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Failed Primer Strike - Bullet and primer removal?
- Thread starter USAF Ret
- Start date
Marco Califo
New member
This is almost always due to not seating primers as firmly as you need to. To diagnose and confirm, chamber the round again. And fire it. If it goes Bang, it is confirmed. Get your primer tool out and seat every round again, same primer, just press harder.
Depending on your Priming device, some use normal shellholders, a couple work with same brand shellholders, and some only with their special shellholders. One RCBS Priming tool uses no shellholders, and I have used this one to repeat primers. I currently like the Lyman Priming tool, but it only works with Lyman Shellholders. I bought a set of Lyman shellholders for it. If I use a Lee or Hornady shellholder in the Lyman tool, I get high primers.
The goal seating primers is just below the case head.
This seats the primer with the anvil legs in contact with the bottom of the primer cup.
The physics of "Light primer strike" is that your firing pin has to use its energy further seating the primer, and does not have enough energy left to make it go bang too.
Depending on your Priming device, some use normal shellholders, a couple work with same brand shellholders, and some only with their special shellholders. One RCBS Priming tool uses no shellholders, and I have used this one to repeat primers. I currently like the Lyman Priming tool, but it only works with Lyman Shellholders. I bought a set of Lyman shellholders for it. If I use a Lee or Hornady shellholder in the Lyman tool, I get high primers.
The goal seating primers is just below the case head.
This seats the primer with the anvil legs in contact with the bottom of the primer cup.
The physics of "Light primer strike" is that your firing pin has to use its energy further seating the primer, and does not have enough energy left to make it go bang too.
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Yes, you can use a kinetic bullet puller to dis-assemble your failure to fire round.
Does the primer show any signs of being struck by the firing pin? Is it still high?
Were it me, I would then attempt to fire the primed case again in the same gun. If it fails again, it may be something as benign as a bad primer. Or it could be an issue with the reloading technique or might even be gun related (weakened spring, light hammer strike, etc)
Does the primer show any signs of being struck by the firing pin? Is it still high?
Were it me, I would then attempt to fire the primed case again in the same gun. If it fails again, it may be something as benign as a bad primer. Or it could be an issue with the reloading technique or might even be gun related (weakened spring, light hammer strike, etc)
Fireball_70
New member
Would not reseat loaded rounds
The only addendum I would make is to NOT attempt to re-seat fully loaded (primer, case, powder, bullet) rounds. Though a very rare occurrence, there are recorded incidents of a priming tool setting off a primer. If that happens with a fully loaded round, you will have a mini grenade detonate in your hand.
If you have only primed cases you could re-seat those primers, with care.
To de-prime the live primer you will need to be cautious. Ensure you don't have anything lying about on the reloading bench. While unlikely, since you are going the wrong way to function a primer, it could still go off.
The only addendum I would make is to NOT attempt to re-seat fully loaded (primer, case, powder, bullet) rounds. Though a very rare occurrence, there are recorded incidents of a priming tool setting off a primer. If that happens with a fully loaded round, you will have a mini grenade detonate in your hand.
If you have only primed cases you could re-seat those primers, with care.
To de-prime the live primer you will need to be cautious. Ensure you don't have anything lying about on the reloading bench. While unlikely, since you are going the wrong way to function a primer, it could still go off.
Marco Califo
New member
That is a good point. I prime and inspect seating way before it is assembled into a live cartridge.
I also do not load more than 20 rounds of a new load before firing, testing, and making any adjustments.
I also do not load more than 20 rounds of a new load before firing, testing, and making any adjustments.
All rounds loaded fired except the one. 10 in total. I reloaded the same round twice without ignition.
I also check every load with the fingernail and setting it level on the table and check for wobble.
I will try it in my other 270 to see if it will fire. If not, I will pull the bullet to save the powder and bullet and reseat the primer again.
Primer is a CCI 200.
Thanks for the input.
I also check every load with the fingernail and setting it level on the table and check for wobble.
I will try it in my other 270 to see if it will fire. If not, I will pull the bullet to save the powder and bullet and reseat the primer again.
Primer is a CCI 200.
Thanks for the input.
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jetinteriorguy
New member
If it fail’s to ignite in the second gun pulling it down with an inertial puller is not a problem. Unfortunately I’ve done it too much, which is why I bought the Hornady collet style pulling tool.
I will look that up. Thank you.If it fail’s to ignite in the second gun pulling it down with an inertial puller is not a problem. Unfortunately I’ve done it too much, which is why I bought the Hornady collet style pulling tool.
Removing the bullet with an inertia bullet puller sounds dangerous but it isn't ...
you may want to seat the bullet a little deeper to "break" the crimp ... it makes pulling soooo much easier .
Depriming also sounds dangerous but it's not either . Wear ear and eye protection , just in case and keep your fingers clear of the depriming die and deprime them sloooowly ... and gently ... no sudden slams or hard hits with the handle ...
I've done both operations thousands of times and never had any primers pop .
Gary
you may want to seat the bullet a little deeper to "break" the crimp ... it makes pulling soooo much easier .
Depriming also sounds dangerous but it's not either . Wear ear and eye protection , just in case and keep your fingers clear of the depriming die and deprime them sloooowly ... and gently ... no sudden slams or hard hits with the handle ...
I've done both operations thousands of times and never had any primers pop .
Gary
Thanks Gary. Depriming still scares me a bit. I have heart issues and a loud unexpected pop, well, you know.Removing the bullet with an inertia bullet puller sounds dangerous but it isn't ...
you may want to seat the bullet a little deeper to "break" the crimp ... it makes pulling soooo much easier .
Depriming also sounds dangerous but it's not either . Wear ear and eye protection , just in case and keep your fingers clear of the depriming die and deprime them sloooowly ... and gently ... no sudden slams or hard hits with the handle ...
I've done both operations thousands of times and never had any primers pop .
Gary
USAF Ret, as you can see, your experience is not unusual. I just had the same thing happen with my .270. I pulled the bullet with a Hornady collet device, dumped, but saved, the powder (and double-checked the weight), then "dry-fired" the culprit primer. It went "bang." Telling me that the primer probably had not been seated deep enough even though the cartridge did not "rock" on the table. Track that down to a primer pocket that SHOULD have been cleaned out before re-priming.
I did not try to fire that round a second time, altho that may have gone off, because the first failure very well could have driven that primer deeper and it would have gone off just as did when I emptied the cartridge.
Play it safe. Remove the bullet and powder, and fire the primer off if possible. Why deprime a primer that already has evidence of having been fired? To reseat it? One day you'll look in your cartridge box and ask yourself, "What the hell is this one doing in here?"
I did not try to fire that round a second time, altho that may have gone off, because the first failure very well could have driven that primer deeper and it would have gone off just as did when I emptied the cartridge.
Play it safe. Remove the bullet and powder, and fire the primer off if possible. Why deprime a primer that already has evidence of having been fired? To reseat it? One day you'll look in your cartridge box and ask yourself, "What the hell is this one doing in here?"
And that may be the culprit. I always clean my primer pockets, however, I did not on my 270 loads this time. I missed that step, so I may have another do the same. Thank you!USAF Ret, as you can see, your experience is not unusual. I just had the same thing happen with my .270. I pulled the bullet with a Hornady collet device, dumped, but saved, the powder (and double-checked the weight), then "dry-fired" the culprit primer. It went "bang." Telling me that the primer probably had not been seated deep enough even though the cartridge did not "rock" on the table. Track that down to a primer pocket that SHOULD have been cleaned out before re-priming.
I did not try to fire that round a second time, altho that may have gone off, because the first failure very well could have driven that primer deeper and it would have gone off just as did when I emptied the cartridge.
Play it safe. Remove the bullet and powder, and fire the primer off if possible. Why deprime a primer that already has evidence of having been fired? To reseat it? One day you'll look in your cartridge box and ask yourself, "What the hell is this one doing in here?"
I am going to drop that on in another 270 I have that may have a little harder pin strike when I am at the range next time. I was shooting my Rem 700. I have a HOWA 1500 I will try it in to see if I can get an ignition.
101combatvet
New member
Had two on Monday. Loading them back up, they went off on the second try.Had a load with a failed primer strike. Is it safe to put in the bullet removing hammer? Can I even deprime it safely and recover the brass?
Yes, you can save all the components and start all over.
bbqncigars
New member
Primer seating is critical not just for the firing pin force, but because many primers require that the internal anvil be set into the priming compound when fully seated in the case. This translates to about .002"-.003" of initial 'crush'. Also, removing a live primer from a case is very unlikely to set it off, even if you're using a Lee deprimer rod and a hammer.
I would agree. I never clean my primer pockets beyond what they get in the wet or dry tumbler. And i have never had a FTF because of it.There is no way that failure to clean the primer pocket caused a primer FTF. That's simply not possible.