[akashooter]

I was at the range yesterday shooting my s&w 686 and shooting some reloads i made, and almost 1 in every 6 shots wouldnt fire. i looked at them when i got home and the hammer hardly, or didnt hit the primer. so i pulled the bullets and shot the primer (without any gun powder or bullet) and it fired. i dry fired some and the hammer seems fine.

what do you think?

thanks

[WayneConrad]

If I understand you, the first strike didn't work, but the second strike on the same primer did.

Could it be that that the primer was not fully seated? The energy of the first strike would then go towards seating the primer fully. The second strike would then be able to set the primer off.

[akashooter]

it was like the middle shots, and the primers seemd flat across the brass

[WayneConrad]

"it was like the middle shots"

Can you elaborate? I don't understand.

"the primers seemd flat across the brass"

Which might not be fully seated. Depending upon everything (the brand of primer, brand of case, etc.), the primer will usually be inset a few thousandths when fully seated. 3 or 5 thousandths is not unusual, in my experience.

There's no harm in using a bit of force to seat the primers. Slow, steady force won't make a primer go off -- it takes a sharp impact.

In any case, it should be easy to show whether I'm on the right track or not. Just make some primer-only loads (no powder, no bullet) seating the primer like you have been. Make some others where you strive to get the primer inset, even if it takes some force to seat them. Then safely fire the cases off (for any lawyers reading, that means: use a backstop that would stop a bullet, make sure there's no live ammo present, don't fire them indoor where you can inhale the lead dust the primer throws off, use hearing protection). See if there's any difference in reliability between the ones you loaded the usual way, and the ones where the primer is seated deeper.

[Deanimator]

What brand primers were you using? CCI?

Were you shooting double action?

Has your gun had a trigger job? Springs replaced? Strain screw backed off?

1. CCI primers are the hardest on the market. They are notorious for failing to go off with "light hits", especially in double action revolvers. Try Federals. They're much softer.

2. A combination of hard primers and action work often leads to misfires in double action revolvers. Set your strain screw back to stock and see what happens. If that doesn't work, make sure you have stock springs.

I have this problem with my S&W Model 25-2. I HAVE to use Federal primers or I routinely get light hits when firing double action.

[P0832177]

Think the previous posters are on track!

Replacement of factory springs is often a cause of light strikes
A trigger job that lightens things a bit too much
Bubba's easy trigger job, back out the strain screw


Solutions

Make sure you are consistent in your reloading process with respect to seating primers
Use Federal Small Pistol Primers
Have gun checked out by a competent gunsmith

[P95Carry]

Wayne - thx for your suggestion - yes this may get extra exposure in reloading.

[taliv]

1 in 6? was it always in the same chamber?

[akashooter]

it was cci primers. so ill try federal and see what happens

[Deanimator]

it was cci primers. so ill try federal and see what happens
You simply have no idea how often this has come up, and how many times CCI primers were the cause.

There's nothing wrong with CCI primers, but they're not for double action revolvers with trigger jobs.