Homemade primer reconsolidation

[Idz]

Commercial primers are constructed with the anvil sitting about 0.005" proud of the primer cup. When installed the anvil is pressed flush with the cup in "reconsolidation". This preloads and 'arms' the completely hardened primer compound to ensure firing.

The videos and posts I've seen press the anvil into the wet compound flush with the top of the cup. Could this be a reason for reliability issues? Has anybody tested this in their homemade primers?

[AlHunt]

Commercial primers are constructed with the anvil sitting about 0.005" proud of the primer cup. When installed the anvil is pressed flush with the cup in "reconsolidation". This preloads and 'arms' the completely hardened primer compound to ensure firing.

The videos and posts I've seen press the anvil into the wet compound flush with the top of the cup. Could this be a reason for reliability issues? Has anybody tested this in their homemade primers?

The primers I made used acetone, which will evaporate pretty quickly. If I recall correctly, there was a time period between priming the cups and assembling the anvil. It's been a while but I think I set the anvil in the cup and seated the primers.

I could see it being a problem though with a different solvent.

[Idz]

If I read you correctly, you assemble the primer, let it dry, then drop in an anvil and seat it in a case. So the case presses in the anvil?

[AlHunt]

If I read you correctly, you assemble the primer, let it dry, then drop in an anvil and seat it in a case. So the case presses in the anvil?

Thinking about it, I did it both ways. The acetone dries in minutes. I both seated the anvil flush with a punch and seated it by assembling it into a case. I probably made 20 or so altogether. It works quite well, although the mix I used is corrosive so it's a last resort.

But I'm happy to have it on hand.

[almar]

I was really into reloading my primers awhile ago. One problem I had was the cup, it work hardens...so eventually the firing pin spring is not strong enough. If you anneal the cup, pressing in the anvil deforms it. Reloader 22 (sharpshooter reloader 22 .com) said that he was going to make dies to make cups...this was in December.

[ofitg]

Commercial primers are constructed with the anvil sitting about 0.005" proud of the primer cup. When installed the anvil is pressed flush with the cup in "reconsolidation". This preloads and 'arms' the completely hardened primer compound to ensure firing.

The videos and posts I've seen press the anvil into the wet compound flush with the top of the cup. Could this be a reason for reliability issues? Has anybody tested this in their homemade primers?

Interesting data -

https://ballistictools.com/articles/...d-diameter.php

If these numbers are accurate, some short primers might be several thousandths away from the forward walls of some deep primer pockets. Leaving the anvil a bit proud sounds like a good idea.

[Wayne Smith]

Except the Tula and Wolf primers are not made with the anvil proud. They are all with the anvil seated already. Seems to work OK.

[Alferd Packer]

Tula primers may be a bit shorter in height than American primers.
The cups may also differ in height than ours leaving room for the priming compound between the cup and anvil.
It's for sure that their primers are different from ours.