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Old September 11, 2018, 06:17 AM   #26
thallub
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IMO: One does not require an expensive priming tool to properly install primers.

Every year i reload thousands of rifle rounds. My priming is accomplished using an RCBS Jr. press. Recently had my first misfire in many years. The round was a .300 Win Mag and the primer was a Winchester large rifle magnum. Tried to fire several times to no avail.

Those primers were purchased during the "Clinton will outlaw our re-loading supplies" crisis. Thankfully there are not many left.
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Old September 11, 2018, 06:43 AM   #27
AVirginian
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I had the same problem when I first started loading 223 on my progressive press. If I remember correctly, they always fired on the second try. Now I am more careful when seating primers. No misfires in a long long time.
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Old September 11, 2018, 09:31 AM   #28
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I know I can't close the tool all the way... as you can see the end result to the bottom of the brass. Then would have to just feel when priming to try and not dent those brass hopefully to not get any misfires again.

Unless I test using the actual press... if no misfires then I'll have a winner.
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Old September 11, 2018, 10:42 AM   #29
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Try to fire one of the bad/FTF rounds you pulled, primer only. Disregard "below flush measurements" and appearance, just push primers all the way into the pocket. Look at how a primer works, if the anvil is not solidly seated , it jes won't work...
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Old September 11, 2018, 11:39 AM   #30
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i run a finger over the primer after seating. If the primer protrudes it gets re-seated.
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Old September 11, 2018, 02:44 PM   #31
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Those "(" shaped dimples on the fully seated primers is Normal. You were not pushing too hard or too far. The other "not all the way" priming photo is how you get ammo that goes not go off.
My Rcbs hand primer made those marks. If I was concerned at all I would spin the case 180 degrees and seat again.
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Old September 11, 2018, 04:09 PM   #32
gwpercle
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You don't need another tool , the hand priming tool will work just fine.
I've used the old Lee hand primer for decades. Just pay attention to the seating pressure, feel it go in and keep pressure until it stops , spin the case 180 degrees and give the handle a little extra squeeze to make sure its bottomed out. I don't know why the spin helps but it does .
Clean the pockets before seating primers....easier to feel them go in .
Practice and experience will get you there, nobody is born knowing everything .
I see a lot of people spending money unneeded thinking another tool will fix the problem.
You're doing fine , a little experience and you going to have this by the tail on a downhill drag .
Gary

Last edited by gwpercle; September 11, 2018 at 04:14 PM.
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Old September 11, 2018, 05:13 PM   #33
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Quote:
mikld wrote:
Ninety percent of FTF with new reloaders is improperly seated primers.
I concur.

Even properly seated primers with ZERO powder would have still launched the bullet. The fact the OP got nothing strongly suggests primers that were improperly seated. Try reseating the primers using the press (rather than whatever primer seating method you were using - if you were using the press, then realize that you pretty much can't ignite a primer using the primer seating stem on the press). Then try the cartridges again.

If they fire - or mostly fire - then I would recommend you go back to your reloading manual and STUDY the part at the front on "How to Reload" because it is clear you did not adequately study it up to this point.
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Old September 11, 2018, 05:57 PM   #34
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Several posters have stated an improperly seated primer could be your problem. Dirty primer pockets could be one cause. That's why I like a second round of wet tumbling with SS pins after resizing/depriming. Really gets the primer pockets clean.
I use a Lee hand priming tool, and I will set my cases on my work bench after priming. Wobbly cases get a second pass to ensure the primer is seated correctly.
I have only had one FTF in my short 4 years of handloading. It was a 30-30 round that fired fine on the second try.
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Old September 11, 2018, 09:53 PM   #35
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I do check thoroughly to see if primer pockets are clean... I have the small primer pocket brush I picked up a long time ago for less than $2... a store was going out of business. Well, that is what I use as their other ways of cleaning. I am confident I cleaned them well.

Just have to keep getting use to the priming tool and paying close attention as some have mentioned.
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Old September 11, 2018, 10:03 PM   #36
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After 200 rounds of my handloads or so my Marlin X7 had a misfire. On the 2nd try it fired. Thought that was odd, but since it was one round of several I did nothing. Next time out with that rifle, 2 misfires. Read up on the causes and came to the conclusion the primers were not seated properly. I had used an RCBS hand primer for years with no problems, but since I now had a problem, I reinstalled the primer seater on my RCBS Rockchucker. Same result. Misfires on a hunting rifle ain't ok. So, bought a large rifle primer pocket uniformer and trued the primer pockets. After priming I measured the recess depth and all were recessed deeper than .003 inches. Went shooting, one misfire. So, I stopped by a gun shop, and the gunsmith advised me to disassemble the bolt, clean the entire bolt thoroughly, reassemble, test. The firing pin was sticky and had some kind of gunk on it. Sprayed it all down with Shooters Choice Quick Scrub and used the air compressor to blow all the stuff off. In reassembling, the firing pin consists of a rod maybe 1/8 " in diameter, with a threaded hole in one end which the actual firing pin is screwed into. The firing pin was loose. After tightening it, put it all back together, and after 30 rounds not a single misfire. Maybe its fixed. Moral of the story is, keep looking till you find the problem.
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Old September 11, 2018, 10:12 PM   #37
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Thanks Colorado, unfortunately I am not confident to even try and disassemble the bolt. If there is a possibility that it could be, that would suck as I keep track of the rounds fired for this rifle and I'm only at 226. But then again, would imagine that round count has nothing to do with it rather just for me to know.
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Old September 11, 2018, 10:17 PM   #38
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My guess is the primers are not fully seated. Clean primer pockets are a necessity. Tumbling to get those clean primer pockets, not so much. I have reloaded for well over 20 years. Literally tens upon tens of thousands of rounds, I shoot pistols competitively. I have never owned a tumbler. Never. I have a $3 hand held primer pocket scraper made by Lee. Give each decapped piece of brass a quick twist in the primer pocket, wipe off the "big chunks" of dirt and grime, and reload them. A hole in the X ring doesn't care if it came from a bright and shinny piece of brass, and neither do I. I do understand the personal pride in making reloads that look as good or better than factory brass, but that's not my thing.
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Old September 11, 2018, 10:57 PM   #39
Colorado Redneck
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Here is a link to instructions for bolt disassembly on your rifle.

http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/p...ost?id=2313711

There are good youtube videos as well. If you aren't comfortable doing that yourself, a gunsmith can do the job in a few minutes. I was reluctant to work on my Marlin, but the gunsmith told me to go to youtube. I took my time and it was fairly simple. And cheap! Besides, as long as you keep all the parts together, a smith can put it back together.
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Old September 11, 2018, 11:16 PM   #40
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Thanks for the link Colorado. Will check on youtube as well.
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Old September 12, 2018, 09:08 AM   #41
F. Guffey
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Quote:
IMO: One does not require an expensive priming tool to properly install primers.
I have two RCBS auto primers with the round tray, I have 4 Lee auto primers with round lids and enough to build two more and I have the hand primer by Lee that sets one primer at a time, I have the bench type by Loch/Miller and I have one by Herter. I also have the RCBS bench mounted primer system, I can seat primers from the bottom and top of my Rock Checkers.

And I have arms this fit various presses.

I do not have a favorite, I have my 'go-to', that would be the Lee auto primer with round trays. I understand; most reloaders are driven to the curb with the large Federal primer trays. not me. I dissected the Federal sliding tray to drip 25 primers at a time, I did all of that before I knew reloaders were having problems.

And the first thing I learned about the Lee auto prime of the first order was not to double-clutch the thump operated handle.

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Old September 12, 2018, 09:10 AM   #42
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Forgive.....forgot: I also have the primer system that came with the RCBS Pro 2000 with plastic strips and the installer tray.

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Old September 12, 2018, 09:53 AM   #43
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Cleaning primer pockets is a waste of time and veffort. It simply isn't necessary.

Ammo loaded on progressive machines is just as reliable as any other, and there is no practical way to clean primer pockets on a progressive.

Cleaning pockets is like weighing individual powder charges. Sounds good in theory, but in the real world all that extra time and effort doesn't buy you anything.
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Old September 12, 2018, 10:41 AM   #44
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FWIW; one of the best priming systems, especially for new reloaders is a ram prime. Lyman even recommends this system/tool in their 49th. For some with a quota or have little reloading time, individual primer feeding/case priming may be too "slow", but every primer is seated correctly with very little user thought...
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Old September 12, 2018, 10:49 AM   #45
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As being a beginner, I do probably more than should but because I am new. I still lack a lot of experience and knowledge, as one mentioned one isn't born knowing everything. Want to make sure I have no hiccups. Eventually down the road I will change some steps... maybe I overthink on somethings as others might say (lol), but until really confident, not that I'm not and obtain more info/knowledge will probably continue to spend more time than I really should. Plus at the moment, I only do small batches compared to others.
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Old September 12, 2018, 01:31 PM   #46
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i usually don't clean primer pockets or uniform flash holes. Every powder charge gets weighed.

Few times each year i load 100 carefully crafted rounds.

1. Cases are weighed.

2. The cases are trimmed.

3. Case necks are chamfered.

4. Primer pockets and flash holes are uniformed.

5. Powder charges are carefully weighed.

6. A bullet of known accuracy is used.

Doing this stuff results in .223/5.56mm loads that make 1/2 inch five shot groups at 100yards.

My normal reloads using Winchester or Sierra soft point 55 grain bullets usually make 3/4" to 1" five shot groups at 100 yards.

The hogs and coyotes never know the difference.
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Old September 13, 2018, 08:02 AM   #47
F. Guffey
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Quote:
i usually don't clean primer pockets or uniform flash holes. Every powder charge gets weighed.
Again, I have the RCBS case prep center, I do not have an excuse for not cleaning the primer pocket or brushing the neck or putting a bevel on the inside and outside if the case neck.

And then there are those crimped primer pockets.

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Old September 13, 2018, 06:50 PM   #48
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Try shooting them again, if they fire, then it was a primer that was not seated properly.
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Old September 13, 2018, 09:34 PM   #49
F. Guffey
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Again: a shooter purchased a new rifle and new ammo. Out of the first box of ammo he had 5 fail to fire cartridges with 15 that fired out of 20.

The 5 that failed to fire were passed around to all shooters at the range with 30/06 rifles. There were 3, each rifle hat at least 2 chances to bust the primers. They called me; I told them to call Remington primers.

Instead the box of 5 failed to fire and 15 that fired came to me that afternoon. I measured the fired cases, I measured the 5 that failed to fire, the primers after having being hit with 4 pins 8 times were dented.

I pulled the 5 failed to fire cartridges down and measured the powder, bullets, cases and primers. I was impressed; the primers were not destroyed. I installed the primers back into the case they were removed from, I choose one of my M1917 rifles with killer firing pins, I chambered the case 'one at a time', pulled the trigger and busted each primer one at a time.

I would like to have been the second shooter with a 30/06 rifle; I believe the primers would have busted at the first attempt. As it was shooters left the range saying "Remington, bad ammo".

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Old September 16, 2018, 06:12 PM   #50
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Two possibilities:

Are you sure the primers have not been contaminated by handling them?

I had a similar problem priming .338 Win brass with an RCBS hand priming tool. The primers weren’t fully seating. After trying a couple of different primer rods in my tool, I discovered that my shell holder was out of spec and was positioning the brass too far away from the priming rod of my tool. I tried a different shell holder and the problem disappeared.

I now use an RCBS bench mounted priming tool and like it much better.
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