BMood
Member
Hi everyone, so I just started reloading and after working some brass I tried to seat a few primers tonight. It was my first time, and honestly I think I made a mess of things... I’m using a Lee breach lock challenger and I was priming on the ram. I have once fired (by me) federal .223 brass and I’m using Remington #7.5 small rifle bench rest primers, and I had cleaned out all the primer pockets with a lee primer pocket tool.
All the primers seem like they’re a little too hard to press in, but being new I don’t really have anything to compare it to so I could be wrong. I was getting very erratic seatings, some to high, some that look to be in to far, and even some that look smooshed a little or cockeyed. I’m sure a huge part is user error and me needing to get familiar with the feel of the press but what really concerned me was when one went off.
It felt tough like I was forcing it a bit and then it just went bang, there was no indentation on the primer but after trying a few more and paying very close attention (and putting in ear plugs) I noticed tiny slivers of brass lodged into the primer cup holder after several of the rounds that I cleaned out each time. My thought is that one of these slivers acted as a firing pin, but my big question is what’s causing them? And why are these primers so hard to seat correctly?
Thanks in advance for any help or advice, I don’t know anyone personally who reloads to ask and teaching myself is proving to be a little daunting... especially after a primer went off on my first try, my wife ran down saying “throw it all out and get a new hobby!”
Image is of the primer cup and one of the tiny slivers of brass I found in it.
All the primers seem like they’re a little too hard to press in, but being new I don’t really have anything to compare it to so I could be wrong. I was getting very erratic seatings, some to high, some that look to be in to far, and even some that look smooshed a little or cockeyed. I’m sure a huge part is user error and me needing to get familiar with the feel of the press but what really concerned me was when one went off.
It felt tough like I was forcing it a bit and then it just went bang, there was no indentation on the primer but after trying a few more and paying very close attention (and putting in ear plugs) I noticed tiny slivers of brass lodged into the primer cup holder after several of the rounds that I cleaned out each time. My thought is that one of these slivers acted as a firing pin, but my big question is what’s causing them? And why are these primers so hard to seat correctly?
Thanks in advance for any help or advice, I don’t know anyone personally who reloads to ask and teaching myself is proving to be a little daunting... especially after a primer went off on my first try, my wife ran down saying “throw it all out and get a new hobby!”
Image is of the primer cup and one of the tiny slivers of brass I found in it.