biggest primers for big primer pockets

[bigjake]

Does anyone know which brand of primers are a tad bit larger than the rest? I have some WCC 223 cases and the pockets are big and they once fired as far as I can tell.

thanks in advance, Jake

[EddieNFL]

IME Wolf/Tula.

[Lloyd Smale]

that's the problem with that lc stuff. So much of it was hot loaded and shot in big chambered machine guns and the fact that is reloaded ammo and you don't know how many firings that brass has already had and that about guarantees that your going to have culs. If the primer is loose seating no matter which primer your using id toss the brass. Your just asking for a primer to come out and tie up your gun. Plus that case was obviously was pressure tested. I think its why the crimp there primer pockets. that way they don't have to cul them out themselves

[dudel]

All pretty much standard size from what I've used. Did the primers eject easily as well?

If the pockets are that loose; I'd chuck the brass. 223 brass is hardly scarce or expensive. You can always get something for it at the scrap yard. A loose primer is going to put lots of pressure on the breech/bolt face right in the area where it's the weakest (the firing pin hole). You also may get gas cutting in the same area from gas leakage around the primer. Another thought, if the pocket is loose, how much pressure did the case take for that to happen? Sounds like a very hot load.

Unless you saw the brass come out of the box and shot; how can you tell it's been once fired? My many times fired brass looks pretty new on the ground (and it has tight primer pockets).

[sdcitizen]

I'll second the wolf/tula comment, though I have only used the kvb556m primers, definitely larger than anything american made.

[LUBEDUDE]

Somebody just posted over on the Dillon swager thread about a tool you can buy that tightens up the primer pockets. They post the link. It's at rwhart.com

[Lars-K]

126603

[LUBEDUDE]

^^^^^^
Yeah, yeah, that's it! :)

[mdi]

If there's stretched, oversized primer pockets on cases, there is prolly a reason for it. In nearly 30 years of reloading, I've never seen an oversized primer pocket on brass from the factory or once fired brass (by me). So, I would consider the brass in qyestion has experience some problem, or pressure that has caused the case to stretch and even re-swaging the pockets wouldn't fix any other possible damage. I wouldn't want a catastrophic failure in my gun. I'd toss 'em.

[EDG]

You should get a copy of the SAAMI standards for primer pocket diameters and find the maximum acceptable primer pocket diameter. That diameter is .1745 for the SR primer pocket and .1765 for the SR primer
Then take a gauge pin of that diameter (.1745 -.0002) and grind it to a Double D configuration. DD is two flats opposite each other. If the primer pockets accept this maximum gage pin with any slop at all the case is a reject.
You should test the case in 2 or 3 orientations with the DD because the primer pocket may be out of round. You cannot properly test it for oversize with a full round pin. It has to be the DD configuration.
The precision pin costs about $3 to $4. Get one that is .210 while you are at it.

Primer dimensions here http://ballistictools.com/articles/primer-pocket-depth-and-diameter.php

126652

[Lloyd Smale]

Ill give that one a big amen!!
If there's stretched, oversized primer pockets on cases, there is prolly a reason for it. In nearly 30 years of reloading, I've never seen an oversized primer pocket on brass from the factory or once fired brass (by me). So, I would consider the brass in qyestion has experience some problem, or pressure that has caused the case to stretch and even re-swaging the pockets wouldn't fix any other possible damage. I wouldn't want a catastrophic failure in my gun. I'd toss 'em.

[Mohillbilly]

Me Too !! If there's stretched, oversized primer pockets on cases, there is prolly a reason for it. In nearly 30 years of reloading, I've never seen an oversized primer pocket on brass from the factory or once fired brass (by me). So, I would consider the brass in qyestion has experience some problem, or pressure that has caused the case to stretch and even re-swaging the pockets wouldn't fix any other possible damage. I wouldn't want a catastrophic failure in my gun. I'd toss 'em.

[Wayne Smith]

Another way to put it is - don't get overly fixated on the brass. It is a disposable part of the system. I'd throw any questionable brass, if I had to ask here it would be gone first.

[Outpost75]

Another way to put it is - don't get overly fixated on the brass. It is a disposable part of the system. I'd throw any questionable brass, if I had to ask here it would be gone first.

Amen! If you had ever witnessed first hand what happens to an AR or M4 platform when you get a catastrophic case failure in the K, L, M region (which I have), then you would not take the chance. Fortunately, wearing Lexan goggles over my glasses saved my eyesight. I needed to have facial surgery to remove multiple small pieces of brass and debris from my face.

There are long standing safety related issues with the AR platform which have been suppressed by the Army for years.

I no longer own or use one.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup every year I give a 5 gallon pail of it to my grandson to bring in for scrap
Another way to put it is - don't get overly fixated on the brass. It is a disposable part of the system. I'd throw any questionable brass, if I had to ask here it would be gone first.

[gunwonk]

Does anyone know which brand of primers are a tad bit larger than the rest? I have some WCC 223 cases and the pockets are big and they once fired as far as I can tell.

thanks in advance, Jake

I have a little data on this. Disclaimers, of course: these are primers in my possession. Yours might be different, and sizes might change a little over time, as the manufacturers' machinery wears and is replaced. All data in inches, but my tenth's mic might not be the same as yours. Don't mean to encourage any Bad Behavior, such as reloading that case one time too many. Etc., you know the drill. :-)

I have only a little data for Small Rifle:
CCI 400's -- .1753
Fed 205M -- .1756


I have a little more data for Large Rifle:
WLR (recent) -- .2100
Rem. 6 1/2 -- .2104
Fed. 210's -- .2108
CCI BR-2's -- .2111
WLR (old, nickel plate) -- .2115


And, for Large Pistol:
WLP (recent) -- .2103
WLP (old, nickel plate) -- .2104
Rem 2 1/2 -- .2105
CCI 300's -- .2106
Fed. 150's -- .2107


(I don't have any data for Small Pistol.)