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Thread: Anybody else have problems with CCI 500 spp failing to fire?

  1. #21
    Boolit Master Murphy's Avatar
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    I've been using CCI primers since the late 70's. During the summer and fall of 84', I used aproximately 10,000 of them in a revolver. I had an extreme few primers that failed to ignite. I was shooting a lot of double action through a S&W 686 at that time. I'd had the revolver tuned and the mainspring hammer was on the light side. Out of the few failure to fire rounds I had, most of them would fire the second time around. I guess it's anyone's guess as to exact what has caused your problem with an entire batch not firing in several different guns. I must say, your situation is a unique one. I'll be watching this thread.

    Murphy
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  2. #22
    Boolit Master Ozark mike's Avatar
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    Woops i guess i had it backwards it happens
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  3. #23
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    Check to see they are fully seated That is the most common problem with CCI.
    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.
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  4. #24
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Likewise to the above suggestions, if you have either CCI SPM primers or SRP, try some of those in the same guns and see if they will pop.

  5. #25
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    After reading the OP, I would think there is some kind of problem with the primers themselves. You used the same kind of elimination test I would have used. First check the same reloads in another gun, check. Next try the same load data with the same guns and different brand primers, check. The results you got with these tests would tell me that I have a bad lot of primers. I don't consider myself an expert in any way, but the process of elimination usually tells the story. " If you eliminate the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be the solution".

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bazoo View Post
    Likewise to the above suggestions, if you have either CCI SPM primers or SRP, try some of those in the same guns and see if they will pop.
    Yah I would try that if I had any left. But unfortunately I loaded them all. I did give about three or 400 to a buddy( Fellow forum member). that has an AR in 9 mm carbine. As of yet he hasn’t gotten back to me.
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  7. #27
    Boolit Master

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    With tuned guns, CCI’s will fail to fire sometimes. Try Federal’s as they ignite easier.

  8. #28
    Boolit Master
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    The CCI primers that failed to fire for me were plain and simple duds. I deprimed those cartridges, took the dud primers outside, laid them on the sidewalk and smacked them with a hammer. Not a single one made as much as a peep. Total duds. Right out of the box. Imagine having those rounds loaded in a gun in a self defense situation.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    One of my K38s will not put off CCI 500s dependably. It has had trigger and spring job. Further more if you are shooting bullseye you will notice a wider group than normal. I checked this off bags and I think there is some kind of un uniform ignition going on. Take same loads with Win primers and it focuses right in. I Ruger Blackhawk they never failed to fire.

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Froogal View Post
    The CCI primers that failed to fire for me were plain and simple duds. I deprimed those cartridges, took the dud primers outside, laid them on the sidewalk and smacked them with a hammer. Not a single one made as much as a peep. Total duds. Right out of the box. Imagine having those rounds loaded in a gun in a self defense situation.
    Exactly my point! But if you want to send those duds back to cc I did probably tell you your gun was defective or you didn’t see the primers properly! That seems to be the company line I was amazed when the text sent me an email and said they never have problems with any of their primaries they have 100% success rate! I guess they make all employees drink there Kool-Aid before they can go to work!
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  11. #31
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    poppy - if you've eliminated everything else - if you still have some of the primers, or they are all loaded, can you pull a couple down, carefully punch them out and you, our a buddy, reload them in something like a 38 special, etc. and see how they work in another gun? If they don't go bang, that wold pretty much answer the question.

    Don't take my previous post as a question of your ability to load as it wasn't intended in that way -

    I guess I'm one of the lucky ones as I have never had an issue with CCIs - that's what a LGS carries and so that's what I started using - I've used both S & L pistol and rifle. The only time I had an issue with the cartridges firing was when I first picked up the Smith Combat Masterpiece I had . . . it wold fire in double action without issues but in single action - about 1 in every cylinder FTF. I took a look and at some point, someone had "tuned" the CM up and shortened the mainspring tension screw. I put in a replacement and need another issue.

    If you have the lot number of the CCIs, I still would notify the factory. Yea, they probably will slough it off but if there's an issue,, they need to know about it. If you still have the primers, I'd do the "hammer test"as well.

    There's nothing more frustrating than to have an issue like you are having and it doesn't help any when supplies are short or hard to find.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by bedbugbilly View Post
    poppy - if you've eliminated everything else - if you still have some of the primers, or they are all loaded, can you pull a couple down, carefully punch them out and you, our a buddy, reload them in something like a 38 special, etc. and see how they work in another gun? If they don't go bang, that wold pretty much answer the question.

    Don't take my previous post as a question of your ability to load as it wasn't intended in that way -

    I guess I'm one of the lucky ones as I have never had an issue with CCIs - that's what a LGS carries and so that's what I started using - I've used both S & L pistol and rifle. The only time I had an issue with the cartridges firing was when I first picked up the Smith Combat Masterpiece I had . . . it wold fire in double action without issues but in single action - about 1 in every cylinder FTF. I took a look and at some point, someone had "tuned" the CM up and shortened the mainspring tension screw. I put in a replacement and need another issue.

    If you have the lot number of the CCIs, I still would notify the factory. Yea, they probably will slough it off but if there's an issue,, they need to know about it. If you still have the primers, I'd do the "hammer test"as well.

    There's nothing more frustrating than to have an issue like you are having and it doesn't help any when supplies are short or hard to find.
    I think you need re-read my op. I did contact CCI! More than once
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  13. #33
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    Modern primers are probably one of the most reliable products on the market. If CCI makes a million primers per lot and you're the only one with problems......

    Seeing as how the primers aren't packages sequentially as they come off the line it would be impossible for only YOU to get all the bad primers. You're saying the entire batch that you have/had were defective. If that's the case then other people would have gotten bad primers and it would be on almost every forum out there. Since it's not.....

    How are you cleaning the brass? How are you lubing? How long have you had these primers? How were they stored?

    I've rarely, if ever, seen a bitch about primers that wasn't user created.

    I load a bit....30K of 9mm so far this year, and every round has gone off. At least half of those 30K rounds were CCI primers. I buy what's least expensive and available.

    In my lifetime I can think of two primers that didn't go off and I suspect at least one of those was a primer that was drawn back into the case.
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  14. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Burnt Fingers View Post
    Modern primers are probably one of the most reliable products on the market. If CCI makes a million primers per lot and you're the only one with problems......

    Seeing as how the primers aren't packages sequentially as they come off the line it would be impossible for only YOU to get all the bad primers. You're saying the entire batch that you have/had were defective. If that's the case then other people would have gotten bad primers and it would be on almost every forum out there. Since it's not.....

    How are you cleaning the brass? How are you lubing? How long have you had these primers? How were they stored?

    I've rarely, if ever, seen a bitch about primers that wasn't user created.

    I load a bit....30K of 9mm so far this year, and every round has gone off. At least half of those 30K rounds were CCI primers. I buy what's least expensive and available.

    In my lifetime I can think of two primers that didn't go off and I suspect at least one of those was a primer that was drawn back into the case.
    Yep pretty much my experience. Until I got stuck with this brick of CCI primers. Heck believe what I posted, don’t believe what I posted. Make your own decisions. I’ll just leave you with one question. What do you think the chances of a novice reloader, let me stop for a minute and reiterate I’m no expert but I have been reloading since 1980 so I do have a little bit of experience, back to my question what do you think the chances are of even a novice reloader, reloading 1000 primers, so poorly that every one of them failed to go off? In three different guns? Like I said make your own decisions me I choose not to use CCI primers anymore. I can’t take that chance.
    Long, Wide, Deep, and Without Hesitation!

  15. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by poppy42 View Post
    Yep pretty much my experience. Until I got stuck with this brick of CCI primers. Heck believe what I posted, don’t believe what I posted. Make your own decisions. I’ll just leave you with one question. What do you think the chances of a novice reloader, let me stop for a minute and reiterate I’m no expert but I have been reloading since 1980 so I do have a little bit of experience, back to my question what do you think the chances are of even a novice reloader, reloading 1000 primers, so poorly that every one of them failed to go off? In three different guns? Like I said make your own decisions me I choose not to use CCI primers anymore. I can’t take that chance.
    I'm right there with you. I'll never buy CCI primers again.

  16. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mal Paso View Post
    CCI were known as the Hardest until Tula came into the market.

    Federal are the most consistent for me. Never had an FTF with them.

    I had FTF issues with Tula, Winchester, Magtec, and CCI over the years in stock guns with brand new factory mainsprings. The Ruger Redhawk is known for light strikes and I replace the mainspring regularly. I've been all over seating primers and now use the bench mount RCBS. The cups were TOO HARD for my firing pin strike, beginning and end of story.

    I feel your pain.
    Pretty much my experience as well. After putting a Bullseye spring kit in one of my revolvers I had to use Federal primers. CCIs were very inconsistent. Ultimately I put the original main spring back in the gun and it shoots anything reliably again.

    Poppy, if your firearms are factory original I would be suspect of primer seating depths and also making sure that your crimps are taper crimps within SAAMMI specs. Excessive taper crimping or roll crimping could allow the cartridges to space too deeply in the chambers.

    I went to CCI primers for my competition gun because of a recommendation from a well known gunsmith. He told me that they ran better in his Dillon 650 than any other primer. They ignite 100% in my STI and misfed primers on the 650 went from about 3% to virtually nothing.
    Sometimes life taps you on the shoulder and reminds you it's a one way street. Jim Morris

  17. #37
    Boolit Master
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    In my experience, it is impossible to improperly seat ANY primer. If the primer is not seated properly, it will protrude slightly. Not only can you SEE it, but you can FEEL it, and if you are shooting a revolver, that improperly seated primer will STOP the rotation of the cylinder long before the firing pin can make contact.

  18. #38
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    Long ago I was told the CCI primers had thicker cups so a weak hammer/firing pin fall would show on them before other brands.
    It is also the reason standard CCI pistol primers can be used in high pressure loads .
    When I think back on all the **** I learned in high school it's a wonder I can think at all ! And then my lack of education hasn't hurt me none I can read the writing on the wall.

  19. #39
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    They are probably 41 milspec primers. They use a thicker cup and the anvil is spaced farther away from the cup to prevent a slamfire.

    They will not work in 3 different 9mm handguns I have. And will not in my Savage Axis. But work fine in my ar9 pistol and 5 other ar15 rifles.

    Load a 223 case with a new primer if you have any left. If it goes off I would say they are 41 primers

  20. #40
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Froogal View Post
    In my experience, it is impossible to improperly seat ANY primer. If the primer is not seated properly, it will protrude slightly. Not only can you SEE it, but you can FEEL it, and if you are shooting a revolver, that improperly seated primer will STOP the rotation of the cylinder long before the firing pin can make contact.
    Thank you!
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BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
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