Odd primer indent...

[heypete]

As a cheap college student, I often pick up range brass for .30-06 to reload. Often, they're in the "brass only" buckets near the shooting stations where shooters deposit their brass for recycling.

The other day, I de-primed and full-length sized a bunch of cases, then gave them to my buddy to put in his tumbler. The next day, they're all shiny. Oddly enough, there were a few rounds that still had primers in them (I think there were a few that I didn't size/de-prime).

I lubed up the cases, ran them through the die, cleaned the primer pocket, and seated new primers. When I was cleaning out the primer tray on my Lee Challenger press, I noticed that one of the primers from one of the cases I just processed (there were like 3-4, that's it) was still live!

It was dented by a firing pin, but the priming mixture and whatnot under the anvil was still unfired. Very strange. The case obviously had no bullet and had recently been fired, but the primer was unfired yet dented.

Any ideas? It looks like a CCI 200 series primer from the appearance (yellow mixture, nickel-plated cup).

How could this be? How could the round have been fired (obvious residue in the casing and primer pocket, no bullet, etc.), the primer be dented, but not actually been ignited?

 

[Ol` Joe]

Maybe someone seated a primer up side down and dumped the case at the range..............Hmmmmmmmmmmm, don`t know

 

[heypete]

No, the primer was properly seated -- there was only 3-4 cases, and they were all primed normally. Very odd.

I should frame the thing and call it the Mystery Primer or something.

 

[larryw]

How closely have you inspected the brass?

Someone sized, primed and then rejected that case. Think about it: Why whould a reloader do that?

Who knows, but finding out the hard way, inches away from your face can be a "bad" thing.

I'd smash the mouth to make sure nobody tries to reload it and throw it back into the range's scrap bin.

 

[Chawbaccer]

Probably a head space check, not every body uses guages, or
striker or striker spring check, or
sizing die check, which ever it was it failed the test.

 

[db_tanker]

When he decapped the case, in the process of punching out the primer he pushed the dimple back out to where its flush.

Tell me, whats the anvil look like inside the primer?

Is there a green or yellow color to the material inside the primer cup?



Darrell

 

[Mal H]

heypete - Are you absolutely positive the primer compound is still intact? The evidence you have given sure sounds like a normal round fired and then discarded (firing pin indent, case found in old brass bucket not the dud bucket, found at a firing range, dirty inside of case).

If the primer didn't go off maybe someone pulled the bullet and dumped the powder. But that means the case had already been fired at least once. Are there signs on any of the cases you found that at least one had been resized? (You can usually tell by examining near the web of the case.)

Are all the cases from the same manufacturer or are they mixed? Any dates on the cases like you find with Lake City brass?

 

[heypete]

How closely have you inspected the brass?

I closely scrutinized those four cases. All appear to be quite suitable. No bulges, shiny spots, cracked necks, evidence of case-head separation, or any other discernable problems. They all appear to be of good quality. Although I inspect every case by hand prior to starting the loading process, I examined these even more closely, yet found no problems.

When he decapped the case, in the process of punching out the primer he pushed the dimple back out to where its flush.

Tell me, whats the anvil look like inside the primer?

Is there a green or yellow color to the material inside the primer cup?

The dimple is not flush -- it is dimpled as if it were struck by the firing pin. The anvil appears to be shiny brass, rather than coated with residue. There is a yellow color material inside the primer cup. It is not empty, sooty, and black like a fired primer looks. Instead, it looks exactly like an unfired primer does, only with a dimple from a firing pin strike.

Are you absolutely positive the primer compound is still intact? The evidence you have given sure sounds like a normal round fired and then discarded (firing pin indent, case found in old brass bucket not the dud bucket, found at a firing range, dirty inside of case).

Yes, the primer compound is intact. I just examined the primer again, and it is dimpled deeply (as it normally would be). It still has all the compound inside and the brass anvil is bright and shiny.

If the primer didn't go off maybe someone pulled the bullet and dumped the powder. But that means the case had already been fired at least once. Are there signs on any of the cases you found that at least one had been resized? (You can usually tell by examining near the web of the case.)

It's possible someone pulled the bullet and dumped the powder. As for resizing marks, I don't know -- in the process of de-priming them, my die resized them and any marks may have been my own.

Are all the cases from the same manufacturer or are they mixed? Any dates on the cases like you find with Lake City brass?

Mixed manufacture. Two PMC cases and one Federal case. No dates or markings other than the manufacturer and caliber (i.e. "PMC 30-06 SPRG" and "FC 30-06 SPRG").

I'm tempted to prime a case with this mystery primer then fire the primed case (but with no bullet or powder) to neutralize it, then throw it away. Obviously safety glasses would be worn and additional precautions would be observed.

It may simply be The Mystery Primer and be part of a mystery never to be solved!

 

[MilsurpShooter]

Maybe a reloaded case that wasn't cleaned properly, primer was put in backwards and the case was dumped?

 

[Mal H]

... a mystery never to be solved!

I think that is the bottom line indeed.