weird primer-press prime.
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chris in va
Member
I'm assuming it's the Ram Prime?
Looks like you need a bit more force to seat it better. BTW why are you using magnum primers with 223? Are you using the small 'pushrod' vs the larger one meant for large primers?
Looks like you need a bit more force to seat it better. BTW why are you using magnum primers with 223? Are you using the small 'pushrod' vs the larger one meant for large primers?
yes its the ram. I pushed pretty hard on it and it wouldn't budge. I have factory rounds that look a but like this but the lee hand primer always kinda flattened them and filled the whole hole.
I'm using a rcbs shell holder if that matters.
I'm using a rcbs shell holder if that matters.
243winxb
Member
Seat, turn 180 degrees, seat again.
Ole Joe Clark
Member
Is the primer higher than the base of the hull? If they are you need to re seat, if they are flush or below, load and shoot them. If you flattened them out seating them, something else is your problem.
Hand primers:
Usually it is going to be capable of seating deeper than necessary. IOW, in most cases of brass and primer combinations, it will be able seat deeper than enough at the end of its stroke. In this way, it will work with >99% of brass and primers out there, and it's up to the user to feel for when the primer is seated.
Which means that for most combinations of brass and primers, it will be capable of seating slightly too deep. IOW, you can flatten your primers. With most primers, this does not matter. I have never had a failure from a domestic primer, no matter how deep/flattened it was.
A RAM primer, if that is what you are really using, seats near the top of the ram travel, where there is tremendous mechanical leverage. As such it may be calibrated more conservatively in order to not crush primers. Seating a primer by depth works fine for the most part. But it will cause problems with certain brass and primer combinations. If the primer is short and/or the pocket is deep, the primer may not be fully seated. The depth is predetermined by a mechanical stop.
If you are using a SAFETY prime on your turret, this seats at the bottom of the ram travel. This is usually setup to be run by feel, like a hand primer. At least with mine, I promise I can turn any primer into a pancake that is 20 mils below flush, if I want to. But operating by feel, it is very fast and easy to seat the primer with perfect results.
Take a look at factory ammo. It will look like your pic. Factory ammo is using uniform brass and primers. So they don't need to crush their primers to make sure they are seated. If you seat primers by feel, you can make them look just like factory ammo and still be 99.99% reliable.
*if you are using a safety prime on your turret, which primes when the ram is at the bottom, and you can't flatten a primer, you may be short on travel. If you need the capability of getting more seating depth, you can put a shim under the primer arm. A piece of steel shim stock can be epoxied to the base of the press just under where the primer arm (the part that sticks out to the front of the ram and rests on the cast metal base) sits.
Usually it is going to be capable of seating deeper than necessary. IOW, in most cases of brass and primer combinations, it will be able seat deeper than enough at the end of its stroke. In this way, it will work with >99% of brass and primers out there, and it's up to the user to feel for when the primer is seated.
Which means that for most combinations of brass and primers, it will be capable of seating slightly too deep. IOW, you can flatten your primers. With most primers, this does not matter. I have never had a failure from a domestic primer, no matter how deep/flattened it was.
A RAM primer, if that is what you are really using, seats near the top of the ram travel, where there is tremendous mechanical leverage. As such it may be calibrated more conservatively in order to not crush primers. Seating a primer by depth works fine for the most part. But it will cause problems with certain brass and primer combinations. If the primer is short and/or the pocket is deep, the primer may not be fully seated. The depth is predetermined by a mechanical stop.
If you are using a SAFETY prime on your turret, this seats at the bottom of the ram travel. This is usually setup to be run by feel, like a hand primer. At least with mine, I promise I can turn any primer into a pancake that is 20 mils below flush, if I want to. But operating by feel, it is very fast and easy to seat the primer with perfect results.
Take a look at factory ammo. It will look like your pic. Factory ammo is using uniform brass and primers. So they don't need to crush their primers to make sure they are seated. If you seat primers by feel, you can make them look just like factory ammo and still be 99.99% reliable.
*if you are using a safety prime on your turret, which primes when the ram is at the bottom, and you can't flatten a primer, you may be short on travel. If you need the capability of getting more seating depth, you can put a shim under the primer arm. A piece of steel shim stock can be epoxied to the base of the press just under where the primer arm (the part that sticks out to the front of the ram and rests on the cast metal base) sits.
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Reloadron
Contributing Member
I would give that a try. Primer pictures are always hard to decipher. You can always place a white index card or a straight edge over the case heads and look for .002" to .005" primer below case head which should have the primer seated till it bottoms out in the pocket. They should look a little like the below picture:
Note the small gap between the card base and the primers. Had I been smart and back lit the cases it would be more apparent. Take a look at the below chart:
If we look at the pocket and primer dimension tolerances we can see how under normal seating the pocket is deeper than the primer is tall. The idea when seating is the primer anvil should bottom out in the primer pocket.
Something else you can try is prime a few cases. You are loading for a bolt gun so take a few primed cases, chamber them and pull the trigger. Just the primed cases, obviously no powder charge or bullets, only the primed cases. Do they go bang? In the interest of safety wear hearing and eye protection. If they go bang they are fine. The bang will be a noticeable distinct crack but nowhere near like a powder charged case (live round).
You are going from the Lee hand priming tool which broke to using the press so you need to adjust to the new and different feel. Slight learning curve involved here.
Ron
Thanks Ron. I figure with handgun the safety prime would speed things up a bit. Plus my
Store doesn't carry a lot of hand primers except rcbs which is out of my price range.
I guess there would be more force with the hand prime than press.
Store doesn't carry a lot of hand primers except rcbs which is out of my price range.
I guess there would be more force with the hand prime than press.
Skinnedknuckles
Member
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I would take out the ram prime and clean it very well. It looks like you might have something on the face of the ram that is causing a small dent (or it may just be a spoof in the picture).
Reloadron
Contributing Member
Since most of my stuff was bought well over 20 years ago I really am not up on current cost. When I actually have to buy something it's like a culture shock. Primers are no longer a penny each and neither is 22 LR. That RCBS hand primer I pictured with other priming stuff is new in box from about 25 years ago. When the Lee breaks, it's up next.
Ron
That RCBS hand primer I pictured with other priming stuff is new in box from about 25 years ago. When the Lee breaks, it's up next.Ron
yeah they want like $60-75 for the rcbs primer. I hooked my safety prime up and did 2 empty cases but forgot to clean the pockets. I also did the paper trick as you showed and they are just touching the paper. more so not than.
I can push the ram all the way down until I almost knock over the bench and they still wont budge. I noticed the arm for the primer pocket is a little stiff cause its spring loaded so ill put a small drop of 3-1 oil on it tomorrow and see if it loosens it to get a little more depth.
I can push the ram all the way down until I almost knock over the bench and they still wont budge. I noticed the arm for the primer pocket is a little stiff cause its spring loaded so ill put a small drop of 3-1 oil on it tomorrow and see if it loosens it to get a little more depth.
I prime on my LCT and they look like yours. I don't see a problem. When I push the arm up to seat the primerI grab the back support rod and squeeze the the arm to it to get a solid seat without just pushing against the press and bench. I always clean primer pockets maybe that lets them seat a little better.
I usually do also but messing around with the new primer I forgot. they look just like my hornady factory rounds primers but I thought it was odd the hand prime almost flattened them.
chris in va
Member
I'm still curious why you are using magnum primers in 223.
ball powder and it shrunk my groups from thisI'm still curious why you are using magnum primers in 223.
http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/martpjin2011/media/IMG_0541_zpshul3ktvm.jpg.html?sort=3&o=6
TO THIS!
http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/martpjin2011/media/IMG_0552_zps0uhqpup7.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
Dudedog
Contributing Member
Mag primers are frequently recommend for .223 for guns with floating firing pins. (ARs etc)
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