bulging primers

[counterman6]

My buddy just showed me some .45 Colt he handloaded and the Winchester primers he used are bulged out a little in the center like a little volcano. Are they safe to fire? It is not a compressed load, he used cast bullets and I think Blue Dot. The only thing I can think of is he crimped them too heavily and air pressure pushed out the center of the primer. Very odd. Thanks for your help.

 

[jeepmor]

I've seen this on my 40 w/ UMC, my wife's 9mm with UMC and handloads, and my 10mm. All handloads were well under max. Unless it's really bad, I would not worry about it.

I've also seen it on my 223 w/ HSM, handloads, and others. If it doesn't pierce the primer or show signs of gas leaking around the primer pockets, I would not worry too much. However, I would check the handloads carefully and intentionally stay ~.1-.3 grains below max due to powder dispenser variation if it's a finnicky stick or flake powder.

Since it's a revolver, is brass is not sticking in the cylinders, it's very likely not an issue.

BTW - Blue Dot is some potent stuff, usually at the top end for speeds and pressures in reloading manuals.

 

[counterman6]

update

He's using 8gr. of Red Dot. My mistake.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Jeepmor...He hasn't fired them yet...Bulged primers after seating the bullet?? Never heard of such a thing. Could he have somehow loaded some berdan cases? Any air pressure build up when seating a bullet would not bulge a primer. I have never heard of a primer being pushed out due to bullet seating either...(???)

 

[Walkalong]

I have never seen that with unfired rounds. Bushmaster may be on to something.

 

[Mal H]

Air pressure! - Good one.

I've never seen that either. The Berdan case sounds plausible, except I don't know of any manufacturer who creates Berdan primed .45 Colt.

If the priming piston isn't perfectly flat, but is slightly concave, might be causing it. Another slim possibility - the anvil could be sitting on debris in the pocket or there might be burrs on the outside of the flash hole. And yet another possibilty is that it is an optical illusion caused by the concentric circles some primers have on their surface from the stamping process.

A close-up picture of one would be a good idea, if possible. If you can get one, lay a flat edge along the case head for reference.

 

[counterman6]

Odd situation

He did put a wicked heavy crimp on the bullet. If the priming ram were in place when he seated the bullet with this heavy crimp could the primer simply be forming to the ram head? Again, are they safe to fire? It's definately not an illusion, you can feel it.

 

[zxcvbob]

I wonder if he tried to use large rifle primers? (can be done, but you have to ream the primer pockets deeper and I don't know why anyone would want to do that)

Bob