P238 Light Primer Strikes

[Jerkey]

Well I bought a new Sig P238 at my Local Gun Shop. I also bought some reloads from there to plink with. I first shot 6 rounds of my own reloads with no problems. I then loaded up 7 rounds of the reloads I bought at the LGS and 4 out of seven of them were duds with light primer strikes. My reloads had Winchester primers and the LGS reloads had what looked like CCI primers. Are CCI primers a common issue for this pistol? Just looking for suggestions on whether I should send the pistol in to Sig or if maybe the primers were not seated properly.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[rcmodel]

Buy a box of factory ammo and see if it works.

Somebody else's reloads are the last thing in the world you want to base a perceived 'gun problem' on before sending it back for repair!

If it works with factory ammo, and it worked with your reloads though?

I don't think there is anything wrong with the gun.
If it won't fire CCI primers there is though!

rc

 

[ReloaderFred]

I wouldn't even consider sending a new gun back from only shooting reloads, especially since they're of unknown quality. Both of our 238's digest everything we put through them, but I'm very particular about primer seating, which this sounds like may be the cause.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Mad Chemist]

Check primer seating depth on the suspect reloads. If they look high, press them down flush and try them again.

 

[JerkandFlinch]

1800 CCI 500 primers through my P238, zero problems.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

1800 CCI 500 primers through my P238, zero problems.

I use only CCI primers for the ammo that's shot in my son's P238 too...

Like said above, try some factory ammo before you make any decisions on the pistol.
Just remember, Speer factory ammo uses CCI primers and so does Blaser ammo.

 

[rskent]

Mike – Am I reading this right? You have shot a grand total of 13 rounds through this gun and you are thinking about sending it back to Sig?
Maybe you might want to shoot a few more round through it. Maybe some factory stuff or some loads that you know for sure run well in other guns.
Come to think of it, I don't think I would want to use someone else's reloads anyway.

Just a thought. And welcome to the High Road.

I hope you like your 238 as much as I like mine.

 

[mdi]

Like mentioned above, shoot some factory ammo through it, a box or two. Buying reloads from someone at a gun show is not the best thing to do. Sounds like faulty primer seating...

 

[gamestalker]

Unless you pull the bullets and powder first, I wouldn't personally try seating the primers any deeper on a loaded cartridge.

I don't ever shoot anyone else's reloads, very risky business, and it sounds as though that may be the culprit.

GS

 

[Jerkey]

Ok the LGS gave me 13 CCI primers to take home and load myself. It fired 12 of them fine but had one that had to be chambered again but shot fine the second time. I think some of my problems come from my thumbs riding the left side of the slide.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Blue68f100]

Firing on the 2nd attempt indicates you may not be seating the primers properly. Always seat them till they bottom out. Seating depth is not important, the anvil must be supported in order for them to fire when struck with the FP.

 

[rskent]

Mike – There is no way that I can think of that your thumbs riding the slide can cause a lite primer strike. Now if your hand is somehow up against the hammer, maybe.
I am not sure how exactly that would happen. But if you think its possible then just shoot it with one hand. I shoot mine one handed most of the time. It's pretty hard to
get a two good handed hold on such a little (tiny) gun. After you try that maybe try some factory ammunition so you can tell for sure, with out a doubt, if you have a gun problem.

Just thinking.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I guess you don't want to take good advice and run 100 to 200 rounds of factory ball ammo through the gun before you decide you have a problem.

AGAIN, all Speer and Blaser factory ammo uses the same exact CCI primers you can buy from the store. there are no differences at all so I'm sure it's not the CCI primers which are causing the problem. Also like said above, where your fingers ride will not cause light primer strikes.

 

[gamestalker]

In over 30 yrs. of reloading, handgun, bottle neck, and shotgun, I have never experienced one single mis-fire. I'm not special, or other wise better at reloading than anyone else, I just make sure my primers are completely bottomed out in the pocket.

A properly seated primer will be below flush of the case head, but this does not mean that just because it is below flush, that it is completely seated, not at all. I prime on my press using a priming die, so it may feel slightly different than the feel of other type priming tools. But either way, when a primer is seated all the way, it will have a definite feel that it just won't go in any further. Resistance is one thing, but if it will seat deeper, then it it isn't fully seated yet, there needs to be some feeling of pre load against the anvil.

If a primer will detonate on the second or third attempt, it is about 99.9999% certain that the primer wasn't seated all the way, and especially so if it is doing this with reloads, and not with factory ammunition. The inertia of the firing pin drives the primer deeper, instead of inflicting a deep enough dent. If a primer can be moved by the FP inertia, it will often produce light looking strikes.

GS

 

[Conservidave]

7 rounds of the reloads I bought at the LGS and 4 out of seven of them were duds with light primer strikes

Take them all apart and redo...