7.65x53 failure to fire

I've been using IMR4756 for cast bullets for a long time, though I don't shoot anywhere as much as some of you. Today I was using 9 grains behind a 175g pb bullet trying to settle on an accuracy load. I had two FTFs in a row. First I've ever had in 50+ years of shooting.

I pulled one of the bullets and checked the powder. It looked just as it had when I measured it. So I pulled the other bullet and moved the powder to a couple of primed cases and seated new bullets.

By the time I got ready to shoot those, I was thinking maybe I didn't elevate the muzzle before taking aim. So I did this time, and both shells fired normally.

Just another example that some loads are position sensitive.

You didn't mention what primers you were using. I've noticed a distinct drop-off in primer performance across the board with the uptick in demand lately.

Federal LR primers. Highly improbable to get 2 bad ones in a row and no other bad ones.

From reading your OP, it sounds like you had two bad primers. You pulled the FTF cartridges down and moved the powder to two primed cases.
So, the primers failed to light the powder the first try?


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Yes, the primers failed to light the powder the first try. Firing pin strike was good, too.

I've used half of that tray of primers with no other ftf.

Maybe those two primers were bad. If they had fired without igniting the powder, would it have unseated the bullet??

Components are not ALWAYS 100%. In the reloading years since 1962, I did have two bad primers.
Reliability of US components is really quite good. I would use the rest of that tray of primers and check on function.
Be well.
Adam

A primer that ignites without lighting the powder Can push the bullet into the barrel.
Or it can cause a hangfire.


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Here is a picture of the two suspect primers and one (on the right) that functioned properly. The one on the right has quite a lot of residue. The others look slightly sooted. What do you all think?Attachment 323941

Maybe you had two bad primers? 7.65x53 hmmm? When was the last time the bolt was stripped and cleaned?

:roll:

:roll: Well since I was the last to reply. Maybe you had two bad primers?= light sarcasm. Caliber specified indicated a high probability of an Argentine something although platform was not disclosed in thread, custom single shot? Kentucky temperature probably being somewhere between 35-55 degrees at shooting time. First attempts at firing may have been sluggish on pin action from internal drag and cleared with following attempts firing. I am only 61 but I have seen old grease get stiff in the chilly and a little snarky.

Assumptions can go astray. The temperature was unseasonably high--about 75. I had said above that the firing pin strikes were good. As a matter of fact, I had disassembled the bolt, which I found to be very clean and in good order. The possibility of two bad primers was also introduced above.

I'm only 75, and still awake.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jdsingleshot

Here is a picture of the two suspect primers and one (on the right) that functioned properly. The one on the right has quite a lot of residue. The others look slightly sooted. What do you all think?Attachment 323941

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Agree, those look like very good strikes of the firing pin.

"I pulled one of the bullets and checked the powder. It looked just as it had when I measured it. So I pulled the other bullet and moved the powder to a couple of primed cases and seated new bullets.

By the time I got ready to shoot those, I was thinking maybe I didn't elevate the muzzle before taking aim. So I did this time, and both shells fired normally."

By that evidence the primers did not fire. Thus, you did indeed have two bad primers. Bad primers can happen. The coincidence of only two bad factory caused primers in a row is possible but not probable. More a possibility they were somehow contaminated during the loading process. Did you handle the primers during the priming process? Was the primer packaging in normal condition?

Larry, the packaging was and is in good shape. I always handle the primers because I don't have any mechanical primer feed. My hands are clean and dry when loading, but I can't rule out contamination....

May be of some benefit or it may not. I am currently loading SR 4756 in a 6.5 Carcano. I am using Wolf LPRs and have not had any indication of ignition problems of the SR 4756 with the large pistol primers.

Perhaps two not fully seated primers? I think this would give the appearance of normal primer strikes without ignition.

Just an old guy's WAG.

I had a similar incident years ago. I found a piece of corn cob tumbling media stuck firmly in the flash hole. I check the flash holes closely now and once found a piece of a stainless pin.
Having this happen twice in a row is unlikely.

Had a couple of failures recently in a batch of 12. When I pulled them down, there was powder stuck to the inside.
Wet. Those two still had a tiny drop of water from wet tumbling a day or two earlier.
New firearm. Got excited and in a hurry.

Are the primers showing proud after being fired? I ask as I did a short batch with reformed 06 brass in my 91 and they all had the primers back out some. All fired, but not a desirable situ.

It's a lighter load you're running, can the headspace can be starting to shorten? Just a swag there.

Finding no indication otherwise, I conclude that I got two bad primers in a row, no matter how unlikely....thanks everyone for making sure I checked everything.

I suspect it was just bad primers. A few years ago, I had 8 bad primers out of 100 in a batch of Winchester srps. I sent them back to Winchester and they sent me a couple hundred replacements. It happens; rarely, but it does happen.

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Originally Posted by jdsingleshot

Larry, the packaging was and is in good shape. I always handle the primers because I don't have any mechanical primer feed. My hands are clean and dry when loading, but I can't rule out contamination....

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It's pretty hard to dud a primer deliberately, much less do it by picking them up with dry hands. Multiple threads on the 'net about people failing to dud primers they don't want. Your hands would have to be dripping in solvent, oil, or some caustic solution to do it. Despite all the warnings in the loading books, it just doesn't happen by picking them up with clean hands.