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Thread: Bad lot of primers?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Bad lot of primers?

    Yesterday I had 3 FTF and 10 hangfires in a .308 Winchester Howa rifle that was loaded with cast boolits and 17.5g of 2400. I put the 3 FTF rounds in another .308 Winchester, this time a Savage 11 and they did not fire either. In both cases the primers looked to be stricken hard enuf to ignite. Upon disassembly of the 3 FTF rounds, all 3 had powder, and when I examined the primers after punching them out carefully, 2/ea appeared to be slightly darker in the priming compound area under the anvil. The other, looked just like the remaining ones in the sleeve.
    At this point I don't want to reveal the brand, as I have nearly 5000 of the same lot that I would like to exchange. Let's just say they are of a well known brand that I have used successfully for over 50 years with nary a misfire.

    How do I go about getting them exchanged?

    Have any of you experienced bad primers to this extent?

    Thanks for any help--Shuz
    It's all chicken, even the beak!

  2. #2
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    I guess the first suggestion is to contact the vendor where you bought them from, if that fails, then I'd search the lot number to see if there is a recall...if there isn't a recall,
    THEN after that, ...if you plan to "contact" the manufacturer, I'd do more testing first, maybe find out how many fail out of 100? Take lots of photos at the various stages of the test.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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  3. #3
    Boolit Master Wag's Avatar
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    The retailer likely won't allow any exchanges. You'll have to call the manufacturer directly and tell them what's going on. They'll want them back, of course.

    --Wag--
    "Great genius will always encounter fierce opposition from mediocre minds." --Albert Einstein.

  4. #4
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    I returned 2 bricks of Winchester L pistol mag primers because 30% failed to fire the first time they were shot and several didn't fire the second time either.

    Sportsmans had a no return policy but due to the severity of the problem, they took them back.

    This is the second thread this week on bad primers.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

    Rcmaveric's Avatar
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    Is your gun doing light primers strikes?

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  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master fredj338's Avatar
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    IT is rare to get bad primers, but does happen. I would stick with it, try it in diff rifle, 3 ftf isn't a ton.
    EVERY GOOD SHOOTER NEEDS TO BE A HANDLOADER.
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  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I’ve had maybe 1 or 2 FTF in my shooting career. 50+ years. But it can happen, not being as bad as maybe squib and not realizing it, now that would be bad.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
    AZ Pete's Avatar
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    call or email the manufacturer, include the lot number. They will most likelytake good care of you.


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  9. #9
    Boolit Master


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    Always been the gun in my case and no telling how many I have popped in the last 60 years. Occasionally, I'll get one but it's normally years apart. Ray, it's a conspiracy. The liberals are sending them up there just to stir you up./beagle
    diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    If I was really suspicious of primers I would set a few out on concrete put on my muffs, safety glasses, and then the full face shield. Then drop the hammer.

  11. #11
    Boolit Man White Oak's Avatar
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    I had an problem in my 358win with some FTF that I thought was the primers. Switched to another lot still had some FTF. Turned out that the primers were being seated to deep when I used my press to prime. I adjusted the anvil and it solved it, but I went back to my hand primer and now have no issues.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    My first thought was that it was a "gun problem". That idea disappeared when I put the 3/ea FTF rounds in another .308 Win rifle and they wouldn't "go bang" in it either!
    I bought these from a fella locally, but the brown 5000 count overpack has Graf and Sons Inc. stamped on it. Since I didn't buy them from Graf's; I'll contact the mfr and see where this goes. Stay tuned!
    It's all chicken, even the beak!

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    I contacted the mfr and they sent me a FedEx call tag to ship the primers back. They said they were surely interested in product reliability etc.; and that I would hear from them after they inspected the primers.
    It's all chicken, even the beak!

  14. #14
    Boolit Master

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    I had a batch of Winchester small rifle primers that did that. 10% failure. It happens....

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shuz View Post
    I contacted the mfr and they sent me a FedEx call tag to ship the primers back. They said they were surely interested in product reliability etc.; and that I would hear from them after they inspected the primers.
    Well that sounds like positive news. I hope you tried a couple in a different gun and some different primers in the original gun. If that all checks out I think you might get some satisfaction.

    Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

  16. #16
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    You tried two rifles, that was a good test. It definitely could be the primers. But it might also be:

    1. Too deep primer pockets
    2. Cartridge headspace (shoulder set back too far)

    I'm leaning toward the primers, but if you have a cartridge headspace gage, please compare to some factory ammo.
    I give loading advice based on my actual results in factory rifles with standard chambers, twist rates and basic accurizing.
    My goals for using cast boolits are lots of good, cheap, and reasonably accurate shooting, while avoiding overly tedious loading processes.
    The BHN Deformation Formula, and why I don't use it.
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  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by HangFireW8 View Post
    You tried two rifles, that was a good test. It definitely could be the primers. But it might also be:

    1. Too deep primer pockets
    2. Cartridge headspace (shoulder set back too far)

    I'm leaning toward the primers, but if you have a cartridge headspace gage, please compare to some factory ammo.
    I don't have any factory ammo or headspace gage, but the fact remains that with this lot of primers, I had several hang fires as well as the 3/ea FTF that also did not fire in the other Savage model 11. We'll see what the factory has to say.
    It's all chicken, even the beak!

  18. #18
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    I started reloading in '69. Continued for several years and due to a messy divorce, stopped and old my equipment. Took a few years off and resumed in '88. I reload for 9 calibers in fifteen different guns and I cannot remember a "bad" primer/FTF. I have found two primers where the anvil fell out, was missing. But as best as I can remember, never had a primer fail that wasn't my fault...
    My Anchor is holding fast!

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Bad primers can happen in factory ammo,too.

    I was doing some test shooting with a friend,we had same kind of 300 WM rifles. Except my friend was using a brake,I had a suppressor on. Accuracy was bad and brass looked dirty, after a while my bolt got stuck. It felt like a hangfire.

    It got stuck so bad that folks at Sako had to remove my T3 Tactical barrel to open the bolt. Serious pressure there.

    Ammo was checked and the primer lot was bad. I do not have a reason to name the ammo brand because it was voluntary beta testing.

  20. #20
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    When I get FTF in a batch of primers, I always check to see if I have a broken firing pin. Since you had misfires in two firearms, I'd say they are defective.
    The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
    John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"

    Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!


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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check