Primer leak need an evaluation

[Bishop]

This happened on exactly 3 cases out of 100. Noticed it when i was looking them over. I went ahead and decapped the whole batch before i thought to get some opinions.

No holes in the primers or brass, no pitting of the bolt, however there was a carbon buildup ring type circle on the boltface that cleaned right off. I scratched across the bolt face with a needle and could detect no pitting or etching to speak of when i cleaned the carbon ring off.

I am wondering if this is a WLR primer problem.

Notice the very small soot ring around the very edge of the primer pocket. There was no sooting of the face of the casehead at all, this was a very very small amount of sooting, nothing like what i have seen on google images with small holes blown in the edge of the primer pocket/casehead and significant sooting across the casehead. Unfortunately I did not check the primers as I deprimed them to see if they had ruptured or split on the side.

What do you guys think, should I pull the remaining 50 rounds I have loaded with this load or just an isolated primer quality problem?

 

[dig]

I have experienced similar issues a while back. I believe/diagnosed it was caused by the Winchester primers and quality brass (Lapua). WLR are just slightly larger and if you are not very careful they are easy to seat crooked or to dent slightly upon seating leaving an inconsistent seal. I now seat everything with a hand tool for feel. It's pretty scary when the go off if I remember that slight bit of smoke coming out of the action.

Interesting, the Winchester primers work well in worn cases, other than that Winchester is turning out some junk product, especially brass these days.

 

[Bishop]

Yea i suspected the primers were the culprit, if i was so overpressure i was nuking the primer pockets on the first firing, i would think i would have more than 3 out of 100 like this.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[dig]

Agree, did you check the primers to see if they were pushed out a bit? Did you hand seat them with a tool? If not the RCBS or Lee hand tools are well worth the $40 bucks and are a lot quicker. it's sad but Winchester products have become very inconsistent the brass is junk, I have had bout a 22% rejection rate and I DO NOT weigh. Again the Wins are good for that older brass

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

what's your load?? It could be your primer, brass, or load. I'm a bit doubting on the brass though as every comment I see on Lapua is positive. I've had this issue with both load and chitty brass at one time or another.

 

[Bishop]

Agree, did you check the primers to see if they were pushed out a bit? Did you hand seat them with a tool? If not the RCBS or Lee hand tools are well worth the $40 bucks and are a lot quicker. it's sad but Winchester products have become very inconsistent the brass is junk, I have had bout a 22% rejection rate and I DO NOT weigh. Again the Wins are good for that older brass

I use a rcbs universal hand primer tool.

what's your load?? It could be your primer, brass, or load. I'm a bit doubting on the brass though as every comment I see on Lapua is positive. I've had this issue with both load and chitty brass at one time or another.

44g imr-4064 175 smk wlr primer running low mid to lowish 2800's on the fps i know the load is warm but i would think i would have more than a 3% failure rate if it was the load, I trickle up to the tenth and use redding bushing dies and a micrometer seater, trim as well.

This stuff is fired out of a 30in brux barreled, .308 win on a predator action. Shouldnt be any problems with the rifle.

I have already run 100 loads like this in another lot of brass, no issues. Got another lot of lapua brass and this is happening, however I am on another lot # of WLR primers as well.

As minor as this problem seems, im going to continue shooting the remainder of what i have loaded UNLESS i get one that fails bad enough that it soots the casehead. Then I will pull the rest and do a little more examination. Unless someone thinks I shouldnt, feel free to chime in. After I shoot these up I am planning on dropping my powder charge .5 to 1.0 grains and trying to get my ES down to sub 20fps. Unless someone feels I should pull em and start over now for safety.

WTB 5000 f210/210m primers sheesh...

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Is there a weight variance between the two lots of brass?? If the new one is more than a bit heavier you may have to take a bit off the charge to compensate.
How's your speed compared to your last lot of ammo; that'll tell you if you are warmer pressure wise or not. t.i.n.s.t.a.f.l.

 

[Jud96]

I have never had a problem with shooting over a thousand WLR primers. Have always had accurate consistent results with them. The only primer problem I know of is when my Dad had multiple Federal Match primers leak on him and burn his bolt face. This happened to him on different lots and over the years. All of them leaked on light target loads too using Federal Match brass, so wasn't anything hot or inconsistent, never heard anything else bad about Federals but have seen this happen to him more than once.

 

[Bishop]

Ill weigh em and have see, and yea its too bad t.i.n.s.t.a.a.f.l or else i would have alot more money for toys!

 

[LoneTraveler]

juc96 several years ago I had some problems with Federal primers. I loaded them and upon firing a few of them failed. These primers failed at the 90 degree bend where it was formed into the cup. Upon firing a crack came in the 90 degree bend and allowed gases to escape from the primer itself, not the seal between the primer and pocket. My 270 bolt now has about 4 small gas cuts in the face from these primers. Scrapped the rest of the box of primers.