S&B primers

[JBinMN]

Thumbcocker,
I understand & have read thru all of the posts, and perhaps one of the other suggestions will solve the issue, but I am going to add just a bit here to try to help out.

( Note - I am going on in this post with the Ruger revolvers like the SP101 &/or the LCR, which I am pretty sure use a firing pin & spring & not a hammer mounted firing pin, just so folks know which revolver I am talking about here.)

Also, I am not questioning your methods of reloading or cleaning, nor criticizing, just offering some things to consider if you have not already considered them.

Have you checked to see if the firing pin is freely moving in & out? IOW, perhaps there is some crud build up in the orifice the firing pin sits in & it is holding the firing pin from retracting all the way when the revolver is fired? Or, maybe even some issue with the spring inside, like being broken & a piece of spring "binding" the pin so it doesn't retract fully when the revolver is fired?
If the firing pin is not retracting all of the way back in as it should and/or is sticking out further than it should when firing it might puncture the primers. while it may just do it with those S&B primers, and not others, it may be something to check.

( BTW, I have not had any issues with S&B primers, but occasionally I have trouble with some of their brass.)

Also... Could you have put in just a bit too much powder by accident when working up the loads?
What I mean is, since I am sure you are loading up properly, but is it possible that your powder scale needs to be calibrated after being moved or bumped. Or, perhaps you had some issue with a powder throw from a powder measure that gave you some loads that were pushing the limit on pressure?

I have had powder scales, both beam & elect. that got bumped when I got up from the bench, and I had to re calibrate when I returned. ( I check calibration "every" time I start to reload, to prevent such issues, even if I just went to the head or to leave the bench even for a minute. I do so just in case I accidentally bump the scale & don't realize it, if it becomes "off". Just so I know it was calibrated & I don't throw light or heavy loads by mistake.

I do not use 231, but I have also had a powder measures that will "wander a bit( My old RCBS does it occasionally) throwing loads by the setting on the measure working loose a little & changing the weight increasing it a bit. ( I weigh each powder throw, so I can assure that I don't overload. Yes, I am a bit "anal" about it, but I don't recall having a single issue with over charging since I do it. )

There are also powders that will "bridge" & throw a lighter charge, then a heavier charge, or charges, as the "bridge" breaks apart.

While the things mentioned are possible, it does not mean that they all happened. It would just be some things I would consider, not knowing your methods or having the firearm to look at in my hands.

I would certainly also re-test those loads to see if it repeats with other S&B primers & then I would repeat with other makers primers as well to try to eliminate the primers being an issue. But I would be looking at the firing pin & spring first. It might just be some crud or something easy to clean out of that spot. Hopefully not a broken firing pin spring that is "trapping" the firing pin so it doesn't fully retract, or holds the pin out further than it should when firing.

I wish ya G'Luck! in solving the issue & if you do figure it out, Please return & let folks know what ya discovered so we all learn from this issue.

[Burnt Fingers]

I've shot thousands of S&B primers and never had that problem.

[Sig556r]

Been using S&B (green box) SPs for quite a while without issues shown in the OP, however, had some issues with light strikes on auto-pistols since they're harder that other SPs...

[hollywood63]

I believe you have a gun problem. I have fired over 30K S&B primers in 5 different guns with zero problems.

X2 this has been my experience also

[Bazoo]

I'd be surprised if it was a pressure issue because the primers are not flattened at all. Granted I have no experience loading the 327 magnum. I wonder if it could be a high primer issue? Maybe the primers were seated just flush and the pin hit them harder and pierced them?

[onelight]

I have randomly seen the same piercing in my 327 sp101 but with Winchester primers.
It has happened with in both 32 S&W long and 32 H&R cases in loads that would be below max for each cartridge . I was thinking I may have had some bad primers but it may be a firing pin issue.
I have had no issues with S&B primers but have not used them in my 32s.

[shooting on a shoestring]

I’ve had a very similar experience but with Remington 5&1/2. I tried different guns, powders, boolits and primers. I eliminated all the variables I could think of and chalked it up to those primers are going to pierce with any magnum load and some non-magnum loads. I’ll use them up in light 38 Special loads where they work fine. I won’t claim all 5&1/2’s will do that, but the lot I have surely will.

It could be a manufacturing issue with that lot. Thin cup, soft cup, anvil contacting cup, corrosion inside cup, brisance of compound? Maybe tolerance stacking of those variables? I don’t know. But I do know my 5&1/2’s pierce easily. Looks like you might have some S&B’s dong the same thing.

I do like JBinNM’s thoughts about checking the firing pin for travel and ease of movement.

And parroting his request, keep us in the loop on what you do and what you determine.

[rintinglen]

I have had similar results with warmish loads and Remington 1 1/2 primers in my 327 loads. I use CCI standard or Winchester SP Magnum now to avoid this. You did not mention the load, but I have perforated primers with H-110, 2400 and Longshot loads. Once you start getting towards the upper end of published loads, this starts to happen. I would save my S&B primers for light loads and buy one of the tougher primers for use.

Now, if you are using 3.6 grains of WW-231 or less and it is happening, then it is more likely the gun is at fault and the firing pin needs repair, polishing or replacement.

[Buzz Krumhunger]

My 9mm SP101 does the same thing when used with factory loads on the hot end of the spectrum, FWIW.

[Thumbcocker]

This was the first time I loaded S&B primers as I had run out of Wolf. I have 5K of the little suckers so I hope they will work in other cartridges.

[emorris]

I have had some slightly pierce with 9mm, but no were near as bad as yours. It wasn't the gun as they pierced in a few different guns, but all were glocks. The load was a near max load of BE86.

[Flailguy]

I have the same gun and have also had this problem with a middle of the road charge of blue dot and a Winchester spp. Switched to cci srp and have had no problems since, though they do flatten out quite a bit.