Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 2 out of 20

Went out and was testing some 30-30 rounds I loaded 100 rounds 50 with 150 and 50 with 170 using sierra and hornady 25 of each. The load is with reloader 7 one that I have used for about 20 years but here is the rub out of 20 rounds 2 didn't go off I was using Rem primer's for the first time(CCI was my STD in this load) I bought some last year form midway 2000 to be exact (on sale) groups went from 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 inches with peep sight that about what I normally do with this marlin but haven�t had a misfire in more years than I can think of I still have 80 loaded I�m going to take them apart. What should I do with 1900 other primers? This got me shook up a little? Any one have the same problem with Remington primers hope not!

Be sure that no type of oil got on the primmers not even oil from your fingers. Also sometimes the firing pin will not be shaped properly or of the proper length and miss fires will occur with some primers. If I have a missfire I will usally try to fire the round a secound time if it fires the proglems is most likely the firing pin.

Shoot up the ones you have loaded for practice and ship the rest back to Midway.

PS: That's assuming you've stored and handled them properly and it's not your fault.

Who knows for sure. The funny thing is I have about 300 Remington Primers left from several thousand I bought some 20 years ago. They have all went off.

I think that sometimes quality control can go down. I have never had a miss fired primer that wasn't my fault and that happened only once.

I have no intention on buying more Remington primers as I have gone to Winchester and Fed. for all my shooting.

I hope that remington hasn't lost some quality control. Noting would piss me off faster than a bad primer that didn't go off and there is a animal in my sights.

Sorry for your problems.

CM

It could be the primers, but is highly unlikely. Handling primers with your fingers is unwise, since the residual "oils" from the skin can kill a primer. I have used thousands of Remington primers [6�,7�, 9� & 9�M] over the past 15 years with nary a problem, so I would be inclined to look elsewhere. Eagleye.

My last step before priming is to tumble the cases, then I made a pick to clean the flash hole,then the primers are put into a lee hand primer from there container into the flip tray on the hand primer not being touched by my hand. I had just got these primers in and can say they have NOT contacted moisture since I had them. Been hand loading since 79 and have had only one other primer problem I was buying primers pack at a time and think they had been mishandled before I got them but that another story. I've used this same system for ten of thousands of rounds and haven't had any problems. If it was just one in 20 I would have caulked it up to it was bound to happen sooner then later.

I would check the rifle. Worn or damaged firing pin, Hammer spring, lockup, clean the heck out of the action, etc. I'd hate to blame the primers and find out while hunting it's the rifle.

I assumed I had bad .270 ammo in a Ruger bolt rifle and it was actually a headspace problem. It didn't misfire till a couple of years after i bought it.... Guess when it misfired. Yup, while a nice buck was in the crosshairs. Good Luck

I'd be more inclined to think a reloading/rifle problem before a primer problem.

What rifle? Are you sure that all the primer pockets were cleaned out. Not a speck of grit left to hold the primer off from seating? Are you sure that all the primers were seated solidly?

I am not saying you are a reloding klutz at all but little things like that are easy to miss and will give misfires especially in lever guns which have a "soft" fireing pin strike.

BCR

� Oil that was intended to "kill" primers hasn't always worked.

� I've always handled primers with bare fingers (since 1952).

� I've never had a primer fail to fire.

(No, I have no explanation.)

.

Ditto what Ken said on all counts...
Except I wasn't born yet in 1952.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I've never used Remington center-fire primers, but I bought a bunch of Remington percussion caps for my muzzleloaders a couple of years ago and had several misfires. Went back to CCI and the problem went away.

I don't know if my experience is relevant or not, but it taught me something about Remington's quality control that I didn't like.

I bought a box of Remington factory 150's and 1 in 12 had a misfire. So it's my old Marlin 336 is to blame. I think oulufinn hit it on the head. Any suggestions where to start hammer spring?

I would test some different ammo--probably factory--to see if you get a similar ignition problem. If you do, that would indicate a gun issue. Then I would try different primers in the handload. Then I would try the primers in a different gun to see if the problem persists. Experimentation is about isolating one variable at a time.

I can't imagine that any vendor would take the primers back.

I use my fingers to handle each and every primer I have loaded and I have not had one not go bang.

Of course my fingers aren't dripping with sweat and oil ....

I think you may want to clean your rifle's firing mechanism, to start.

As long as we're diagnosing the problem without seeing the patient, here's another possible reason for the problem:

Does the striker protrude far enough from the face of the bolt for consistently dependable ignition with any primer? A look at the depth of the striker dents in fired and misfired primers would give you a clue.

.

Hey, Ken, that was going to be my post. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Really, Ken's right. If you are getting light primer strikes on those that go bang, then your firing pin strike may be marginal. However, also check to make sure your primers are bottoming out in the primer pocket. If not, your firing pin may be just pushing the primers forward on those that missfired.

I've never had a problem handling primers with fingers either.

It sounds like a weak hammer or firing pin spring. Look at the dent on the primer and see if it is sufficient to do the job. I would try the primers in other fire arms as well. I honestly doubt you have bad primers.

The old wives tell about "don't handle primers with your fingers" is just that, an old wives tell. Primers are NOT that fragile to a little oil or residue. I have tried on numerous occassions to make old primers innert. I have sprayed them with water, WD40 etc. dried them in the sun, hit them with a hammer and they still go off. It takes a WHOLE lot more than what is on your hands to ruin a primer. This is just a bit of info. Flinch

My dad's marlin failed to go bang one time I went to take a shot at a deer back when I was a teen. He had it repaired, I was told it was the firing pin but I'll never know for sure, I don't even know who did the work.

First thing after looking at the dents in the primers is to take the bolt apart and clean it out good. It's possible there' some crud or particle keeping the pin from protruding enough through the bolt hole. So some pipe cleaners, picks and solvent, followed by either graphite or some tranny fluid on reassembly would be my project if I had your rifle.

But coincidentally, Remington is the only ammo that has EVER failed to fire for me. It was some cheap 22lr ammo, one of those hypervelocity ones and the 3 out of 50 had no primer compound in the rim.

It looks like it may just have a gunked up Bolt/Firing pin in his Marlin 336. A build up of WD40 & crud. He has another post in the General Lever Action section that he updated a little while ago...Good ol' WD sure ain't for guns!

Well I started to just soak the bolt but I ended up taking it apart and it was still dirty I cleaned it up and put it back together and this afternoon it went bang 30 times and I was relieved. Thanks to every one that put some thought in it for me you�re a great bunch