The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Repeat cycling of the same round can cause primer failure.

Bob Knizner · April 21, 2012, 03:51 PM

I hope I am not too far out of line to say that I am very skeptical of this root cause analysis.

They have a sample size of exactly one round-how can they confirm that this particular primer ever had proper compound in it to begin with?

I would believe this analysis it if an experiment was done, repeatedly loading a sample of say 100 cartridges, and at the end a large percent did not fire.

Think of the recoil forces experienced by rounds in a magazine, impacting against the inside of the mag. If the "slight impacts repeated many times causes dead primers" theory was true, we would see the last round in a mag fail to fire more often than the first rounds. We don't.

Another reason to be skeptical is that in the age of the internet, where every rumor is repeated and amplified, this is the first time that I have heard of this. All of those people who must be re-chambering their rounds every day, and it has not become common knowledge that this practice can inert a primer?

If primers were really that easy to make inert, think of the protocols that the military would have to implement to keep ammo safe during transport. Have you ever heard someone say "that ammo is all duds, the road was too bumpy and the truck shook them too hard"?

Respectfully

Bob

April 21, 2012, 03:51 PM	#14
Bob Knizner Member Join Date: December 28, 2010 Location: Copper Canyon, TX Posts: 20	I hope I am not too far out of line to say that I am very skeptical of this root cause analysis. They have a sample size of exactly one round-how can they confirm that this particular primer ever had proper compound in it to begin with? I would believe this analysis it if an experiment was done, repeatedly loading a sample of say 100 cartridges, and at the end a large percent did not fire. Think of the recoil forces experienced by rounds in a magazine, impacting against the inside of the mag. If the "slight impacts repeated many times causes dead primers" theory was true, we would see the last round in a mag fail to fire more often than the first rounds. We don't. Another reason to be skeptical is that in the age of the internet, where every rumor is repeated and amplified, this is the first time that I have heard of this. All of those people who must be re-chambering their rounds every day, and it has not become common knowledge that this practice can inert a primer? If primers were really that easy to make inert, think of the protocols that the military would have to implement to keep ammo safe during transport. Have you ever heard someone say "that ammo is all duds, the road was too bumpy and the truck shook them too hard"? Respectfully Bob