Getting misfires

[Peakbagger46]

OK, I give up. I just started loading for my 94 Winchester in 30-30, and I'm getting misfires. The load is 170g corlokt over 32g Rel 15 with WLR primers.
About 1 in 5 shots won't go off the first time and I have to pull the hammer back for a second or third strike before the round will go off.

I am seating the primers (as always) a touch below flush.

Do I have a bad batch of primers?

 

[243winxb]

What happens with factory ammo?

 

[Mal H]

I am seating the primers (as always) a touch below flush.

What method do you use prime your cases? You have to be sure the primer is all the way to the bottom. It certainly has to be below the head, but it may have to go lower than "a touch". You should seat them until they won't go any further. Quite a few beginners think they shouldn't put a lot of pressure on the primer, and that's really not the case at all.

 

[Peakbagger46]

Factory ammo fires fine. I have loaded five other calibers without a single misfire.

I am seating using quite a bit of pressure (using a ram on my press).

 

[Steve C]

Mal H is right, seat primers by feel not by a predetermined depth. The depth is what it is once the primer bottoms out in the pocket and takes its "set". If not bottomed out you get miss fires. The reason for firing after multiple strikes is the primer is driven further into the pocket each time the firing pin hits it, when it gets bottomed out the next hit sets it off.

 

[243winxb]

I am seating using quite a bit of pressure (using a ram on my press).

Smashing the prime may be your problem. To deep maybe? If FLRSing, try to set the cartridge to headspace on the shoulder. Not anything you can do with the mechanical headspace, bolt/chamber/rim. The firing pin might be worn short, it should extend about .060" (a guess) out of the bolt face. But i would guess not a problem as factory fires ok.

 

[Mal H]

I am seating using quite a bit of pressure (using a ram on my press).

Which press? As good as it is, my Rockchucker will not seat primers as deep as they should be or as consistently as I would like. IMO, nothing beats a hand priming tool from any of the reputable press manufacturers.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Check to make sure you are not pushing the shoulder back too far. If you are you may be placing the cartridge out of reach of the firing pin. Yes...I know the M94 headspaces on the case head, but it is a Winchester and it may have an ample chamber like mine. I headspace on the shoulder instead of the case head.

Crushing the primer a little bit will not hurt the primer. I crush (a little) all primers I seat and have not had a missfire in 25 years. In fact you should be crushing them a bit to "arm" them.

 

[TonyAngel]

Did you pull one of those rounds that didn't go off to see if it had a light primer strike? If you let off on the trigger and it does go bang and you have a light primer strike, my first suspect would be primer seating.

 

[NCsmitty]

Have you visually compared the dud primer strike depth to a fired factory primer?



NCsmitty

 

[ReloaderFred]

Primers should optimally be seated .004" below flush. The anvil in the primer has to be seated into the priming compound, and this is done when the primer is seated.

You noted that the rounds go off with the second hit from the firing pin. This indicates that the first hit is fully seating the primer, and the second hit is setting it off. This tells me that in all likelyhood, seating depth is the problem.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[qajaq59]

My first guess is they are not seated fully. My second is check the head space in the 94.

 

[NCsmitty]

I do make a habit of cleaning the primer pockets to remove the ash buildup, although many people do not. I've always done it, as it's part of my routine.




NCsmitty

 

[Peakbagger46]

Thanks for all the hypothesis. I feel pretty certain that the primers are being seated properly as I have loaded hundreds of rounds (other calibers) with no such problems. That leaves me with the headspace and the chance of some bad primers. How do I "check the headspace"? I haven't had to deal with this yet.

 

[243winxb]

Do I have a bad batch of primers?

First, try different primers.

How do I "check the headspace"?

You gun headspaces on the rim, there is no adjustment of the rifle you can do. But you can adjust cartridge headspace when you are full length resizing. Simply use a shim or feeler gauge to set you die adjustment. Info here http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=11470/guntechdetail/Gauging_Success___Minimum_Headspace_and_Maximum_COL If you have an old gun, the flat spring might need replacing as they do become weak over the years. http://www.gun-parts.com/winchesterrifle/1894.jpg click link, click to inlarger.

 

[qajaq59]

If you have an old gun, the flat spring might need replacing as they do become weak over the years.

+1 on that.

 

[243winxb]

Link to rimmed chamber headspace. http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/headspace/index.asp Flat Springs - Note in parts drawing, there is a mainspring strain screw #51 , this sometimes can be adjusted on old models.