Safety question: Loose primer pockets in new brass.

[4ked Horn]

I was seating primers with a hand primer tool in some new Winchester .338 brass and they were going in so easy it caught my attention on about the third round. I took one of the primers and set it on the table and pressed the brass on to it with a little effort but not much. Definitely the least tight primers I have ever seated, and I have hand seated thousands in rifle and pistol calibers. Come to think of it they were also the first Winchester brand primers I have ever used.

Is this bad? Will there be any safety issues because of this?

 

[LB]

Yes. It should cause you to take a hard look at that brass and those primers. If they are vibrating in a plastic ammo box on a washboard road they may back out. If they are in a rifle magazine on the same road, they can still back out and cause feeding problems and chambering problems and possibly leakers on firing?

When I get a loose primer "feel", I toss the case. Don't attempt to salvage the primer. But, you say this is new brass? That's unusual. And, you didn't "uniform" the primer pockets, right?

If you have other brand primers, I'd try seating them, just to see.

Other than that, sounds like you may have a bad lot, most likely, the brass?

Good hunting. LB

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

It does sound odd with new brass. Usually I have had loose pockets only aftera couple hot loads. I'm thinking maybe the primers are to small, or the brass is bad, like LB stated.

 

[green 788]

It's probably the brass, but I'll mention some Remington 9 1/2 primers that I once purchased (thankfully, only 100 of them!) which were TOO BIG to fit any cases. They mic'd at .211", and therefore wouldn't fit the pockets. (I guess I could have saved them to use in some Federal brass after the first firing... but I digress)... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Not sure how those got out of the factory. But come to think of it, I've owned a Remington rifle or two that I'm not sure how it got out of the factory either. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Check the primers to see that they are .210" just to be sure they're okay. Mic the primer pocket and see what you've got there.

You may be able to use the brass by switching to a plated primer, like Federal 210's or CCI's. They generally fit tighter.

Dan

 

[jb1000br]

Win primers run small...use some with the nickel coating...Russians and RWS are fatties! Feds are close...will have to get my good mic after them and get real numbers...

JB

 

[MT4XFore]

I have had the exact same problem with Remington brass. Brand new, never fired cases, and the primers would go in so easy that you could gently tap the edge of the case and the primer would fall out. I sent the cases back to Remington and they sent them back and said I had loaded a "too hot" load in them and they wouldn't do anything. I argued with them several times explaining that the brass had never been loaded, yet they persisted in their argument. Musta meant they were calling me a liar. So I just gave up and bought some new brass of a different brand. BUT........once bitten, twice careful!
good shooting,
Jim

 

[kraky2]

You might have a "combination" of problems. Winchester primers can be the loosest of all as noted above...especially if they are copper colored. I would first try another primer...if still loose I'd try to get ahold of the mfg./supplier of the brass.
It's great to use a handprimer....it gives you the feel you need to uncover those problems before you have a bunch loaded!!!!

 

[4ked Horn]

Thanks everyone for the input. I will try some other primes an see if this clears up the issue. I have NOT done anything to the primer pockets. I also tried tapping the brass on the work bench and nothing fell out so I think I will be OK for the weekend.

If nobody sees any safety problems then I will shoot the rounds I already loaded /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif and report back on my findings. If the primers fall out after firing I will send most of the brass and primers back to winchester for...

Wait a second. They're closing shop. Why would they care?

Doh!

 

[Waltech Jim]

4ked,

This is precisely why I quit using WW primers several years ago. I am betting if you carefully measure the WW primers and compare them against another you will find they are about .001 smaller in diameter.

I used to use WW primers for everything and never had a "fit" problem. Then (several years ago??) I picked up a new brick from my buddy and they were all small. I went to CCI at that time and haven't tried WWs since.

BTW I did shoot them all up through the years mostly bullet testing. I was suprised at how many of the primers DIDN'T fall out when considering how easily they went in.

Jim

 

[LB]

Loose primers can back out under recoil in the magazine and in the chamber when fired. They for sure are different diameters, if only slightly, but I don't like a sloppy fit, won't use them, especially hot loads, you get leakers.

Good hunting. LB

 

[Waltech Jim]

LB,

I agree. That is why I shot them up under controlled conditions, loaded one at a time in chambers that I was familiar with........... not in my Garand. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I was relating my experiences, not recommending the use.

Jim