I bought a brick of CCI small pistol primers and am getting a lot of fail to ignite. Even trying 3 or 4 times the rounds will not fire. The mark in the primer is a solid hit, good dent. Even tried them in a different gun and same problem. I pulled the bullet and powder and looked at the primer and they look just like the others in the box. Does anyone have any idea's as to what the problem is ? Should I buy a different brand of primers ? I called CCI and the guy on the phone just says they haven't had anyone else complain so it must be my reloading or my gun. He just kind of blew me off.
CCI primers ?
- Thread starter rebs
- Start date
NoSecondBest
New member
I saw this post on another thread and if it was yours (I don't recall, it might be someone else) lots of people, including myself, responded that there didn't seem to be a problem with CCI primers. I've had people show my "bad primers/good hit" in the past and the hit on the primer really wasn't all that good. I think the guy at CCI is telling you the truth. FWIW, if you've "adjusted" the hammer spring tension on the gun you might have it too light for good ignition of the primer. Most of the handgun primer problems I've seen over the last fifty years of shooting handgun and competition have been on altered guns. Most of mine are altered but not to the point of causing misfires. A bit more info on the gun might be helpful here and a pic of the "good dent" on the primer.
Note: CCI are probably a bit harder than some other primers like Federal, so if your gun was "adjusted" to firing Federal primers at its lightest setting, the CCI could become problematic. However, if that's the case the problem is still the gun if you choose to leave it that way and load CCI primers.
Note: CCI are probably a bit harder than some other primers like Federal, so if your gun was "adjusted" to firing Federal primers at its lightest setting, the CCI could become problematic. However, if that's the case the problem is still the gun if you choose to leave it that way and load CCI primers.
mikejonestkd
New member
As mentioned above, I am going to guess that your good hits are still too light.
Do the rounds fire in an unaltered firearm?
CCI primers are well known as the hardest primers.
I have several Smith and Wessons that have had action jobs and occasionally get light strikes in double action. I had to switch to Federal primers which ignite with less force.
Do the rounds fire in an unaltered firearm?
CCI primers are well known as the hardest primers.
I have several Smith and Wessons that have had action jobs and occasionally get light strikes in double action. I had to switch to Federal primers which ignite with less force.
condor bravo
New member
The other possibility, and the usual one, is that the primers are not being seated sufficiently. Make sure they are being seated with enough force to bottom out. I use the small pistol CCI's exclusively for .38 Specials with the target S&W 52-2 and Colt Gold Cup with no problems whatsoever. Neither of those two pistols have what you would call a heavy hammer strike.
Are you priming from your press or with a hand held priming tool? During seating you should be able to detect that feel when primers are seated properly. How have other primer brands behaved?
Are you priming from your press or with a hand held priming tool? During seating you should be able to detect that feel when primers are seated properly. How have other primer brands behaved?
my BIL has a Ruger GP100 (unaltered) that just doesn't seem to like CCI primers so much, maybe 1 in 5 FTF. Never personally experienced it with anything else but we switched to Winchester primers for his loads and it solved the problem. Probably some slightly off spec on the firing pin, transfer bar or something, not CCIs fault but it's far easier to just give it what it likes than to try and figure out why it doesn't like them. Loads I made for my pistols using the same brick of CCIs were 100%
The gun is a stock S&W model 19. It has never had a FTF until this brick of CCI's. We shot these primers in 4 guns and had FTF in everyone of them. I don't think all these guns have a problem. All primers are fully seated. I have been reloading since the early 70's. I am going to load another 50 very carefully and see what happens.
Does sound like the primers, then. If it is, the two possibilities that jump to mind are factory defect or having been stored at high temperature. When I was at Gunsite one time, the LE staff members told us that as little as one summer season in the trunk of a car in the Arizona sun there could kill primers, something they had discovered the hard way.
You also might want to document your seating practice. Measure the depth of your primer pockets. Measure the height of your primers, including the anvil before seating. Subtract the latter from the former, then take off another -0.003". The result is how far below flush with the case head face the seated primer should be, so measure that to be sure. Assuming primers seated to this depth don't work any better than before in any of the four guns, then you have a good piece of technical evidence they aren't working and are either defective or spoiled.
You also might want to document your seating practice. Measure the depth of your primer pockets. Measure the height of your primers, including the anvil before seating. Subtract the latter from the former, then take off another -0.003". The result is how far below flush with the case head face the seated primer should be, so measure that to be sure. Assuming primers seated to this depth don't work any better than before in any of the four guns, then you have a good piece of technical evidence they aren't working and are either defective or spoiled.
If you have a friend who reloads, give them a few primers to see if they work in their reloads in their gun. If they don't, that will be more evidence to present to CCI that it isn't a primer seating problem. If they do, well, you know...
FWIW, I've loaded 1000s of CCI SPPs and LPPs and only experienced one fail to fire that wasn't my own fault.
FWIW, I've loaded 1000s of CCI SPPs and LPPs and only experienced one fail to fire that wasn't my own fault.
I have been reloading on and off since the 70s.
I find new things out all the time.
1. Flush is not good enough, the primer needs to be seated .003 at least below the rim.
So, get your micrometer out and see if they are at least -.003.
Now that does not mean you don't get away with it, change one aspect if an iffy situation and you can have your results.
If they aren't firing in other guns it most likely means its your work that is the issue here.
Unclenick has a point but you know the history of the brick.
CCI tend to be a bit harder to seat. I can see that and a lack of correctly seated primers being the issue.
And you do get a perfectly fine dent, but that dent is made while they are moving forward as well and not enough to make it go boom.
Primers are intended to be insensitive. You don't want them iffy.
I find new things out all the time.
1. Flush is not good enough, the primer needs to be seated .003 at least below the rim.
So, get your micrometer out and see if they are at least -.003.
Now that does not mean you don't get away with it, change one aspect if an iffy situation and you can have your results.
If they aren't firing in other guns it most likely means its your work that is the issue here.
Unclenick has a point but you know the history of the brick.
CCI tend to be a bit harder to seat. I can see that and a lack of correctly seated primers being the issue.
And you do get a perfectly fine dent, but that dent is made while they are moving forward as well and not enough to make it go boom.
Primers are intended to be insensitive. You don't want them iffy.
condor bravo
New member
Certainly now sounding like bad primers. The 19 along with the three others seem to verify that. Occasionally there are bad primers. Some time back I had a brick of Remington large rifle primes that were almost, for the number that were tried, 100% hang-fires and mis-fires that Remington replaced with no argument. I would say that you are doing the job properly and the handguns not to blame.
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I'm surprised they don't want to inspect some of them. Oh, well.
-0.003 to -0.005 below the case rim is probably adequate in more than 95% of all instances. I suggested the measurement just in case there was a special problem with the brass or primer lot. The method I described will get you to how far below flush your particular lot of primers need to be, as opposed to just the average. I have occasionally seen some with anvil feet sticking out of the cup pretty far and some with very little protrusion, and those two need to be different distances below flush to set the bridge for optimal sensitivity.
-0.003 to -0.005 below the case rim is probably adequate in more than 95% of all instances. I suggested the measurement just in case there was a special problem with the brass or primer lot. The method I described will get you to how far below flush your particular lot of primers need to be, as opposed to just the average. I have occasionally seen some with anvil feet sticking out of the cup pretty far and some with very little protrusion, and those two need to be different distances below flush to set the bridge for optimal sensitivity.
I have a PT92 that refuses to shoot CCI primers. Not a single issue with any factory ammo or anything I've loaded with Winchester or S&B primers, just the CCI.
Have used those same CCI primed loads in another gun and not a single misfire. Not going to load any more 9mm with those CCI primers but will instead save them and use them in my 380 loads.
Have used those same CCI primed loads in another gun and not a single misfire. Not going to load any more 9mm with those CCI primers but will instead save them and use them in my 380 loads.
I have to believe that if it's a primer problem, something happened to them after they left the factory.
I've been loading with CCI primers since 1984; and I have never had even one fail to ignite. Not one.
They are kind of hard though. My race revolver will fail to ignite them about 0.5% of the time (1 in 200). But even at that, an index back of the cylinder, followed by a second stab at them always sets them off. The race revolver gets Winchester primers. Everything else gets CCI - since '84.
I've been loading with CCI primers since 1984; and I have never had even one fail to ignite. Not one.
They are kind of hard though. My race revolver will fail to ignite them about 0.5% of the time (1 in 200). But even at that, an index back of the cylinder, followed by a second stab at them always sets them off. The race revolver gets Winchester primers. Everything else gets CCI - since '84.
When I started loading in April '63, I started with CCI and have not used anything else.
I did have to buy some WW small rifle primers during the crunch.
A couple of years ago I was cleaning out the stash and found some 44 Mags that I load back in '76. All but one fired as normal. The one fired the second try and was weak and left a lot of unburned H110 in the barrel. That is the only one that I have had problems with since I started loading.
I use CCI in all my rifles, handguns, and shotguns.
I did have to buy some WW small rifle primers during the crunch.
A couple of years ago I was cleaning out the stash and found some 44 Mags that I load back in '76. All but one fired as normal. The one fired the second try and was weak and left a lot of unburned H110 in the barrel. That is the only one that I have had problems with since I started loading.
I use CCI in all my rifles, handguns, and shotguns.
Wreck-n-Crew
New member
I had a problem with a batch of S&B primers. Thought for sure it was the primers not going off in 3 guns sometimes. Never had the problem before. So I primed on my SS press and no more problem. Odd...same depth. Adjusted the priming system on the progressive until it left a mark on the primer from bottoming out and sure enough no more problems. Not that I would advise it (especially if your primers are loaded in a tube) but it worked for me.
I have been shooting at least 20,000 CCI primers a year for a long time...and no issues at all...( I had problems with Winchester a few years back and quit using them ). If anything, I think CCI primer quality has improved over the years...and more guys I know are using them exclusively.
but you're getting too many FTF's...there has to be something wrong with that batch of primers in my view. I don't have a suggestion on what to do about the problem other than set them aside.../ ...it could be storage issues by your retailer or any number of things. I would suggest you buy a few boxes from another retailer - and try those.
You've been reloading long enough to know how to seat primers...and your tests seem good. I like the idea of giving 20 of them to a buddy and ask them to load some test rounds for you..( mark them of course )...and see what happens.
but you're getting too many FTF's...there has to be something wrong with that batch of primers in my view. I don't have a suggestion on what to do about the problem other than set them aside.../ ...it could be storage issues by your retailer or any number of things. I would suggest you buy a few boxes from another retailer - and try those.
You've been reloading long enough to know how to seat primers...and your tests seem good. I like the idea of giving 20 of them to a buddy and ask them to load some test rounds for you..( mark them of course )...and see what happens.
Reloader270
New member
Sometime is revolver loads misfires is more prone due to weaker hammer spring. I have solved my problem by changing to Federal primers. Never had any misfires in 30 years.