Dumb and Dangerous Thing

[BK]

When I first got into progressive loading, I wasn't paying enough attention and ran out of primers. That one was pretty clear pretty fast when my RCBS Ammomaster started getting really, really dirty. Just to prove I'm a slow learner, I ran out of powder in some 9mm that popped, pushed the cast 115 FP into the barrel. Did you know that the little springy case holder in inertial bullet pullers have a finite life? I found that out. After I wasted the second puller I figured out to use a regular shell holder. I also bought a press mounted puller.

OP, how cold was it when you were shooting? Cold enough to cause any lubrication in the gun to thicken up, causing weak primer strikes?

 

[300WSM]

On to my question. Why didn’t the primers pop? There was absolutely nothing. Just like a dry fire. I’d always understood there was a likelihood that the primer would cause enough pressure to lodge the bullet in the barrel. But nothing. Is this normal? Remington 7 1/2 benchrest primers. Same primers out of the same box for all the other loads that i actually put powder in.

Help me out gang.

It was muffled. Sound could not escape.
Instead of BANG...
you got poooffff

 

[300WSM]

To add to the safety part....

This almost happened to me the other day and I said to myself...YOU KNOW BETTER...

Only put ...or rather...
Load everything you put in the loading block. ALWAYS!!!!!

If you're only loading 10 rounds...only put 10 in the block.

Once ready to seat bullets I always visually look down and verify all cases are charged.

A habit I got into loading handgun where a double charge can happen

I usually pull the case out of the block...and as I'm putting into the press usually peek one more time for powder...
Double check
Triple check...
Whatever...

Be safe out there!!

 

[diverdown]

GB said what I was thinking but didn't write it.
Another thought is maybe bad primers due to poor handling, storage, etc.
Just throwing out ideas which can be dangerous.

JD338

My thought would be when you deprime the case check the primer to see if it ignited. If not and it has a firing pin mark obviously the primer is defective in some way.

 

[gbflyer]

It was muffled. Sound could not escape.
Instead of BANG...
you got poooffff

This must be the answer. Thanks all.

 

[gbflyer]

When I first got into progressive loading, I wasn't paying enough attention and ran out of primers. That one was pretty clear pretty fast when my RCBS Ammomaster started getting really, really dirty. Just to prove I'm a slow learner, I ran out of powder in some 9mm that popped, pushed the cast 115 FP into the barrel. Did you know that the little springy case holder in inertial bullet pullers have a finite life? I found that out. After I wasted the second puller I figured out to use a regular shell holder. I also bought a press mounted puller.

OP, how cold was it when you were shooting? Cold enough to cause any lubrication in the gun to thicken up, causing weak primer strikes?

About 34. Good hits on the primers. I believe a couple others here nailed it…

 

[ronc80]

I've been reloading for a touch over 2 yrs. I am very meticulous in the reloading room. I am thankful everytime I come home after shooting and I haven't blown my face off. My son started shooting this past summer to get ready for deer season. Using my 1981 browning blr 81 7 08 which I've never reloaded for. My new 7 08 my handloads are about all I've put through it. I was so nervous when he ran out of the 10 ish factory loads I had left. I don't think I was breathing when he slid the first load in. I wanted to take the gun and shoot it myself. No it wasn't any different then what I was putting through my rifle but it wasn't my face that was in harms way. Everything worked perfect and we found a sweet spot for the old girl in 25 shots down range.
My biggest screw up so far. I'm sure there will be more. I was ready for a few hours of shooting testing 4 different bullets and 2 different powders. Had index cards all labeled with all information and where they were in the 100 round case. About 15 or so shots in I stood up and my shooting bench started to tip over. I caught the rifle but 80 rounds of ammo where in a pile on the ground in the field. I was home earlier than expected. Not knowing what I was shooting it didn't really make much sense. I am now well practiced at the press mounted bullet puller I have. I now label every round with a fine tip sharpie.

 

[desertcj]

I've been reloading for a touch over 2 yrs. I am very meticulous in the reloading room. I am thankful everytime I come home after shooting and I haven't blown my face off. My son started shooting this past summer to get ready for deer season. Using my 1981 browning blr 81 7 08 which I've never reloaded for. My new 7 08 my handloads are about all I've put through it. I was so nervous when he ran out of the 10 ish factory loads I had left. I don't think I was breathing when he slid the first load in. I wanted to take the gun and shoot it myself. No it wasn't any different then what I was putting through my rifle but it wasn't my face that was in harms way. Everything worked perfect and we found a sweet spot for the old girl in 25 shots down range.
My biggest screw up so far. I'm sure there will be more. I was ready for a few hours of shooting testing 4 different bullets and 2 different powders. Had index cards all labeled with all information and where they were in the 100 round case. About 15 or so shots in I stood up and my shooting bench started to tip over. I caught the rifle but 80 rounds of ammo where in a pile on the ground in the field. I was home earlier than expected. Not knowing what I was shooting it didn't really make much sense. I am now well practiced at the press mounted bullet puller I have. I now label every round with a fine tip sharpie.

Yeah, sharpy on the case keeps everything sorted nicely and keeps me on track. I mark my cases with bullet, powder and charge weight before putting them in the loading block. The ink is a bit tough to remove with corn cob media but I'm sure some rubbing alcohol would take it right off...

 

[Orezona]

Glad everyone has avoided a serious failure. I've dumped powder with no primers when getting back into reloading (pistol). Heck I've seen a squib with a factory load. The shooter didn't catch it, but a friend and I did. We called it out before he pulled the trigger on a second round. Always good to have a dowel rod or cleaning rod on hand. The squib was in a 45 Colt Henry Lever.

 

[BK]

Glad everyone has avoided a serious failure. I've dumped powder with no primers when getting back into reloading (pistol). Heck I've seen a squib with a factory load. The shooter didn't catch it, but a friend and I did. We called it out before he pulled the trigger on a second round. Always good to have a dowel rod or cleaning rod on hand. The squib was in a 45 Colt Henry Lever.

Yep. When I was shooting a bunch of trap, I had borrowed a guy's O/U and had a couple of duds with factory (though cheap) 12 ga. loads. Turns out the gun DID have a light strike on the primer. They went BOOM just fine in my cheapo 870 Express.

 

[BruceP]

Yep. When I was shooting a bunch of trap, I had borrowed a guy's O/U and had a couple of duds with factory (though cheap) 12 ga. loads. Turns out the gun DID have a light strike on the primer. They went BOOM just fine in my cheapo 870

Yep. When I was shooting a bunch of trap, I had borrowed a guy's O/U and had a couple of duds with factory (though cheap) 12 ga. loads. Turns out the gun DID have a light strike on the primer. They went BOOM just fine in my cheapo 870 Express.

Just last week I was sighting in a new to me SSK contender barrel in .223 Remington. I only had 5 test rounds loaded with a 75 grain bullet to see if it would stabilize so for the first time in years I bought a box of factory ammo to sight in with. Note sighted and first round of the Winchester 55 grain hollow point hits paper. Second round goes click. Opened the action slammed it shut cocked the hammer and tried again. Click. It had a light primer strike. I continued until I was sighted in at 100 yards and the entire box had been “fired” along with my 5 loads. Four of the factory rounds didn’t fire. For those not familiar with the TC Contender the lockup of the locking bolts in different barrels can sometimes cause misfiring and light strikes so back at home I remove the bolts and work on them. Replace them and try the 4 rounds again with the same result. Then to narrow down the problem I get out my Kimber bolt action.223 and try them. Again with a click. Now I’m thinking bad primer but almost as an afterthought I try in my AR. All 4 fired in it. Only thing I can come up with is that Winchester used harder cupped mil-spec primers in those and those 4 primers were harder to set off for some reason They were not mil-spec/surplus type ammo. Went yesterday with 20 test hand loads and the TC and no misfires.

 

[BK]

Just last week I was sighting in a new to me SSK contender barrel in .223 Remington. I only had 5 test rounds loaded with a 75 grain bullet to see if it would stabilize so for the first time in years I bought a box of factory ammo to sight in with. Note sighted and first round of the Winchester 55 grain hollow point hits paper. Second round goes click. Opened the action slammed it shut cocked the hammer and tried again. Click. It had a light primer strike. I continued until I was sighted in at 100 yards and the entire box had been “fired” along with my 5 loads. Four of the factory rounds didn’t fire. For those not familiar with the TC Contender the lockup of the locking bolts in different barrels can sometimes cause misfiring and light strikes so back at home I remove the bolts and work on them. Replace them and try the 4 rounds again with the same result. Then to narrow down the problem I get out my Kimber bolt action.223 and try them. Again with a click. Now I’m thinking bad primer but almost as an afterthought I try in my AR. All 4 fired in it. Only thing I can come up with is that Winchester used harder cupped mil-spec primers in those and those 4 primers were harder to set off for some reason They were not mil-spec/surplus type ammo. Went yesterday with 20 test hand loads and the TC and no misfires.

Yeah, that kind of stuff drives me crazy.