Kinetic Unloading

[Steve S.]

This may be a common experience within the reloading group but I will relay anyway. I recently unloaded about 40 .308 rounds using the kinetic hammer to reload with a different powder. When I shot the newly formulated rounds at a recent range trip, I had three misfires due to light primer strikes. I tried firing the rounds two times in the initial rifle and then again in another like caliber rifle with no success. Since I had never had this experience prior to this event, I am guessing that during the kinetic unloading, the primers moved forward just enough to cause the three misfires. Closely examining the three rounds, that is the only detail that appears to be the cause. It makes sense as everything is trying to move forward in the brass during the kinetic process but I cannot be totally sure.

 

[rsrocket1]

Disassemble the misfired rounds, deprime the cases and retrieve the primers. Did they go off or not? High primer strikes usually look more like a trampoline in the middle rather than a well defined firing pin mark. That's because the energy from the firing pin is distributed while pushing in a non-fully seated primer. If the primer went off, you would usually see a high primer because the pressure of the primer pushes it out slightly, then when the powder goes off, it slams the case against the bolt face and fully reseats the primer.

 

[ATLDave]

If it was the primers coming unseated, a second strike would likely have set them off. I read your post to say that you tried firing the same round multiple times in 2 different guns, and never had it go off.

You may have experienced something I did one time, which was manage to fragment/dislodge the priming compound. I opened up the non-firing round and discovered the yellow paper primer cover mixed in with the powder, and found that much of the priming compound had come out of the cup.

Since then, if I am attempting to keep the seated primer and just pull the bullet and powder, I don't try to move the bullet in one or two big whacks. Primers are pretty tough, but they are not totally indestructable.

 

[sbwaters]

Another question is whether the primer anvil was intact and in place.

 

[.308 Norma]

I am guessing that during the kinetic unloading, the primers moved forward just enough to cause the three misfires.

I can't see how the primers could have "moved forward," seating themselves any deeper than the bottoms of the primer pockets, which is how deep I seat all my primers anyway. I do that because I learned a long time ago that if my primers were not seated all the way to the bottoms of my primer pockets, I'd get misfires on the first strike.
I suspect your problem might be caused by what either ATLDave suggested (fragmented/dislodged priming compound) or what sbwaters suggested (the primer's anvils came apart or were somehow dislodged).

 

[someguy2800]

I really don't see how the impact puller could have caused this. I've used impact pullers to take down hundreds of rounds and reloaded and shot them.

 

[Skgreen]

I purchased some WSP primers 'on sale' once and about 1-2 % showed traces of the yellow compound inside the packaging itself.

I can see where there may be times where the compound, if not 'AOK #1' to begin with, might be disturbed to the point of not firing after it experiences multiple whacks in a kinetic puller.

 

[someguy2800]

I don't know, after having disasembled a bunch of primers ones by poping the anvils out and washing and scraping out the priming compound I have a hard time seeing how the priming compound could be displaced from between the anvil and the cup.

 

[ATLDave]

I really don't see how the impact puller could have caused this. I've used impact pullers to take down hundreds of rounds and reloaded and shot them.

You probably aren't swinging the puller like a crazed orangutan, trying to get a sharp-edged bullet past a very firm roll crimp.

 

[Steve S.]

Hmmm, I did not think of the possibilty that I disrupted the primer compound. As all know, the kinetic hammer unloading is a fairly violent process - maybe the impact did damage the primers? I had already reworked those three rounds that evening, I did not think to look for damage on the firing side of the primer, I saw what looked to me to be light strikes and just replaced the primers. I shot many other rounds of the same combo that day; they had not been in the hammer and they all worked just fine. The only common denominator that I can think of for those three rounds is the hammer - they just would not ignite. I am now leaning toward primer damage - I will keep this in mind if/ when I use the hammer again. Thank you for the input.

 

[ATLDave]

FWIW, after my damaged-primer experience, I gave up on trying to dislodge the bullet in 1-3 whacks. Sometimes that happens with uncrimped rifle bullets in cases with relatively short necks, but I'm not determined to get it out that fast. I'm now content to move the bullet out fairly gradually over many impacts. These are still somewhat energetic, but well within what a primer would have to tolerate to survive being dropped from typical standing height (which they seem to have no trouble enduring). I mainly try not to screw up and need to pull very much!

 

[someguy2800]

You probably aren't swinging the puller like a crazed orangutan, trying to get a sharp-edged bullet past a very firm roll crimp.

Oh I don't know about that. I've pulled some that had so much neck tension that I thought for sure I was going to break the handle off.

 

[ATLDave]

Must be using those tough Russian primers!