spiroxlii
Member
I've actually used "second strike" on a rimfire (.22lr) cartridge. It didn't go off, so I pulled it out, rotated it a bit, and allowed the firing pin to strike a different part of the rim. That usually works on .22lr rounds that don't go off the first time, because you're actually striking a different location on the primer when you do this with a rimfire cartridge.
I've never tried a second strike on a centerfire round. The only centerfire rounds that have ever failed on me are some cheap bulk Federal 12ga cartridges from Walmart. When I extracted the dud cartridges, they had dimples on the primer where the firing pin struck them. I figured that striking the same exact spot again (which a centerfire gun in good condition SHOULD do) wouldn't do any good if the crush/pressure sensitive primer didn't go off after being struck the first time.
As I understand it, if a centerfire round doesn't go off the first time the firing pin strikes the primer, then there's either a problem with the primer or a problem with the firing pin (or possibly a spring somewhere). If the primer is defective but the gun works fine, then will striking the already-dimpled primer again in the same exact spot make it go off? If the primer is fine but the gun isn't striking the primer properly (either due to a defect in the firing pin or in a spring somewhere), then it seems like the gun is in poor repair and may not be safe enough to operate or reliable enough to depend on for self defense.
If I ever hit a dud round with one of my semiauto handguns, I plan to fall back on my often-practiced malfunction drills, but I am admittedly ignorant in this arena. Have any of you tried a second strike on a centerfire round? Does it generally do any good to hit the primer a second time if your weapon is in good condition and has already hit the primer once?
I've never tried a second strike on a centerfire round. The only centerfire rounds that have ever failed on me are some cheap bulk Federal 12ga cartridges from Walmart. When I extracted the dud cartridges, they had dimples on the primer where the firing pin struck them. I figured that striking the same exact spot again (which a centerfire gun in good condition SHOULD do) wouldn't do any good if the crush/pressure sensitive primer didn't go off after being struck the first time.
As I understand it, if a centerfire round doesn't go off the first time the firing pin strikes the primer, then there's either a problem with the primer or a problem with the firing pin (or possibly a spring somewhere). If the primer is defective but the gun works fine, then will striking the already-dimpled primer again in the same exact spot make it go off? If the primer is fine but the gun isn't striking the primer properly (either due to a defect in the firing pin or in a spring somewhere), then it seems like the gun is in poor repair and may not be safe enough to operate or reliable enough to depend on for self defense.
If I ever hit a dud round with one of my semiauto handguns, I plan to fall back on my often-practiced malfunction drills, but I am admittedly ignorant in this arena. Have any of you tried a second strike on a centerfire round? Does it generally do any good to hit the primer a second time if your weapon is in good condition and has already hit the primer once?
