38spl/S&B primers/light strikes?

ReloaderFred said:

Primers backing out is a sign of a load that is too light.

Nowhere have I seen it mentioned where you actually measured how deep below flush you've seated these primers. S&B primers are flat, and have to be seated all the way to the bottom of the primer pockets, like I said in post # 7. I don't think you're doing that. Get out your calipers and see how deep those primers are seated, which should be about .004" below flush.

You spend a lot of time on the computer asking other people how to fix your problems, but you need to spend more time at your bench, figuring out some of these things for yourself. If you haven't read the front chapters of the Lyman Reloading Handbook, you need to, since it doesn't sound like you fully understand what happens when the firing pin strikes a primer.

Domestic primers are made with the anvil standing slightly above the cup, so when they're properly seated, the anvil is set into the primer pellet. S&B primers are made with the anvil flush with the edge of the cup, and need to be fully seated so the primer doesn't move when the firing pin strikes it. When the firing pin strike is cushioned by the movement of the primer cup, it leaves shallow indentations, like hitting an object that is moving away from you verses a solid object.

Hope this helps.

Fred

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All the rounds that failed to fire were pulled and the primer reseated again and will not move. I understand that the primer must be seated all the way but using my lee press to prime if i push anymore i will break the handle. the two that did not fire all had similar primer strikes like the ones that did fire. I prime the same way with cci for rifle and cci and s&b for 9mm and never had a misfire. Upon doing some google searches i found several threads on S&W forum and on here about light strikes with the model 642, could be me not seating them flush or the gun but i can assure you that they are all the way in. I will measure them (forgot about how to do that) and see what i come up with. I was happy 14 went off but more concerned with the way they looked after firing because i was within the guidelines and not close to max charge is why i brought this back up. I have more rifle rounds under my belt with cci and that might be why the s&b look odd to me like they are flattened or coming out. Also when i prime i run my finger across them and they are below flush.

Not to be rude on this part but some people learn a certain way by asking a specific question the book might now give info for. I have learned way more from here in the beginning then using the hornady manual which is more hornady tooting their own horn and the lyman which IMO shows more lead/casting stuff.

Just loaded up 20rds with cci primers. I also loaded 10 with s-b primers. The s-b seem to be grabby when seating and cci goes in smooth. I can't seat the s-b any deeper so we shall see what primer fails and what doesn't.

We'll all the cci went off with normal primer strikes and 5 s-b did not fire or had very light strikes after firing. Just going to run cci through the 38 and save the s-b for 9mm. 50rds of 9mm with s-b all went off with normal strikes.

2bfree said:

So does this mean, 5 did not fire or 5 fired but had lighter firing marks. If they did not fire did you try a second strike ?

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1ftf and others had light strikes. I even cycled the gun another round to get them to go off but they would not. I forgot to add they are only about .01-2k below flush and won't go any deeper. Cci are same but all went off. Any thoughts on uniforming the pockets?

Walkalong said:

1 thousandths is .001.

Or 1k, but not .01k.

You're not getting the S&B primers seated deep enough with whatever tool you are using. Uniforming the pockets will cut the bottom, but in general shouldn't touch the sides. They are designed to cut them all to the same depth and flat at the bottom.

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Hard to type on the phone with catchers mits for hands. Sorry I'm using the lee safety prime. I literally can't go deeper as it feels like I'm going to snap the lever.

I'm going to take the priming arm off and clean it. I measured the 9mm cases with the same primers and seating the same and they are 4-5k below and I even found a couple 8-9k below. I swear to you guys if i push on that handle any harder it will bend it. could it be the brass seeing how when I got it the length varied by 10k? all the cci's went off so ill probably just use those for the 38spl.