistance. Just a thought!

[Dac9976]

Thanks fellas, awesome advice as always on this forum. Will try the elimination process.

Yes I'm a first time loader so it's a massive learning curve.

Any ideas on a high quality priming tool? One that you can adjust the depth of the primer, if there is such a tool.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Danny.

[oaken]

If you overdo it seating them you can crack the priming compound and render them useless.

 

Ideally around 5 thou below flush or so to pre-compress the priming with the anvil.

I hope you wear safety glasses when pre-compressing your primers.

 

Primers should be pressed in gently with no more pressure applied after they stop at the bottom of the primer pocket. If they stand proud then pop the primer out and check for carbon deposits or use reamer to adjust the pocket to the correct deapth. Reloading solutions sell a very neat adjustable pocket reamer for £20ish.

 

OP looks to have a solid hit from the firing pin so unlikely to be headspace or primer seating deapth issues.

 

Sounds like a bad batch to me though never heard of such before. Possibly contaminated?

 

Rup

[1967spud]

Thanks fellas, awesome advice as always on this forum. Will try the elimination process.

Yes I'm a first time loader so it's a massive learning curve.

Any ideas on a high quality priming tool? One that you can adjust the depth of the primer, if there is such a tool.

 

Merry Christmas

 

Danny.

you have a pm danny

[John MH]

Sounds to me the most likely culprit is a head space issue, the case being pushed forward by the firing pin. If you can measure the shoulder to case head length and compare to some factory loaded ammo that you know that works.

[Brillo]

This is a bit of deja vu. I had the same problem a while back on my .223 Remington. My first thought was dirty primer pockets because, at that time, I was too lazy to clean them every firing. The advice from this forum was that the crud in the pocket acted as cushion. Although the rate of mis-fires diminished I still had a few.

The suggestion then was a weak firing pin spring. It wasn't that. In the end it turned out to be dirt in the bolt barrel which prevented full travel of the firing pin.

Although you mentioned that this fault has appeared since you started reloading that could be just a coincidence.

[Dac9976]

It's a 6mmbr so factory ammo is non existent down here.

Although I'm new to reloading I'm very careful in the whole process, cleaning etc.

If it was a headspace problem wouldn't every round mis fire? What I'm saying is if it was a problem with the rifle or length of cases wouldn't it consistently fail to fire?

Will try everything that has been suggested and see what happens:)

 

Danny.

[John MH]

What I'm saying is if it was a problem with the rifle or length of cases wouldn't it consistently fail to fire?

 

 

Not necessarily, if your cases are only slightly too short (0.002 to 0.005) some may well ignite and others not.