357 MAGNUM reloads not shooting well

[warbird2006]

Gentlemen
I started pistol reloading with Dillan 650.
For some reason about 10 -15% of ammo fails to fire from my S&W 596. When I remove it from the cylinder and put it back, it will fire. I noticed the rounds, which don't fire, have weaker mark from firing pin on the primer. But factory ammo always fires. Anyone knows what is going on?

141052141053141054

[Eddie17]

Primers not fully seated?

[Ben]

How deep are the primers seated on the rounds that are misfiring ?

[williamwaco]

I too suspect seating depth.

[NSB]

Primer seating depth is the number one culprit. It's possible that your lead bullets aren't allowing the bullets to completely seat on the cylinder also. Can you push them in a couple of thousandths with your thumb after dropping them in loose? The firing pin may be pushing the bullets into the cylinder just a bit further when they hit the primer giving you a light hit. I've seen it happen with cast bullets and a loose crimp. Also, take a wire brush to your cylinder chambers and give them a vigorous cleaning. Some dirt and crud in there can keep the bullet from completely bottoming out in the cylinder and absorbing some of the hammer strike.

[captaint]

Is this the first ammo that you loaded for your 586 ?? And have you shot any (much) factory ammo in this same gun ?? It is possible that someone lightened the trigger pull by adjusting the strain screw.. or some other adjustment...

[tomon]

Have you or anyone else shot 38 Special in the revolver? If you did, a ring can build up not allowing the cartridges to seat fully against the cylinder face. The firing pin wastes it's energy finishing up seating the shell, with not enough left over to fully dent the primer to reliable firing depth.

[osteodoc08]

Which 586 model? The no dash and -1 models had a recall on the firing pin bushing. There was also a run of too short a firing pin in the newer models......I had to send my 586 back for this. Make sure the tension screw is turned in.

[Scharfschuetze]

Perhaps it's just a bad lot of primers? While rare, that may explain things.

Could you have possibly used small rifle primers by mistake?

As many noted above, check your seating depth visually after loading. When I first started loading with a Dillon 450 and the later 550, I was always suspicious of the priming function, but over the years I've become more comfortable with it and to date I've never had any issues such as you are currently suffering.

As osteodoc08 mentions, check that your strain screw is tight against your main spring. It is often backed off to give a lighter trigger pull, but they really should be kept tight against the mainspring.

[edctexas]

I have an S&W 66 in 357 and I had a similar problem which was solved by tightening the strain screw. I added blue loctite to the screw as it loosened itself.
Ed C

[MtGun44]

High primers is always the chief suspect when they go off on the second hit.

Bill

[kalison]

Hammer spring? Mine does this when the tension/strain screw starts backing out a little.

[ubetcha]

Although with cases not fully seated and if the primers are high and not fully seated, one would expect he cylinder to bind or turn with some difficulty due to dragging on the recoil shield face. Is this also happening?

[varmint243]

I am in with the primers not fully seated camp
Get yourself a hand primer and some good safety glasses
You will feel them seat that last couple thousandths
I have had primers not fully seated cause this issue without being high enough to drag

[Scharfschuetze]

A final thought from me would be to clean out your primer pockets well with any of the available tools made for that. That will allow your primer's anvil to make full contact and be fully seated with the base of the primer pocket of the case.

Given your photos though, I still would check your strain screw's tightness or the possibility of using small rifle primers (with their attendant thicker cup) by mistake. A slightly high primer, low enough to allow cylinder rotation, should still get a full power firing pin strike and thus show a heavier indent than your struck, but unfired primers show in the photo.

[mdi]

Primers not fully seated?
Yep! Most common complaint with new reloaders or new equipment. First blow from the firing pin/hammer just pushes/seats the primer to the bottom of the primer pocket, with not enough resistance to crush the compound between the cup and anvil. Second blow fires the primer, which is now seated. For now, ferget "below flush dimensions" and just make sure all primers are seated all the way to the bottom of the pocket...

[merlin101]

Yep! Most common complaint with new reloaders or new equipment. First blow from the firing pin/hammer just pushes/seats the primer to the bottom of the primer pocket, with not enough resistance to crush the compound between the cup and anvil. Second blow fires the primer, which is now seated. For now, ferget "below flush dimensions" and just make sure all primers are seated all the way to the bottom of the pocket...

Yep! Start with the simple (primer depth) after that if your still having trouble(most likely your not) then go with bad primer/firing pin/ trigger/ ect ect.

[Litl Red 3991]

WarBird,
Lots of us make a very simple check for high primers by running a finger over the bullet base as we fill the box. Quick and easy to do. Or run the finger over the whole box worth before closing the lid.

Also, you say the ones that won't fire at all show weak strikes. If that was after two strikes (as your OP describes), somethings interfering with the firing pin. If any of your cartridges didn't fire after two strikes, the problem is probably more than high primers.

What brand of primers? Has the pistol been reworked or slicked up?

[sundog]

What brand of primer and what brand of factory ammo? Has your handgun had a trigger job/hammer fall lightened? Single action or double action?

[M-Tecs]

On US primers the anvil is "proud". On the Russian primers the anvil is flush. The Russian primers will give issues if not bottomed out. Federal are the most sensitive so the guys with the lightened action tend to use them to prevent FTF's. Factory is fine and the FTF fire on the second hit on the reloads so primers are most likely not seated deep enough to compress the anvil.

If the light hits are only on the FTF's its one more indication that the energy of the hits is going into fully seating the primer.

[Ola]

Using small rifle primers, that will also cause this kind problems with 586.

[dragon813gt]

Using small rifle primers, that will also cause this kind problems with 586.

Don't tell mine that, it's all it sees. Unless the trigger has been played w/ the stock strike is more than enough to light them off.

[Ola]

No need to mess with the trigger. Fe. a hard rifle primer and -20 degrees Celsius is more than enough to make the stock strike of 586 NOT to light them off.

The OP's problem is probably not a light striker. It must be something else.

[robg]

firing double action gives weaker hammer strike than single action in double action revolvers.but first check primers are just below case face,

[mdi]

Look at how a primer works. It's a soft metal cup with a pressure sensitive compound and an anvil. The firing pin hits the cup and crushes the compound between the cup and the anvil and ignites the compound. If there is nothing solid to hold the anvil stationary, solid in the primer pocket, there won't be enough force to crush the compound between as the force is used up seating/moving the primer deeper into the pocket. The anvil needs to be tight against the pocket bottom to provide a solid base to crush the compound. If the primer is not seated all the way to the bottom on the pocket it won't provide any (or enough) resistance to the firing pin strike...

I think! :veryconfu

[Ola]

To OP. Take a look at the hammer of your revolver. IF it is dragging against the frame, that will slow it down. F.e. my SW 29-3 had that problem. I solved it with couple of small shims. The shims are made to enhance the trigger pull but they also make the hammer strike faster (especially when it starts moving freely..)

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