Don't recall ever having a primer not go off.

[Longshot4]

So the sight in for the Savage 6mm CR. I figure I must have set the shoulders back too far. Causing the primer not to fire.

So my plan is to pull the bullet, dump the powder and soak the primer then knock it out. With Safety glasses... on.

40> years and it finally happened. I'm looking for (constructive comments) Please.

 

[308Loader]

I have knocked out many primers for various reasons and have never had one pop, even upside-down and sideways ones. I don't see the need to soak them before depriming the case. I think the key to this is slowly applying pressure to push them out, not just slam them out. I use a universal decapping die for the process.

just my 2 cents. do what ever makes YOU feel safe. if you pop one you might let a drip of pee go, but their is plenty of space for the expanding gas to go. cant see it being catastrophic. again my 2 cents, not science or fact that others may have experienced.

Is it safe to assume that you are not going to load these cases again? if in fact the shoulder setback is too far to allow the pin to strike the primer with sufficient force, how would you stretch the shoulder back out with out fire forming the case? if your going to trash the cases most ranges have a bucket for miss fire cartages, might just deposit them there. keep your bullet and powder, loose the case and primer. sounds silly to me that you could push the shoulder back so far that you cant ignite the primer. some here would say that you cant bump a shoulder back, and cases don't have head space.

 

[Dufus]

I agree: no need to soak. Just steady pressure and push the primers out.

Better yet, just pull the bullets and use the seated primers to set off a charge to reform the cases.

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond or not covered by currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The Firing Line, nor the staff of TFL assumes any liability for any damage or injury resulting from the use of this information

My preference is charge the case with 5.0 grains of Red Dot, seat a cast bullet so it jams the lands, shoot, then go about normal business with your re-adjusted sizing die.

The very 1st thing to do is to verify the reason for the mis-fires.

 

[Reloadron]

I also would just pull the bullets, dump the powder and then gently resize depriming the cases. "Gently" being the key word. Deactivating primers is not all that easy.

Ron

 

[jdc606]

I, too, have deprimed many rounds of ammo without a single "pop". Dismantled hundreds of reloads left behind after the owner passed away and the firearms were sold. Wore eye protection and used a universal depriming die. Lot of space in those dies so any pressure would be easily vented if a primer had gone off. Go slow and easy when decapping. Could run the decapping pin of your standard sizing die way in long to decap before the case is sealed tightly into the die,just in case. Save you from buying the universal die for one dud round.

 

[gwpercle]

Just slowly deprime the case , I've deprimed hundreds and never had one go off .
I don't know if you can truly deactivate primers.
I never (well hardly ever) came across a dud primer in 40 years reloading...then about 10 years ago bad primers started showing up...production and cost increased and QC went down the tubes .
I laugh now at the thought of "killing a primer" by touching it with your fingers...they used to warn you the oil from your fingers would kill them! That's a Crock ...
I've soaked primers in WD40 for a week and they still popped !!!.

The biggest cause of primers not to fire is when they are not seated all the way down into the bottom of the primer pocket . If the round fires on the second attempt... You aren't seating them all the way into the pocket....trust me...very common mistake .
The first blow seats the primer ...the second strike fires it ... primer was not fully seated .
Gary

 

[308Loader]

maybe something to try, pull the bullet and dump the powder. chamber the case and see if it will set off the primer. look at the primer strike, is it deep enough? too deep piecing the primer? is the primer set deep enough in the case to set the anvil against the priming compound? Or is the round soo loose that it just rattles around in the chamber regardless of the bolt's hold on the extractor.

again I'm just a dude with stuff, not your gunsmith. 2 cents worth only.

 

[jetinteriorguy]

First thing I would do is chamber and fire it again, just in case I didn't seat the primer deep enough. If this doesn't set it off, I'd pull the bullet with a collet type puller, empty the case and then slowly punch the primer out with a universal primer punch die. Since the farthest you could possibly set the shoulder back is to full length size, if this causes the primer not to ignite you need to have the head space checked because something must be wrong with the rifle, not how you size the case.

 

[Bart B.]

Do you have and use a gauge to measure case headspace (head to shoulder)?

What's the difference in case headspace from a fired case to that of resized one?

 

[mikld]

I too have poked out many primers (I once salvaged about 80 HXP ammo and poked out the primers when I resized the brass). I have also played with soaking primers trying to kill them, but results were not consistent enough to reliably say "use goof grease oil and that'll render every primer inert".

 

[44 AMP]

I figure I must have set the shoulders back too far. Causing the primer not to fire.

how do you figure that??

seriously...

 

[RC20]

It can happen. If the extractor does not hold the round tightly enough the case moves forward enough with the firing pin that there is not a good sudden stop.

I have had a couple in mil surplus guns when I got the wrong cases in a longer head spaced gun (Model of 1917)

Good dent but too slow a dent. Those guns get their own cases unless I make a mistake.

While I don't advise this, I geared up with safety equipment and deliberately popped off primers. It took a sharp 16 penny nail and a good blow on a hard surface.

If I push one out I put on safety glasses and muffs which are on the bench anyway, do a slow push and the worst is a bit startled (which has not happened though is pretty low numbers)

 

[T. O'Heir]

As mentioned, there's no need to soak(that doesn't do anything anyway) the primer. A gentle push with your regular decapping pin in your regular sizer die works just fine. And the primer is reusable. It was most likely seated too deep in the first place. There's no setting the shoulders back.
"...in a longer head spaced gun..." Might be excessive, but longer it ain't. A Pattern 17 has the same headspace as any .30-06.
And there's no such thing as "case headspace". Cases do not have headspace.

 

[308Loader]

Long shot4... you still with us? What did you decide to do? I hate suspense, messes with my OCD

What model savage? factory assembled or pet project? headspace checked by? Please we need to know more if we are to help you.

 

[Unclenick]

If your other primers fired it may be a matter of not having seated that one hard enough. They like the anvil compressed into the priming mix by about three thousandths. Check your firing pin protrusion.

As others said, soaking is unpredictable. Some primers are killed by it, but most seem pretty impervious to that action. Eye and ear protection and just press it out. If you suspect the case, it is worth the investment to seat another primer and be sure it is in place solidly and firmly, and try firing it. If it goes, the case is not at fault.

It would be unusual for a standard full-length seating die to make a fired case shorter than it was coming from the factory. If you have any factory new ammo or cases, you might compare the shoulders. If you don't have a comparator but do have a caliper, you can just pick up a spacer to put over the neck at Lowe's or Home Depot with a hole the touches near the middle of the shoulder. Measure the combination of the new case and shoulder from case head to the top of the spacer, then repeat with your suspect case to see if it is actually shorter. If not, it was entirely a primer issue; either inadequate seating depth or a faulty primer.

 

[Bart B.]

Using a nylon spacer on 30-06 cases.

 

[Bart B.]

It can happen. If the extractor does not hold the round tightly enough the case moves forward enough with the firing pin that there is not a good sudden stop.

Extractors are not designed nor dimensioned to keep cases from moving forward from firing pin impact.

It's a popular misconception that extractors hold case heads against bolt faces or in some other positions when rounds are fired.

When extractor clearance, case and chamber dimensions are within specs, the case will be driven against its chamber headspace limit before the case rim touches the extractor claw. Otherwise, the force of the case rim on the extractor can weaken the extractor claw and eventually break it off. A 2.5 ounce firing pin pushed 18 fps by a 26 pound spring force smacks the primer.

Spring loaded inline bolt face ejectors push chambered rounds forward to headspace limits before firing.

 

[Unclenick]

It shouldn't normally do that, though I recall a pistol smith suggesting about 70% of the 1911's he saw in his shop had such long headspace that they were headspacing on the extractor hook. That's not nearly as strong a firing pin blow as many rifles have, though.

 

[308Loader]

I guess he figured out his issue? only question I have left is what primer was used? we may never know, one post and gone... why even start the conversation if you only have one statement to make? sorry my OCD made me ask did I mention I hate suspense?

 

[Unclenick]

Me too. That's why I wear a belt instead of suspenders.