How do you handle loose primer pockets?

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amlevin

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Like everyone else I'm sure, I will be priming cases and have a few that the primers almost fall into the primer pocket when priming with my Lee Auto Prime. For the most part I just go ahead and just shoot them and then discard those that the primers fall out when cleaning.

Has anyone developed or has for sale a "Go-No Go gauge that one can use to check primer pockets before the bad ones get to the loading stage?

I suppose that one can ID them when inserting primers but what about loading on a progressive press?

What methods do others here use? When loading on single stage presses? On Progressives?
 
IF I can seat primers with my fingers the cases get tossed THEN, and the load that produced the enlargement gets reduced. One of the several reasons I don't use progressive pregressive presses is the inability of maintaining awareness of such things.
 
If they go in easy but can't be removed with slight pressure from one of the Lee primer removal rods then I just put an "X" across the bottom of the round and dispose of it after the next firing. If I can push them out with just a slight amount of pressure they go to the scrap bin. I destroyed 20 brand new pieces of Win .243 brass last weekend using a load that was too hot for a particular gun (it was one full grain under the powder manufacturers listing for maximum load for this particular bullet). I didn't bother to check this brass for pressure signs so I didn't realized the primer pockets had expanded until after I had the brass resized, trimmed, polished and installing new primers.
 
My rule of thumb, and it hasn't failed me yet, is if the primer will stay in I load and shoot it. Because we are using a press with an arm that gives us a lot of leverage, it can give us the impression that the primer is not seating tight enough when it is actually just fine. My brass has always worn out long before a primer pocket will get too big.
I load and shoot full pressure loads, that may be what seals the primer even when it might be a little loose? Really couldn't tell ya, except that I've never had one fail.
 
My reliable go no-go gauge is my hands when priming. When the primer pockets are too loose I toss the brass into the junk bucket. You will know when you get one that's too loose.
 
Using a LEE turret press for pistol, you can feel the ones that seat "too easily". I blacken the base with magic marker, shoot it and scrap any black based cases I bring home.
 
When in Doubt, Don't!

That is what I go by, however with primers, if they feel like they are going in a bit too easily, I will mark the entire case (and seated primer) bottom with a black or red permanant marker. Then, when I shoot, and when it is time to pick up my brass - those cases with the marked base get tossed into the trash. That way, I get one more firing out of them.

I never have had a primer so loose that it falls out on its own. I think that shows how my method works, as the cases are tossed before they would even get close to that stage.

Also, remember, when seating primers with certain tools, you have so much leverage that, whatever "feels" loose is, most likely, in reality, not loose at all, just not as tight in comparison to the other primers you are seating at the time!

I use a bench-mounted RCBS Priming Tool that has about a 10" handle, giving me plenty of leverage and "feel" of the primer being seated.
 
Gadzooks Mike said:
These work good. Different ones for small and large, of course.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=339607
Click to expand...

Man, for $45.99, it had better do a good job! I think for $50+ (tax and shipping), it would never pay for itself for the amount of loose primers the average shooter comes across.

Remember, if the primer is loose, there is wear and tear on the case to get it to that point. After resizing the primer pocket, how many more uses will one get out of a case that may be near the end of its life anyway?
 
Remember, if the primer is loose, there is wear and tear on the case to get it to that point. After resizing the primer pocket, how many more uses will one get out of a case that may be near the end of its life anyway?
Click to expand...

Good point.

I toss any brass w/ loose primer pockets. A loose primer will lock up a mag. When this happens, the chamber closes w/o a rd in the chamber. You don't know there's a problem until the trigger is pulled and you get a click instead of a bang.
 
+1 for "when in doubt -- don't"

Here's a fluky, one-off example: Many, many (did I mention many?) moons ago, I sallied forth to the desert with my new AR-15 for its second shooting session. My ammo supply was small and tired from several years of service in a Mini-14. I don't think I got through the first mag when the gun locked up, no trigger movement, nothing obviously damaged, but, dead gun. Being an AR noob, I had no idea how to detail strip the gun and came home. With the gun on the bench, I finally got the trigger group out and there in the bottom of the receiver, under the long bar extending to rear of the trigger (brain-dead this morning, whatever that thingy is called) was an expended small rifle primer, blown out of a case after firing. It had managed to fall into the exact worst possible place in the gun on its own, but no amount of shaking, smacking or swearing would dislodge it without disassembly.
Nobody is more reluctant than I to retire a piece of seemingly usable brass, but I gave that offending case a cigarette and a blindfold and 'dobe-walled it.
Nowadays, I 86 loose pocket cases with a bit more dignity right there at the reloading bench when they seat too easily. Lesson learned.
 
Man, for $45.99, it had better do a good job! I think for $50+ (tax and shipping), it would never pay for itself for the amount of loose primers the average shooter comes across.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's kind of like boats and pools - everyone's neighbor should have one!

Seriously, I bought one because I had some 303SAV brass with loose primer pockets. At $1 each, I couldn't afford to be tossing them out. Things like this would be good for local clubs to purchase.
 
I hand prime. I have yet to toss a case because of loose primer pockets. If you are seeing loose pockets before the necks split, reduce your load.
 
If you are seeing loose pockets before the necks split, reduce your load.
Click to expand...
I agree totally.

It takes well over safe operating pressure to cause enough case head expansion to loosen primer pockets.

They don't get that loose for any other reason.

As for "fixing" them with a $50 buck whack-A-mole punch set?
Sheer folly unless you have to salvage some rare cases nobody makes.

At any rate, once case head expansion has given you a very clear warning sign, back off.
And toss the cases, as they have already had the elastic limit of the brass exceeded.

rc
 
I have a "Later Bucket", a plastic pail I drop questionable reloads in (seating probs, flaring probs, priming, including crooked/loose primers, whatever). If a primer slips in too easy (if it went in easy, it'll come out easy), I just but the case in the later bucket. When I have nothing else to do I'll go through the bucket and pull bullets, deprime, and salvage what's salvagable (powder goes on the poppies). Loose pocket brass goes in the round file...
 
It takes well over safe operating pressure to cause enough case head expansion
to loosen primer pockets.

They don't get that loose for any other reason.
Click to expand...

Personally, I think it was a bad batch of brass. I bought it new and had only used it a couple times with reduced loads. I do know that it's the same low-power load I've used many times before in both 303SAV and 30-30. I also know that since I've fixed them, I've used them at least 4 or 5 more times with zero problems and they're still fine. It's the only Norma brass I've used, and only had problems with the one batch. I don't think it was high pressure that did it, but I'm not an expert on the subject.
 
You are right.
Soft factory brass can cause it at safe operating pressure.

You certainly did not reach a high enough pressure to expand normal hardness case heads in a 30-30 without blowing up a gun.

rc
 
I use a lot of used brass and from time to time I get soft primer seats. I usually run my loaded rounds for a half hour or so in a vibrating tumbler and sometimes end up with primers falling out, these I just pull the bullets on and throw. My big hunting loads get a little better attention and won't get past the seating process if I think they are to soft.
 
Same idea for me, but I toss a case if the spent primer falls out during the initial tumbling.
 
I've noticed with the typical high pressure loads I load, that even the ones that feel loose don't leak at all, and I've never had one fall out in almost 30 years. But some of that just might be knowing the feel of the primer seating attributed to not having experienced a failure as yet. It's really a call you have to make based on what your used to feeling for resistence, and how your evaluating loose.
I have to keep reminding myself to stop ofering advice that contradicts safe reloading practices. Just because it works for me doesn't make it right! A .03 cent primer or a piece of brass isn't worth risking a catrostrophic failure.
 
If the feeling of friction against the walls of the primer pocket isn't felt, junk it. Hot gases in the face are not nice.
 
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