WWB -- Light Primer Strikes?

[FireCaptDave]

I just got my PT145 back from Taurus and I took it to the range to test it out. I fired some factory reloads, some WWB and some Blazer Brass. I got way too many light strikes on the reloads and WWB...none on the Blazer.

I've heard that WWB is known for hard primers and light strikes and although I haven't had any problem w/ fatory reloads in my Glock, I know not to trust them too much. I had the gun in for FTFeed issues; the repair included a new slide, which of course would have been a new firing pin assembly.

Anyone want to guess if the problem is the ammo or the gun? I like to think that my gun will fire anything, but if I can only shoot a certan type of ammo, I might be able to live w/ that.

 

[mpmarty]

did you try to restrike the rounds that failed? If so, did they fire on the second or third strike?

 

[FireCaptDave]

Yes..two or three times each. It seemed that the primer indentations were enough so that the round should have fired. If it was just one type of ammo I would chock it up to hard primers but since it was two different types, albeit it WWB and reloads, it makes me wonder. Like I said, I’ve heard that WWB is known for its hard primers…have others heard the same? Otherwise, it’s back to Taurus.

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Winchester primers are generally considered to be softer than the CCI primers in the Blazer rounds. So I don't think I would chalk it up to the Winchester primers.

What kind of primers were in the reloads?

 

[FireCaptDave]

Not sure about reload primers...I bought the rounds at a gun show.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Originally posted by FireCaptDave:
It seemed that the primer indentations were enough so that the round should have fired.]

Hard primers will have very shallow indentations when struck. This also eliminates your pistol's firing mechanism. I think this is more a case of just plain faulty primers. FWIW, I am unable to recall any failures to fire with WWB.

 

[Trebor]

Clean out the firing pin channel of your gun. Then see if the problem persists. If the problem was fixed, you had too much gunk in the FP channel. If the problem persists, obviously something else is wrong.

When you clean out the FP channel give it several squirts of some spray cleaner. The gunk may not come out with the first spray.

 

[Banta]

I have the same problem with my Taurus 24/7 in .45. The gun shoots flawlessly with factory ammo but I have had approximately 4 out of 200 hand loaded rounds that have had light strikes. I use Winchester Large pistol (WLP) primers. Repeated strikes will not ignite however if I remove the round and than re chamber it they always ignite. I have never had a light strike issue using the Winchester Small Pistol (WSP) primers with my .40 S&W reloads using my Walther P99. I have no idea if it is the Primers, the hand loads or the gun?

 

[PPGMD]

I have had a similar problem with my CZ-75 SP-01, but it also has lighter clipped springs in it. I went to Georgia Arms for my competition ammo for this reason.

 

[P97]

I would shoot two or three different kinds of Factory Ammo. in it. It should shoot all Factory Ammo without any misfires. If it does, then its the primers. If it don't there is something wrong with the Gun.

 

[BigDave]

I have been recently experiencing failure to fires as well loading with small pistol winchester primers.
I have rechecked my loading setup along with using brand new brass and readjusting the factory crimp die just enough to hold bullet.
I thought that do to an excessive taper crimp for my 40 S&W was the problem and it appears that was not the case.
I have also had re strike the primer with 2 different guns, both XD's one a year old and the other a week old and still failed to fire the same round.
I am to a point to accept that there has been some bad primers in the lot that I have.

If you like you can see the pictures of the strikes.

I will welcome other ideas as well.

 

[rcmodel]

May be the reloaded primers were not seated properly (completely) in the cases.

First strike seats them.
Second strike fires them.


rcmodel

 

[made2cut]

I had the same problem with WWB .45 ammo. I have not bought it since. I didn't like how dirty it was either, that was another reason why I don't shoot it anymore.

 

[BigDave]

May be the reloaded primers were not seated properly (completely) in the cases.

First strike seats them.
Second strike fires them.

I thought this as well until I checked them with a height gauge and test indicator either they are flush or .0015 below the surface.

 

[wally]

If the gun is fine with factory ammo, but has clicks instead of bangs with reloads, its a problem with the reloads. Usually the primers being not fully seated is what causes this.

Clicks on factory ammo is a problem with the gun if its more than once in a blue moon's worth of shooting -- then the gun and firing pin channel should be cleaned thouroughly after this happens.


If the gun has had a trigger job, probably went too light on the springs to get a good "pull" but instead defeated the purpose of the gun -- to shoot when the trigger is pulled!


Needing DA second strike to fire "hard primers" is marketing hogwash. If an unmodified gun has clicks instead of bangs on any non-surplus factory ammo (not "factory reloads" whatever they are!) it needs to go back for repair if cleaning the firing pin channel doesn't fix it. That's my opinion, strongly held. Other than when using old "surplus" ammo I don't think I've ever had factory ammo fail to fire unless there was a problem with the gun. With reloads, its a pretty common occurance. If you are having problems with one brand of factory ammo but another, IMHO you are on the edge of fuction and I'd not feed good about the gun! Not feeding one brand of ammo or bullet is a different issue and something you sometimes have to live with, but if factory ammo don't go bang in the gun everytime there is IMHO a very serious problem that could get you killed if you ever need the gun for real.

I thought this as well until I checked them with a height gauge and test indicator either they are flush or .0015 below the surface.

Doesn't tell you anything as the depths of the primer pockets can vary, as can the height of the primer cup/anvil.

If the ones below flush are always the ones that don't fire, I'd say you got a problem with firing pin protrusion or possibly headspace, if its not crud in the firing pin channel. The channel must be clean and free of oil/grease on striker fired guns.

--wally.