# Beginning reloading, priming issue ?



## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

So, I finally got around to starting my first reloading session and all seems to be going well except for the priming stage...maybe you experts can lend some suggestions?

Dirty Brass









Clean Brass









Primed Brass (just a few)









So looking at those primed cases, several of the primers have an indent from the hand loading tool. I don't think that is how it is supposed to be, and the only reason I could think they would have it is that maybe they were crimped pockets? They didn't put up too much of a fight when priming but then again I don't have any previous experience to base my thoughts off of.

Thoughts on those?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Are you using a hand primer or a primer seater on a bench press?

I can't tell what the caliber is. Could you be using a small rifle primer seater on a large rifle primer? 

Primer going in crooked?

.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

Using a hand primer.
Using Winchester Small Rifle Primers on once fired .223 brass.

The hand primer won't allow you to use the wrong size of seater.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

KineKilla said:


> Using a hand primer.
> Using Winchester Small Rifle Primers on once fired .223 brass.
> 
> The hand primer won't allow you to use the wrong size of seater.


My RCBS primer will. You can put the small rifle primer seater pin in when using the large rifle primer seater head. I just did it.

.


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

How much pressure are you putting on them when priming? That usually takes some force to do that.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

It took a bit of force to get them in, but I figured it was normal...? Like I said, I don't have any prior experience to draw from so I can't say what is too much or too little when it comes to pressure.

I was able to squeeze them in with one hand. I know you don't want them loose, but it seems excessive to have them with ring marks in them.

I guess the question is whether they are safe to shoot or not...or if they will even function correctly at this point?


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

If that is once fired brass I would bet some of it was crimped. The LC brass would have been. It should not take a lot of force to seat the primers. I dont use a hand primer, it is all done on my press. With either method it should not take much force.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Did you remove the crimp on that brass? It still looks crimped, which would take alot of force to push a new primer over.


-DallanC


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

I'm gonna guess that is the issue. Like I said, it didn't SEEM excessive but what do I know?

I've ordered a crimp remover tool and will put it to use on the rest of the brass. Are these junk or can I safely punch live primers out? My intuition says they are junk.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Its just primed brass at this point right? Send the wife to the store, put on safety glasses & hearing protection, ... punch'em out  

You can use your case neck chamfering tool to cut crimps. I do it that way because I just dont remove enough crimps to justify a swagger tool. You don't need to grind out much, just knock that crimp back enough to slide in a primer.

-DallanC


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Don't do this! ^^^^^^^^

Send the wife to the store. Load the cases into your gun and pop the primers......at the cat if you want. I know people who have de-primed hundreds of live primers and never had an issue but realize that you are playing with components that can be dangerous. After they are safely discharged, follow Dallan's instructions and you will be back in business.----SS


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

I am one that has safely removed a lot of live primers. In fact, just removed 250 from some Federal brass that had pulled bullets. Not saying you should do it, but it can be done. As a new reloader, I would not suggest you do it.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I am guessing crimp also. Lots of ways to remove it, I use this regularly, likely the cheapest method and works great if you have a prep center to spin them. You can unscrew the tip and put it on your motorized prep center http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1064643126/lyman-primer-pocket-reamer-tool
I just recently discovered how to use the press primer and it does seem to work better for mag primers; may want to give it a try just to see how it works. 
Goob-not sure what you mean by teh two sizes, I use an RCBS and I am not aware of the two sizes, maybe that is why the small primers are always a pain.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Huge29 said:


> I am guessing crimp also. Lots of ways to remove it, I use this regularly, likely the cheapest method and works great if you have a prep center to spin them. You can unscrew the tip and put it on your motorized prep center http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1064643126/lyman-primer-pocket-reamer-tool
> I just recently discovered how to use the press primer and it does seem to work better for mag primers; may want to give it a try just to see how it works.
> Goob-not sure what you mean by teh two sizes, I use an RCBS and I am not aware of the two sizes, maybe that is why the small primers are always a pain.


My old RCBS hand primer has two heads that the tray and shell holder slips on, one for small primers (white), one for large primers (black). Each head takes it's own pin. If you accidentally use the small pin with the large head and squeeze too hard there will be indentations on the primer just like he pictured. Let me guess, your new RCBS has a one-size-fits-all priming head just like Lee.

I didn't know the brass was Lake City .223; couldn't tell by the picture. Geeze, never be the first to reply on any thread.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> My old RCBS hand primer has two heads that the tray and shell holder slips on, one for small primers (white), one for large primers (black). Each head takes it's own pin. If you accidentally use the small pin with the large head and squeeze too hard there will be indentations on the primer just like he pictured. Let me guess, your new RCBS has a one-size-fits-all priming head just like Lee.


YOu guessed it! There is a replacement fitting deal, which I believe is identical, but only one pin...


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

My Hornady loader also has two sizes of primer holes. What I meant was that it would be obvious if you were using the wrong size punch. I used the small punch with the small end of the tray and used small rifle primers so I think it is a matter of the crimping causing excessive force to be used, thus the ring marks. Not all of them had the ring marks but the majority did.

I seem to have a blend of FC and LC brass in the bunch and curious enough the FC were harder to seat. I'll go about getting the primers out and ream out those pockets and start again....

Oh! and we don't have cats to shoot the primers at....the dog ate them all.

I have been hesitant to use the press for priming because I am all out of nitrile gloves and read that touching the primers could be bad due to the oils in your skin. That and I wanted to get a better "feel" for seating the primers.


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## reb8600 (Sep 8, 2007)

The FC brass will probably be crimped also. I have never worn gloves to do the priming. I have never had a primer not fire in the 40+ years of reloading.


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## Airborne (May 29, 2009)

I think you would be just fine shooting these primers (from looking at your pics). I sometimes have the little rounded edge indents on primers and I have never had a fail to fire and performance wise I can't tell any difference between a perfect looking primer and one with a slight rounded indent. As long as they are set at the proper depth in the brass they will function just fine. I can see removing them if you get a really nasty indent but for general use a slight indent isn't going to negatively affect anything. That has been my experience at least. If it isn't broke don't fix it, but I understand that aesthetics mean a lot to some folks--especially over the top OCD reloaders.

As a rookie reloader I had several occasions with brass that had an un-removed crimp that I totally messed up seating a primer where it looked like a crunched up beer can shoved into the brass. Each and every time I have loaded that brass in my gun and shot the primer and each time it functions exactly as it should with a loud pop. I have been extremely impressed with primers and their functionality save for one brick of remington LR primers I bought that had several duds. I threw these out and will not buy remington primers going forward. Just my experience anyways.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Springville Shooter said:


> Don't do this! ^^^^^^^^
> 
> Send the wife to the store. Load the cases into your gun and pop the primers......at the cat if you want. I know people who have de-primed hundreds of live primers and never had an issue but realize that you are playing with components that can be dangerous. After they are safely discharged, follow Dallan's instructions and you will be back in business.----SS


Do NOT fire primers indoors... they have a decent amount of lead which is released in vapor form. I dug into this a bit when researching home indoor basement shooting ranges, and ventilation requirements.




> *Primers contain a compound called lead styphnate*. Other compounds containing barium and antimony are often part of the primer mix. When the round is fired, the primer ignites, and metallic lead and other toxic substances are expelled into the air. *According to the National Bureau of Standards,on average, 80% of the airborne lead in firing ranges comes from the projectile and the remaining 20% comes from the combustion of the primer mixture.*


-DallanC


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

Had a thought....

If these primers are good enough to shoot off just to do it, then wouldn't they also be good enough to ignite the appropriate powder charge?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Yes, they would. I would just load them up and use them for practice.


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## JLP (Dec 3, 2013)

Looks to like you might have the pin in backwards. It should have a flat end and a round end. Flat end should be pushing the primer.


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

If the brass really was crimped, the primers would be severely disfigured by the excessive force. At least that's what I noticed when I went to prime some AE 223 brass for the first time. Problem went away after I used the chamfer tool on the primer pockets.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

I had 3 that ended up really in bad shape...well, one primer went in upside down and two had mangled edges. Those went in the trash.

I have a primer decrimping tool on its way so I'll just load a different caliber for the time being and then resume the .223 once I get the tool here.


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## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

I know my hand primer has 2 pin sizes that press the primer into the shell and seat it. The smaller is for small primers, and the larger is for large primers. if you use the small pin on a large primer you will get those indents on your primers...someone probably already said this but figured i'd say it again...and I would think those will still work...just use them as practice rounds as people said.


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