Hand Primer Smashing Primers

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dcinia

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So here is my problem.

Last night I was priming some .40 S&W cases and noticed with my hand primer, I could feel the primer go into the case but I could still squeeze the hand primer more. If I stopped at the initial feel of the primer going into the pocket, it seemed to be sitting a little high but if I squeezed the hand primer all the way, I could feel it kind of smashing the primer.

So, my question is, are these still ok to shoot? Notice see the crescent moon shape along one edge.

Also, I don't remember this ever happening with the thousands of .45 or 9mm cases I've primed. Is there some adjustment on this thing that is trying to seat them too deep?

See attached photos

Thoughts? Thanks in advance. I don't want to waste too many small pistol primers right now!!

Details:
Remington primers (thought I'd use them up before digging into my CCI stash)
RCBS Hand priming tool. (not the universal)
All once fired Winchester brass.
 

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Well something sure isn't right as the primer seater punch is not aligned with the center of the primer. All four in the photo show off-center punch marks on them.

SO, trying to seat them crooked is not helping matters any.

Check your shell holder and see if there is some tumbler media or dirt stuck in it keeping the cases for entering it all the way centered.

BTW: Any chance you are using a Lee shell holder in the RCBS tool?

rc
 
Using RCBS shell holder and i have the small primer rod in the tool. Not even sure the large rod will fit the white / small pice that goes into the tool.

Sent from using Tapatalk 2
 
Well, something is preventing the case from centering in the shell holder all the way.

Like I Said before, check under the rim of the shell holder for media or something stuck in it keeping the case from going in all the way centered.

Right now, you are pushing them in sideways judging from the photos.

rc
 
I have two RCBS automate hand primers, that does not make me an expert, if I was a reloader would have called me instead of RCBS, RCBS sent him enough parts to build another hand primer, then he called me, I loaned him him one of my hand primers with the understanding nothing was going to change, sure enough, he used one of my hand primers and nothing got better.

RCBS made him a special part they thought would correct the problem, he was happy, then he called again, he said RCBS was going to send him a new shell holder, who does not want another shell holder? Same thing, dents, I create dents in my 9mm primers, If the dent caused a problem the problem would show up in failed to fire primers, that does not happen, the other reloader is a very disciplined reloader, the dents just ain’t wright, everything about the dent says there is something wrong.

I called RCBS, I started with the difficulty my friend was having with seating primers with dents, they offered to send me a new shell holder, I was so happy, I refused their generosity. “I have two RCBS automate hand primers, that does not make me an expert, if I was the reloader would have called me instead of RCBS” Again, I have two RCBS automatic hand primers and two Lee automatic hand primers, again if I was ‘THE’ or AN expert RCBS would have asked me what I believed to be the problem.

F. Guffey
 
GarySTL said:
I don't always hand prime, but I do get that effect sometimes. .
Click to expand...


Same here, but not to that extent. Generally happens with soft primers and tight primer holes. It also is more centered on the primer itself. Like Gary, I have yet to have them not go bang. I agree with RC and suspect the shell is not going all the way into the shell holder.
 
My thoughts are the same. It looks very much like your shell holder - or something stuck in it - isn't allowing the case all the way into it.
 
Yup, had the same problem until I switched shell holders.

There's too much "play" in the shell holder, allows the case to get slightly crooked under pressure, meaning the ram is now hitting the primer askew.
 
I have had similar issues with some Sellior & Bellot small pistol primers in 40 S&W Wiinchester brass. I hand prime with a Hornady primer and have not had this problem with Remington primers, only the S&B primers. They go bang though....
 
Yup, even when mine came out looking like the OP's, they ALL went bang just fine.

Not ideal, but it still works.
 
Thanks everyone for the quick responses. I'm on hold now with RCBS "caller number 24" could be awhile. Getting a few of those kind of messed with the confidence level too. If I'm not squeezing all the way, I could be leaving the primers high, too far I'm smashing them..... No media or anything in the holder so maybe just a bum holder? We'll see what RCBS says.

Thanks again
 
Thinking about it I wouldn't suspect the plunger because the wrong one would be the Large Pistol Primer size and wouldn't look like it might be a little small for the SPP. It looks off center more than anything as rc questions.

Andy
 
Well, seems like they want to try the Primer Rod first. If that doesn't fix it, she said to send it in. Her initial comment was "that's usually due to a little too much pressure" but like I said, if I don't finish it off or drive it home so to speak, it still seems to sit a bit high. And it seems that you should be able to squeeze that until it stops no? Why would it be designed to stop short of....the stop? I dunno, we'll see.
 
dcinia said:
Using RCBS shell holder and i have the small primer rod in the tool. Not even sure the large rod will fit the white / small pice that goes into the tool.

Sent from using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

Your problem is that you should not be using the white small piece and small primer rod, those are made for small primers. You need the black piece and large priming rod.

Sent from my HTC One X
 
I had the RCBS hand primer tool and gave up on it and bought 2 Lee hand primers and a set of shellholders.I keep 1 set up for small primers and 1 for large.I have zero problems as long as I pay attention and don't try to seat 2 at one time or seat one upside down.
 
allaroundhunter said:
Your problem is that you should not be using the white small piece and small primer rod, those are made for small primers. You need the black piece and large priming rod.

Sent from my HTC One X
Click to expand...
He's loading .40 S&W. That's small pistol primer, not large.

Andy
 
Today, 04:27 PM #19
Lj1941
Member


Join Date: June 12, 2009
Location: Eastern Pa near Pocono Mountains
Posts: 57 I had the RCBS hand primer tool and gave up on it and bought 2 Lee hand primers and a set of shellholders.I keep 1 set up for small primers and 1 for large.I have zero problems as long as I pay attention and don't try to seat 2 at one time or seat one upside down.
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Again, I called RCBS, they offered me a shell holder, I thought that was nice, again, I thanked them, they did not ask me why I would not want a new shell holder, the obvious #1 answer is “I already have one+”. I am the fan of RCBS shell holders, when sizing cases for short chambers I would be out of business if it was not for RCBS shell holders. When it comes to problems with dents in primers a new shell holder would not help, all the parts RCBS sent another reloader did not help and the small part they made for his hand primer did not help. He swore off of RCBS, again, no worry, he is back:).

F. Guffey
 
Lj1941 said:
I had the RCBS hand primer tool and gave up on it and bought 2 Lee hand primers and a set of shellholders.I keep 1 set up for small primers and 1 for large.I have zero problems as long as I pay attention and don't try to seat 2 at one time or seat one upside down.
Click to expand...

This may be an option too. I've heard Lee hand primers are good.

Sent using Tapatalk 2
 
My universal hand primer does the same thing, and it's definitely more pronounced with SPPs, but if I get agressive I can see the same thing with large primers. I think if the seating post didn't have so much of a bevel on the top it would be less prone to it. It seems to be a little smaller than the primer and not quite supporting the whole base

I just stopped using gorilla grip to seat them. I just squeeze until they bottom out and make sure they aren't high. If one is recalcitrant it gets smooshed in a little harder, and I tolerate the dent.

J.
 
I have never loaded .40S&W, but I have loaded the necked down version, .357 sig. That's a SPP

I would ask OP to check that he is using the correct shell holder and not just one that fit.
 
I have two different Lee hand primers, neither worked very well. Flipped primers, broken covers, vague primer seating feel.

Since returned to the Ram Prime and haven't looked back.
 
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