Bad Winchester primers in .44 load???

Had my 94AE .44 mag carbine out for some shooting. Moderate load of 19gr./2400 and RCBS 240gr boolit with WINCHESTER large pistol primers and Remington brass.

Fired 50 rounds and was picking up brass. Noticed slightly dark ring around primer pocket on 2 empty cases, indicating a leakage.

Looked at bolt face and it left 3 tiny pin-points of gas cutting on the bolt. I could just scream!!!

These Winchester LG pistol primers are probably about 5 years old,...bought them some time ago.

MY brass is not worn out or junk, the load is not a super "hot magnum load", been using this load for years in Smiths, Ruger and this rifle. The primer pockets should not be stretched by over-pressure loading, as I have never went over 19-20 gr of 2400 with these loads.

Always used CCI large pistol before, but ran out of them, and had a box of the Winchester's I had bought years ago.

Anyone else had any problems with Winchester primers?

I pulled the boolits on the remaining rounds and trashed the remaining primers from the box.

I am really P.O.'ed about the divits on the bolt face!

Have a fair supply of old WW primers packaged in the white/orange boxes which are quite good. The newer blue box stuff is junk.

Federal had a problem where the radius in the edge of the primer was too sharp and hence, too thin. These primers leaked in spots on that corner causing gas cutting. Have not used your load nor have l had issues the Winchester primers. Were your primers also flat?

Possibly your problem was caused by using the larger diameter CCI primers followed by the smaller diameter Winchester primer. The Winchester primers were fine. But using CCI primers which have a slightly larger diameter expands the primer pocket so that smaller diameter primers are a little loose.

I have seen that happen when using various primers in shotshells.

Winchester had some bad large rifle primer cups, they would get small pinholes on the radius. Five years ago sounds about right. There was a list of lot numbers that were bad and they would replace them or refund the money. I had several bricks that had bad lot numbers and got them replaced.

I returned 2 bricks of Winchester SPM because many didn't go off -- In several different firearms. The store had a no-return policy but made an exception due to the circumstances.

Check with Winchester on it, if they are a bad lot they should make good for them.

Tell them the boltface issue also, they may pay to have it repaired. I know Federal did with a batch of 210 match primers years ago.

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Originally Posted by vernm

Possibly your problem was caused by using the larger diameter CCI primers followed by the smaller diameter Winchester primer. The Winchester primers were fine. But using CCI primers which have a slightly larger diameter expands the primer pocket so that smaller diameter primers are a little loose.

I have seen that happen when using various primers in shotshells.

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Vern, I believe that is a good possibility. Your explanation sounds right. MY brother wont use CCI primers because he swears they are too tight to seat easily. He prefers Remington. I have always used CCI in all my loads.

I can't contact Winchester with a lot number, because I bought a box of 100, loaded all 100 in .44 brass and the box went into the garbage a couple of weeks ago.

The bolt face isn't really bad, just 3 tiny dots around the primer circumference....but it really irks me. (Saying it mildly [smilie=b:)

I pulled down the rest of the rounds, threw away the Winchester Primers.

Been reloading my own for nearly 50 years, and never had this happen before.

It is what it is....but 2 primer leaks out of 50 shots...no more Winchester primers for me.

Goofy, these were the "blue box" Winchester primers.

I have used numerous boxes of the Winchester Blue box primers and had no problems . Regards Paul

Hopefully no one else has a problem with Winchester primers.

Must have been a "major malfunction" on my part, but it still puzzles me.:???:

Verna got it correct. Nothing inherently wrong with Win primers.

Had several ignition problems with WW large rifle primers in my 45-70 Pedersoli RB. It's Federals from now on.
Bob Gular

Ive had a few of that exact occurrence but with WLR. Ive not heard of it in large pistol though. I found a list online of bad lots.

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Originally Posted by quack1

Winchester had some bad large rifle primer cups, they would get small pinholes on the radius. Five years ago sounds about right. There was a list of lot numbers that were bad and they would replace them or refund the money. I had several bricks that had bad lot numbers and got them replaced.

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Winchester replaced a case of 5000 WLR primers for me in the same time frame. They asked for a couple of fired cartridge cases, then promptly sent me a fresh case of primers.

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Originally Posted by Hickok

Hopefully no one else has a problem with Winchester primers.

Must have been a "major malfunction" on my part, but it still puzzles me.:???:

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Hickok, I'd say it was more likely a bad lot of primers than a malfunction on your part. I had 3 or 4 primers that had a pin hole leak using Winchester Large Rifle primers a couple of years ago. This happened in the first 250 primers fired out of a case of 5,000. These were in the blue box but were at least 10 years old if not 15. Winchester paid for the entire case to be returned and reimbursed me for them.

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Originally Posted by Little Big Oz

Hickok, I'd say it was more likely a bad lot of primers than a malfunction on your part. I had 3 or 4 primers that had a pin hole leak using Winchester Large Rifle primers a couple of years ago. This happened in the first 250 primers fired out of a case of 5,000. These were in the blue box but were at least 10 years old if not 15. Winchester paid for the entire case to be returned and reimbursed me for them.

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Thanks for that Oz.

I pulled down the remaining rounds, measured and checked powder weights, inspected the primers pockets, etc, and everything was spot on.

I did find some CCI LG pistol primers I had stored away since buying the Winchester primers a few years ago, and they seated nice and firm in the brass, with no feeling of loose primers pockets. (Wish I had never decided to use up that box of Winchester primers just to get rid of them.)

Oh well, back to range, and keep on, keeping-on!

I have had the same issue with Winchester LP primers in the 45 acp. These primers were purchased 4-5 years ago. Lots of flame cutting on the breechface. Never had it with Federal or CCI primers. I suspected they were either undersize, or the cups were too hard, failing to obturate, on low pressure loads. I has always prefered Federal primers in the past. Anyhow, beggars can't be choosers now, with the primer situation we are experiencing.

The hammer in my Marlin was falling hard and I got some leaks on some but switched to rifle primes for the fix. They worked fine in my pistols.

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Possibly your problem was caused by using the larger diameter CCI primers followed by the smaller diameter Winchester primer. The Winchester primers were fine. But using CCI primers which have a slightly larger diameter expands the primer pocket so that smaller diameter primers are a little loose.

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That's my guess as well...but I'd be surprised if you got gas etching on the bolt face with only two primer blow-by's. Rod