CCI primer issues
- Thread starter Dolmar
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dagger dog
Member
Are you sure the primers are seating to the bottom of the pocket are you priming on the press or with a hand tool ?
Dave P
Member
Its prolly not the primers ... CCI's are reliable.
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Yep.
I've never had a CCI primer fail in 44 years of using them.
Look at a primer seating or headspace issue with your reloads.
rc
I've never had a CCI primer fail in 44 years of using them.
Look at a primer seating or headspace issue with your reloads.
rc
This is some info I gleaned from my Lyman reloading manual:
"Primers should normally be 0.003" to 0.007" below flush. Thus, strive to adjust primer seating for a nominal of 0.005" below flush. The exception to this is CCI primers which the manufacturer suggest be seated to a depth of 0.002 to0.004 inches below flush- a nomianl of 0.003 inch."
I posted this on another thread I just started. Hope it helps. I just wanted to show that for whatever reason, CCI are just a little 'differernt'
"Primers should normally be 0.003" to 0.007" below flush. Thus, strive to adjust primer seating for a nominal of 0.005" below flush. The exception to this is CCI primers which the manufacturer suggest be seated to a depth of 0.002 to0.004 inches below flush- a nomianl of 0.003 inch."
I posted this on another thread I just started. Hope it helps. I just wanted to show that for whatever reason, CCI are just a little 'differernt'
Try firing it again. If the round goes off, you didn't seat the primer deep enough. With high primers, the first strike seats the primer properly, the second sets it off. The other thing to watch out for is to be sure you've removed the crimp from the primer pocket if the prior primers were crimped in.
Did you try firing them a second time?
From "Shooting Times":
"Misfires - Handloaded Ammo Causes
The apex cause of centerfire hand-loads misfiring is a “high primer,” one that is not seated fully. Proper seating puts the tip of the anvil at a specified distance from the inside of the primer cup, leaving the correct amount of primer compound in between to achieve specified sensitivity. With most brands of Boxer primers, this happens when the base of the primer cup is 0.003 to 0.005 inch below flush with the case head for specified sensitivity.
High primers mean there’s too much compound over the anvil tip for proper ignition. It’s been compared to a car engine with a too-rich fuel/air mixture. One thing I learned over years of working with this stuff is that when a misfire happens on the first strike but the cartridge fires on the second try, there’s a 98 percent chance the handloader did not seat the primer deeply enough.
You can make or buy a gauge to check seating depth, but nothing beats an “educated finger” for picking out high primers. I run a finger across every case head after the priming stage. If I load progressively, I check for high primers as I box the ammo. Remember that you never attempt to reseat a primer in a loaded cartridge. If you find one, set it aside for later disassembly and rework. Safety first, people! High primers can cause premature ignition in some firearm types, so it behooves you to take extra care to ensure proper primer seating."
Read more: http://www.shootingtimes.com/2012/11/05/how-to-prevent-centerfire-misfires/#ixzz2rX33HbZV
From "Shooting Times":
"Misfires - Handloaded Ammo Causes
The apex cause of centerfire hand-loads misfiring is a “high primer,” one that is not seated fully. Proper seating puts the tip of the anvil at a specified distance from the inside of the primer cup, leaving the correct amount of primer compound in between to achieve specified sensitivity. With most brands of Boxer primers, this happens when the base of the primer cup is 0.003 to 0.005 inch below flush with the case head for specified sensitivity.
High primers mean there’s too much compound over the anvil tip for proper ignition. It’s been compared to a car engine with a too-rich fuel/air mixture. One thing I learned over years of working with this stuff is that when a misfire happens on the first strike but the cartridge fires on the second try, there’s a 98 percent chance the handloader did not seat the primer deeply enough.
You can make or buy a gauge to check seating depth, but nothing beats an “educated finger” for picking out high primers. I run a finger across every case head after the priming stage. If I load progressively, I check for high primers as I box the ammo. Remember that you never attempt to reseat a primer in a loaded cartridge. If you find one, set it aside for later disassembly and rework. Safety first, people! High primers can cause premature ignition in some firearm types, so it behooves you to take extra care to ensure proper primer seating."
Read more: http://www.shootingtimes.com/2012/11/05/how-to-prevent-centerfire-misfires/#ixzz2rX33HbZV
I agree with the above posts, but I've always seated primers til they bottomed out, regardless of the actual measurement. They always "feel" lower than the case head when I'm done, and I haven't had a misfire in recent history that I can remember.
Master Blaster
Member
If they did not fire on a Second strike and the firing pin dent is deep and centered, then you have defective primers. It's possible with any brand. Examine the remaining primers and see if they have an anvil and colored priming compound. Try some different primers from another box. If they don't look right contact CCI Blount.
243winxb
Member
Last problem like this, turned out to be a broken firing pin spring in a Savage bolt action. Try cleaning the firing pin channel. Or spray with WD40. Old oil will gum up and slow the pin velocity in cold weather.
gamestalker
member
Seat primers until they are completely bottomed out in the pocket. This could be .004" - .008", but they must be seated all the way home or you will experience misfires.
In more than 30 yrs. of reloading i've yet to come across a bad primer.
GS
In more than 30 yrs. of reloading i've yet to come across a bad primer.
GS
matrem
Member
And, if they're bottomed out, my money says they will continue to.
sounds like defective primers. I have never had any with CCI but a bad batch is always possible with any manufacturer or transport/storage issues.
If it was me I would keep every variable the same and switch to another brand or buy CCI from another store with different lot number.
If it was me I would keep every variable the same and switch to another brand or buy CCI from another store with different lot number.
243winxb
Member
dagger dog
Member
My first foray into reloading was with a Lee Loader, except mine had a dedicated 38 Special hand primer instead of the whack with a hammer type (it was a MRC which was a company started with the break up of Lee's original company in the late 70's), then my next was with a RCBS hand primer that was with my Rockchucker kit.
So the high primer syndrome never showed up for me until quite later with Wolf primers and new Winchester 45 Colt brass, and it was definitely high primers caused by slightly over sized Wolf primer cups in tight primer pockets.
The primer compound has to be preloaded a between the primer cup and the anvil, in other words the edge of the primer cup has to bottom out on the pocket bottom, then with slightly more pressure the anvil is pushed into the primer compound, if either doesn't happen, primer doesn't go bang.
I may get jumped for this statement, but you can feel both happen with a hand unit, you get the feel primer cup bottoming, which is pretty solid, then a secondary squishy feel, which is probably the top of the rounded edge of the cup flexing, but in doing so preloads the compound between the two metal components.
I like the Lee unit because it uses 1 digit (thumb) compared to RCBS Lyman an other that use 4 fingers.
I don't load for competition so the need for speed is not there.
Just my theory.
So the high primer syndrome never showed up for me until quite later with Wolf primers and new Winchester 45 Colt brass, and it was definitely high primers caused by slightly over sized Wolf primer cups in tight primer pockets.
The primer compound has to be preloaded a between the primer cup and the anvil, in other words the edge of the primer cup has to bottom out on the pocket bottom, then with slightly more pressure the anvil is pushed into the primer compound, if either doesn't happen, primer doesn't go bang.
I may get jumped for this statement, but you can feel both happen with a hand unit, you get the feel primer cup bottoming, which is pretty solid, then a secondary squishy feel, which is probably the top of the rounded edge of the cup flexing, but in doing so preloads the compound between the two metal components.
I like the Lee unit because it uses 1 digit (thumb) compared to RCBS Lyman an other that use 4 fingers.
I don't load for competition so the need for speed is not there.
Just my theory.
matrem
Member
Can't see ya gettin "jumped"
My experience says amen bro.
Zeke/PA
Member
Are the primer pockets clean ( no residue covering flash hole)? When seating primers I routinely spin the case , seat, spin case again , seat spin case again ,seat and then visually make sure that the primer is seated to depth. Set a primed case on a flat surface.
If it wobbles, you ain't doin'it right. I prefer CCI Primers and have loaded with them since forever with no problems.
If it wobbles, you ain't doin'it right. I prefer CCI Primers and have loaded with them since forever with no problems.
matrem
Member
I bet if you pull some of those bullets from those that didn't "fire", and push the primers back out, you'll find some primers that kinked "fighting" to get into the pocket.
I did have some that fought the process some. Thinking I didn't get the primer crimp out all the way on them.
dagger dog
Member
The middle round on the top row looks like the primer is off set to one side.
I didn't know that Hornady ammo had crimped primers, but yes you are correct about not getting crimps all the way removed causing primer seating problems, the extra force required to get a primer seated below flush in a case without all the crimp removed would no doubt crush the compound causing problems.
I have never swaged pockets but instead remove the ring crimp with my chamfer tool.
I wouldn't sweat it, just disassemble them save your bullet and powder, and take greater care in case prep in the future.
I didn't know that Hornady ammo had crimped primers, but yes you are correct about not getting crimps all the way removed causing primer seating problems, the extra force required to get a primer seated below flush in a case without all the crimp removed would no doubt crush the compound causing problems.
I have never swaged pockets but instead remove the ring crimp with my chamfer tool.
I wouldn't sweat it, just disassemble them save your bullet and powder, and take greater care in case prep in the future.
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