Primer pressure signs

[Tempus Tom]

Hey guys,

I've just started reloading and am doing my best to learn. After loading my first 9mm cartridges, I'm looking for signs of pressure on my primers. To me, this looks like what I've seen others call "cratering" but am not sure. When I tested these rounds, I should have fired some factory ammo to compare because I'm 80% sure the factory ammo I've shot with my Glock 43x also produced primers with similar markings. I will definitely get back out to the desert soon and fire factory ammo to make sure.

The casings below were loaded with WSF powder, RMR 124 grain multi-purpose jacketed hollow point bullets and I used CCI small pistol primers. The casing on the left was loaded with 4.9 grains, the two casings in the center were loaded with 5 grains and the four casings on the right had 5.1 grains. The info I gathered online relayed that the safe range is 4.7 grains to 5.3 grains of powder. I did create some 4.7 grain cartridges and fired them on an earlier outing...they had very little recoil...but I was too ignorant to save the casings for comparison. Just threw them into my pile of collected 9mm brass.

All shots were fired from a Glock 43x. They felt normal and all cycled the firearm properly.

Does it look like they are showing signs of too much pressure? Thanks in advance.

 

[Toprudder]

I see nothing wrong with any of them. Glocks will leave marks like that on the primers.

IMHO, looking at primers, alone, for pressure signs is not very reliable. And a loose fitting firing pin can leave primers looking cratered.

 

[AJC1]

All of those primers are showing indications of cratering except for the one on the lower right side. They do not look very different than the ones that come out of my pistols and glocks do not have a very close tolerance firing pin to firing pin hole which causes that problem. Using primers to read pressure in a pistol does not work very well. It's even worse and low pressure rounds like 45 where you will be way over pressure before the primer shows signs.

 

[Walkalong]

Looks like really bad firing pin to firing pin channel fit.

 

[.38 Special]

IMHO, looking at primers, alone, for pressure signs is not very reliable.

Using primers to read pressure in a pistol does not work very well.

I agree.

It is possible to have safe pressures that look like overpressure on the primers. It is also possible to have normal-looking primers on overpressure loads. If your primers are pierced or fall out of the pockets you should probably find out why. Otherwise, "reading" handgun primers is mostly a waste of time.

 

[GBExpat]

Welcome to THR, Tempus Tom!

What they said.

 

[Tempus Tom]

Thanks so much guys. I really appreciate the responses.

While, I've technically owned firearms for 20 years, I really didn't know much about them until recently (and my knowledge is still EXTREMELY limited). Yesterday, I took that Glock 43x apart and looked at the components to see if anything looked dangerous as I'm very concerned I'll make an avoidable mistake and harm myself. Again, not sure if I could even spot warning signs but I figured it couldn't hurt to take a look.

I did notice that the firing pin hole is not really circular in shape and it makes sense why the primers have those marks after been fired. I also own a Glock 22 and will inspect it tonight to see if it's the same....just out of curiosity.

I read that I should invest in a chronograph and will probably do so soon. But I did just spend a zillion dollars on gun stuff recently and need to make sure the Mrs. is on board with more $$$ flowing out the door.

Again, guys thank you for your time and sharing your knowledge.

 

[AJC1]

Thanks so much guys. I really appreciate the responses.

While, I've technically owned firearms for 20 years, I really didn't know much about them until recently (and my knowledge is still EXTREMELY limited). Yesterday, I took that Glock 43x apart and looked at the components to see if anything looked dangerous as I'm very concerned I'll make an avoidable mistake and harm myself. Again, not sure if I could even spot warning signs but I figured it couldn't hurt to take a look.

I did notice that the firing pin hole is not really circular in shape and it makes sense why the primers have those marks after been fired. I also own a Glock 22 and will inspect it tonight to see if it's the same....just out of curiosity.

I read that I should invest in a chronograph and will probably do so soon. But I did just spend a zillion dollars on gun stuff recently and need to make sure the Mrs. is on board with more $$$ flowing out the door.

Again, guys thank you for your time and sharing your knowledge.

You may want to look a little further and learn how to remove the tab off the back of the slide on your Glock so that you can clean the firing pin and the backside of the firing pin hole. You will find little bits of primer and Brass packed up in that hole if you've never cleaned it. Don't ask me how I know

 

[.38 Special]

Thanks so much guys. I really appreciate the responses.

While, I've technically owned firearms for 20 years, I really didn't know much about them until recently (and my knowledge is still EXTREMELY limited). Yesterday, I took that Glock 43x apart and looked at the components to see if anything looked dangerous as I'm very concerned I'll make an avoidable mistake and harm myself. Again, not sure if I could even spot warning signs but I figured it couldn't hurt to take a look.

I did notice that the firing pin hole is not really circular in shape and it makes sense why the primers have those marks after been fired. I also own a Glock 22 and will inspect it tonight to see if it's the same....just out of curiosity.

I read that I should invest in a chronograph and will probably do so soon. But I did just spend a zillion dollars on gun stuff recently and need to make sure the Mrs. is on board with more $$$ flowing out the door.

Again, guys thank you for your time and sharing your knowledge.

It is good to be a bit paranoid at first, but honestly, as long as you are doing what the manual says to, you are unlikely to get into real trouble. Modern guns are very strong, and modern powders and components are held to high standards.

A chronograph really is good insurance, though. If your loads follow the manual, and your velocities are about what they should be, you are about as safe as it is possible to be with a gun in your hand.

And welcome to THR!

 

[PWC]

ALWAYS save your brass from a range session (gallon or less size zip lip bag works ok) segregated by firearm, at least until you get a chance to look at it, even if you don't reload, or at least a sample size, to see if anything has changed. Usually not, but pierced primer could lead to bolt face erosion; bulged base may be a problem, excelt in Glocks where it is poorly engineered in along with the rectangular shape firing pin indent and drag mark.

Why Glock doesn't fix them, and why customers accept them, I don't know.

 

[Tempus Tom]

Thanks again guys. I've been having so much fun coming home from work and loading a few cartridges. I'm really lucky and live in Las Vegas where shooting is fairly common. There are some spots in the desert where you can pick up hundreds and hundreds of brass casings every day if you want to. Granted, most of them are .223/5.56 or 9mm, but it's still fun.

And I will definitely save my brass from each outing in a plastic bag so I can compare the brass. That's a great idea.

Regarding the removal of the tab on the back....I watched a video on that a couple weeks ago. I'll follow your advice and dissemble/clean in there soon. I appreciate the help.

 

[nevadabob]

Greetings from Northern NV and welcome to the Forum Tempus Tom! Love my desert shooting site as well.

 

[Toprudder]

A chronograph really is good insurance, though. If your loads follow the manual, and your velocities are about what they should be, you are about as safe as it is possible to be with a gun in your hand.

^^^ This. Just be sure to take into account any differences in barrel lengths, between your gun and the barrel used for the load data.

 

[rfwobbly]

Welcome aboard !

IMHO, looking at primers, alone, for pressure signs is not very reliable.

True. You'll actually get closer looking at the ejection distance and the soot on the sides of the cartridge case.

You won't need a chrono if you're going to stick close to calibers, bullet weights, and powders covered by a good load manual. Highly suggest you pick up a Lyman #50 for reference.

 

[lordpaxman]

Welcome to THR and your new addiction! My 43 does the same thing on CCI primers as yours. As others have said it’s not an indication of abnormal pressure. WSF is a well behaved powder in 9mm and one of the better ones for a beginner reloader. Stay within the lines you’ll be fine. You gave your load data with the powder, weight, bullet, but not COL. In 9mm, the COL is very important, pay attention to the published load data and what they have for COL. For a given powder charge decreasing COL will increase pressure. Good luck!