Bad primers

[Walkalong]

After all these years I finally had some bad primers. They all came from the same sleeve. All the other 9 sleeves worked fine. Go figure.

They were Winchester WSP primers. I loaded up 100 .32 Mag brass with them. So far I have had close to 7 or 8 not fire. They would not work in either .32 Mag I have, despite multiple hits.

Although they appeared to had gotten a considerable lick from the firing pin (more than once), I knocked a couple out and reseated them in some 9MM brass. That gun would not set them off either. I took a couple outside and a hammer on concrete failed to set them off as well.

I guess in the manufacturer's hurry lately, some bad ones slipped through. I had already thrown the box away, so have no lot number, unfortunately.

 

[m33p0n3]

My friend and I recently had a primer failure on a winchester white box .40 S&W cartridge. Hit it a few times in his glock and once in my XD; huge dimple in the primer and no bang.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Considering the millions of primers produced on a monthly basis, I'm surprised we don't have more bad primers.

I've only gotten two bad ones, and both of those were within the last three years. One didn't have any compound in it and the other was missing the anvil. They were also different brands. And this is out of approximately 3/4 million primers I've gone through over the years.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[oneounceload]

All the other 9 sleeves worked fine.

7 or 8 out of 45,000 is bad? (a sleeve is 5,000 primers)

 

[1SOW]

After a lot of Fed SPPs, I had "ONE" primer ftf last year. After several hits, I took it home and deprimed the case. The primer "formula" was a KA-KA brown instead of green. It wouldn't bang with a hammer either.

 

[gamestalker]

If I were you I would go buy a lottery ticket Walkalong.

 

[GW Staar]

and CCI's. (kidding)

Interesting that there hasn't been more of that from Wolf and other Russian primers. Not that I expect them to make lesser primers for their military....they wouldn't......for Americans....no love lost there.

This would be a good poll subject...."what brands of primers have you experienced repetitive duds from."

 

[ljnowell]

I have had a bad run of SPP from Wolf, and have had a batch of winchesters that would have two to three per 100 fail. That was a few years ago though.

 

[dsm]

I have a bad lot of 5K Wolf primers on hand. Sucks because they work good when they work...but that unexpected hang fire or misfire keeps me from using them.

 

[Walkalong]

(a sleeve is 5,000 primers)

I meant a sleeve of 100 out of ten sleeves in a box of 1000. Perhaps my terminology is wrong. Still pretty good odds as I have used tens of thousands of them without a misfire until now. These were bought at a gunshow within the last year and were fresh stock, not old primers folks drudged up from where ever to sell.

They had anvils, and compound.

 

[oneounceload]

The high rate of speed involved in the mfg. process is going to have a few get by - considering they make millions a day, I wouldn't be too concerned

 

[mahansm]

Box = 100 (convenient, because that's what a Dillon primer tube holds...)
Brick = 1000 (10 boxes)
Sleeve = 5000 (5 bricks)
Case = 25000 (5 sleeves, max for one container for shipping)

 

[_N4Z_]

I had a run of CCI standard large rifle primers (box of 1000) that contained two "sleeves" of 100 which each contained 2 bad primers early last year. 4 total per 1000. Just the one time, and none since. It happens.

I have started loading for competition with FederalMatch now, and use the CCI for informal shooting and such.

 

[Uniquedot]

Box = 100 (convenient, because that's what a Dillon primer tube holds...)
Brick = 1000 (10 boxes)
Sleeve = 5000 (5 bricks)
Case = 25000 (5 sleeves, max for one container for shipping)

Where I'm from a sleeve is 100 primers and a box is what ten sleeves are in.

 

[jfrey]

I've been having problems with CCI primers lately. Some striker pistols don't do well with them and I've had a couple that just wouldn't go off at all. No problems with other brands though.

 

[Redneckly33]

I've had some Win, Primers misfire recently, in .223. I thought something had happened to my rifle. This had never happened before. I contributed it to the Primers were bought a few years ago. I thought, well, their old, but then again, they were in the same box out of Brick I had bought a few years back (5 or 6 years ago). I finally used them all up. I had already swapped to CCI. I never thought about again untill I saw this Thread.

 

[snuffy]

I was loading primer tubes for my dillon 650 a month or so ago, ww-sp for 9mm. I use two primer trays to flip the primers, then they can go directly to the primer flipper in the correct position to be picked up by the tube. This gives you a chance to look right at the anvils before placing on the flipper tray.

I noticed one of the primers looked wrong. A closer look showed the anvil was sideways! I doubt it would have fired. I set it aside, I may prime a case, see if the CZ would fire it without any load/bullet.

A closer look, (10X glass), just now showed the whole cup is pretty well mangled! I was thinking of trying it right now, there's just no way it could be seated.

The old saying, haste makes waste is catching up with primer manufactures.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Are you people really going to hijack a thread and talk about a Box, Brick, Sleeve and Case? Really???

AC, that's very strange that so many from one "sleeve" of 100 were bad while the other 900 in 9 "sleeves" of 100 were just fine. Weird...

I have yet to have a bad primer that I've loaded. I did have a bad primer in a very old .45 Colt round that wouldn't go off no matter how many times I pulled the trigger. It was old though and I have no idea how it was stored. The other 4 rounds actually fired though... lol (only had 5)

 

[LiveLife]

Misfires with Winchester primers? Tell me it ain't so!

Although I have used Winchester primers mostly the past 16 years without experiencing misfires, it could happen depending on the manufacturing materials supplied for that particular lot (happened to other manufacturers over the years).

BTW, could you post the lot number just in case it might be specific to temporary manufacturing process. Also, any pictures?

If you continue to experience misfires from the same lot, let us know. Thanks.

 

[Walkalong]

I threw the sleeve/box/whatever away. I have another bought at the same time, but that is no guarantee it is the same lot. So no, I cannot give a lot #.

At first I thought it was the gun, as it was new to me, and the initial hit looked a little light, but then the ammo would not fire in my other .32 Mag either.

Then I knocked a couple out and tried them in another gun in another caliber, and they still wouldn't fire. Then I smashed a couple with a hammer, and still nothing, so it must be the primers.

I have had a gun with a loose strain screw not set off primers, but the primer would fire when hit again after tightening the strain screw, so I would not think the light hit damaged the primer so a good hit would not fire it, but never say never.

I do not have a bullet puller, and it was WC's, so I cannot pull them with pliers, which of course means I cannot even salvage the brass. Bummer.

I have not ruled out a gun problem 100% yet, but it sure looks 100% like bad primers. I am going to load them up again with more Winny primers and see what happens.

 

[GW Staar]

Never having the need to pull bullets in the past million years, I know this goes against your grain, but now would be a good time to spring for less than $20 and buy a Berry's...or go to home depot and make your own kinetic bullet puller. You can save your powder, bullets, and cases, and have fun doing it too.

 

[Walkalong]

For less than 10 cases? Nah.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Or, you could do like the muzzle loader shooters do. Just drill a small hole in the end of the bullet and insert a screw. Once it's set in solidly, use the screw for a place to grasp with pliers and pull the bullet out.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[GW Staar]

For less than 10 cases? Nah.

There's something wrong with you! You can throw away 10 perfectly good bullets and brass! You know you could prime a few more empty cases to fire powder-less, and bullet-less in your gun to further test for a bad batch. Or at least the first one in then next box. that's cheaper than loading 10 more and finding that the next box sucks as well.

Seriously, this seems to be the sign of the times. Quality control ain't what it used to be. For 40+ years I have never had a bad primer in my reloads....ever. (using Federal, Winchester, Remington, or CCI) Just lucky?

 

[Walkalong]

Just drill a small hole in the end of the bullet and insert a screw

Excellent! I'll try it. AC

There's something wrong with you!

Perhaps.

Or at least the first one in then next box.

They fired fine.