I will never buy reloads again

[Koda]

Just out of curiosity, what causes bad primers?

I finished up the last of a supply of 9mm reloads today and that entire box was nothing but trouble while I had it.

click, tap rack bang, bang, click, tap rack click, tap rack bang, click...

the whole time.

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[41mag]

not much indentation in this one

 

[Velzey]

Or better yet what causes hard primers.
What type of firearm, has it been modified?

 

[Koda]

Sig 938, nothing modified.

The reloads were the only ammo that had this issue. Ran many more NIB Winchester, some Hornandy and Sig brand ammo no malfunctions.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I use small rifle primers no problems for my pistols and they get whacked good and hard by my pistols.. leaving normal firing pin indentations much deeper than that shown in your photo.
The "cause" of bad primers? probably contamination and or improper storage

 

[Koda]

The "cause" of bad primers? probably contamination and or improper storage

Improper storage on my part, or the reloaders?

Ive had these a while, Stored in either the original packaging or in a new plastic ammo can. Acquired these back in the last ammo crunch was all I could find at that time. Been following ammo prices these days there is no need to buy reloads anymore you can get brand name new for the same price.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

could have been primers not seated all the way too

 

[Kruel J]

Hard primers. Lots of cheap-o foreign component suppliers sell hard primers. Lightened spring kits on AR's and the like won't eat them reliably. Tulammo and Wolf have notoriously hard primers.

 

[Velzey]

Yep since the hammer spring hasn't been swapped out, I say you have some hard primers. I swear in the last 5 years I have run across more new mfg hard primers than I have seen in 25 years of reloading.

 

[Flopsweat]

I fixed light primer strikes on one AR years ago with a JP reliability spring kit, if I recall the name correctly. Specifically happened with some Russian ammo with hard primers, same gun ran other brands just fine.

 

[Koda]

Tulammo and Wolf have notoriously hard primers.

I read somewhere that all Russian ammo has extra hard primers to prevent slamfires if I recall...

I swear in the last 5 years I have run across more new mfg hard primers than I have seen in 25 years of reloading.

This box was about 4 years old, hopefully primer makers have fixed it. Ive used some LAX and Freedom reloads last year no issues... Ive realized though that as long as were not in an ammo crunch no sense buying reloads...

 

[Sgt Nambu]

I'm thinking that while the primers may well be hard, I don't believe that they were seated at full depth!
It still looks high to me!

 

[Capn Jack]

I don't think "High" primers would cause a light strike.

Maybe some small rifle primers got into the load.

 

[Koda]

I probably would have noticed high primers, its something Ive looked for since I read somewhere that can be dangerous...

The pic I posted doesn't show it well but I was impressed with how deep the pin would hit without setting it off... the primers would bulge a bit from the deformation. That might make the picture seem like it was not seated fully.

on the glass half full side, I got a lot of random malfunction drill practice in today.

 

[nehalemguy]

Curious as to what brand primer that is in the OP's photo. ????

On a side note, I have loaded and shot primers that are 25+ years old. Never....yet.....had one not go bang.

E

 

[Camelfilter]

Interesting, following.

As for us, I'm just starting to reload for our common calibers. Starting with 9mm, then I'll move to rifle after a while.

Agree, the cost benifit right now isn't that great, but it's a skill I've wanted to learn for a long while. We figure it'll pay off in the long run, for next time there's a shortage/price run up...and there's always a next time...

Also, I've found case prep & reloading a pretty focused and relaxing endeavor during what downtime I have, some of which is at o-dark thirty when I could either read a book, or do something quietly...even running the tumbler in the shop doesn't wake the wife...sorting that brass in a strainer in the kitchen at 3am...well...I won't do that again......seemed a good idear' at the time...

 

[DirectDrive]

Hard primers. Lots of cheap-o foreign component suppliers sell hard primers. Lightened spring kits on AR's and the like won't eat them reliably. Tulammo and Wolf have notoriously hard primers.

Yep.
Looks like a hard cup primer with a light pin strike.
If you were getting normal performance from other ammo.

 

[The Heretic]

I won't buy reloads because I had one blow out on my SIL and it burnt his hand.

Even commercial ammo can have hard primers (as already mentioned), but reloads...

Unless the reloader gets once fired cases from someone like a police dept., etc., they do not know how many times the case has been reloaded. They probably get their brass from ranges.

They also don't know what the loads were - they might have been max loads, double loads, whatever. They just do not know.

This is also why I do not pick up other people's brass. I know the history of my brass, but not that of others. I know the care I take to reload, I don't know that of others.

Never again. I have never bought reloads in baggies either - it was always from a commercial reloader.

 

[41mag]

"I have never bought reloads in baggies either - it was always from a commercial reloader."

Not often at that. Very infrequently, only a few rounds in the last 20 years in my own practice. Even so, a couple weeks ago my buddy had a newly mfgd 45acp fully indented primer not ignite. Don't recall the mfgr yet this happens. I don't have any remedy for eliminating such completely.

 

[Alexx1401]

I won't buy reloads because I had one blow out on my SIL and it burnt his hand.

Even commercial ammo can have hard primers (as already mentioned), but reloads...

Unless the reloader gets once fired cases from someone like a police dept., etc., they do not know how many times the case has been reloaded. They probably get their brass from ranges.

They also don't know what the loads were - they might have been max loads, double loads, whatever. They just do not know.

This is also why I do not pick up other people's brass. I know the history of my brass, but not that of others. I know the care I take to reload, I don't know that of others.

Never again. I have never bought reloads in baggies either - it was always from a commercial reloader.

I stopped buying commercial re loads due to a blow out. They were some brand Midway sold. Like you mentioned I worried about where the brass was coming from. After that one close call I decided it was not worth it to me to trust them again.