Ever had a primer fail?

[SierraHunter]

Today, I was working on a bragging rights target, trying to shoot a little bitty group with my Remington 700 in 6x45 with the RCBS 96gn Worked all day prepping cases, weighing bullets, Yada Yada. Was working on the load, and thought I finally had it, and went to fire the final group and fired one and big puff of fire out of the action. Blew the floor plate open, and my extractor off.

So. The load at this point was 20.0 grains of IMR 4895, with a CCI #450 SRM primer. Case was a LC case (one of five that I've been using all day).

After I got the case out of the chamber (it easily pushed out with a cleaning rod) I measured everything on it and it measured the same as every other case I've ever fired in this gun. The primer was gone, but I tried pushing a new primer in with my thumb to see if the pocket was loose and could not. Using a priming tools it seemed to take the same pressure as usual to press a new primer in.

What do you guys think happened? I don't think I was anywhere close to over pressure. I did have the bullets PC, and sized to .2455" (same I've been shooting all day). Could it have been a bad primer?

 

[Texas Hillbilly]

Hmmm maybe a under sized primer?? So how many times have you used this case? You could have a little build up around the primer pocket.

 

[SierraHunter]

Hmmm maybe a under sized primer?? So how many times have you used this case? You could have a little build up around the primer pocket.

I have no idea how many times it has been fired. I annealed it this morning and have fired it about 5 times since then. I was cleaning the pockets each from with a primer pocket uniformity tools so there should have been no build up and running did not notice one going in loosely when seating primers.

 

[quicksylver]

Pretty dramtic...I haven't had a similar thing happen but not with the same results...as matter of fact I dupicated it by reloading th Re same piece of brass with the same load..
Pretty dumb. .but anyways...the reason I responding is because you mention the brass being LC...I don't know if they were milsurp or not ..but what l experienced turned out to be case failure. ..the primer pocket got out of round enough when I reamed the primer crimp out to let Gas escape and the primer pop..still feels right when you go to seat a new primer..

 

[SierraHunter]

These cases had the primer crimp cut out with a debur tool, and it's probably been loaded 20+ times, mostly with jacketed loads.

 

[David Reiss]

If the primer cup is not blown out and is of normal size, I seriously doubt it was the primer. Check the case length, it could be longer than when you started causing headspace issues with everything being the same.

 

[SierraHunter]

If the primer cup is not blown out and is of normal size, I seriously doubt it was the primer. Check the case length, it could be longer than when you started causing headspace issues with everything being the same.

All case measurement are normal. I have been putting them on my trimmer between each shot.

 

[David Reiss]

I will have to give this one more thought. I am not a fan of PC on rifle bullets, even ones sized afterwards. I just don't think there is a need for it, my opinion. The only known issues with the Rem 700 is the premature firing without touching the trigger, but not without the bolt in battery. If there was a large blast of fire from the floor plate and the bullet exited the barrel, then there is always is a chance of overcharging, but will give it more thought.

 

[SierraHunter]

I will have to give this one more thought. I am not a fan of PC on rifle bullets, even ones sized afterwards. I just don't think there is a need for it, my opinion. The only known issues with the Rem 700 is the premature firing without touching the trigger, but not without the bolt in battery. If there was a large blast of fire from the floor plate and the bullet exited the barrel, then there is always is a chance of overcharging, but will give it more thought.

I was weighing charges. Throwing with my uniform about a half grain light, and then trickling in, and then making sure the scales was zeroed and weighing again to be sure. And there is no way I could get a double charge in at 20 grains.

 

[JSH]

I can't figure out where the primer went?
I have never blown a floor plate open, have had issues with primers.
I have fired thousands of rounds through several 6x45 pistols and rifles. It is a fine accurate cartridge, deserving of more recognition than it gets. I would say it was a brass issue myself with that many loads or more on it, the case owes you nothing.

 

[Rick]

I kinda hate to jump in here. Wasn't it you that said you routinely overload I think the 308. Wasn't it you that said you load as usual powder going bad ( color change).

Ok, why are you using a magnum primer with such an easy to ignite powder in such a small case? Up to 20 re-loading on the brass would give variations in neck tension. The mag primer, especially in such a small case, could easily move the bullet forward and jamming it in the rifling acting as a restriction. Now the powder ignites and with the bullet jammed into the rifling and you have an over pressure condition.

Basics Dan.
.

 

[SierraHunter]

I threw the case away. But it still surprises me that the primer blew out without stretching the pocket.

I think most of the old primer is embedded in my face.

 

[SierraHunter]

I kinda hate to jump in here. Wasn't it you that said you routinely overload I think the 308. Wasn't it you that said you load as usual powder going bad ( color change).

Ok, why are you using a magnum primer with such an easy to ignite powder in such a small case? Up to 20 re-loading on the brass would give variations in neck tension. The mag primer, especially in such a small case, could easily move the bullet forward and jamming it in the rifling acting as a restriction. Now the powder ignites and with the bullet jammed into the rifling and you have an over pressure condition.

Basics Dan.
.

It was my 300 blackout that I load above book in a bolt gun. And yes, it was me that said I've used old powders.

I was using the magnum primers because they are what I had on hand other then small pistol. I also anneal my rifle cases on average every 5 shots or so and these were annealed this morning, and this was firing #4 after annealing.

 

[SierraHunter]

I kinda hate to jump in here. Wasn't it you that said you routinely overload I think the 308. Wasn't it you that said you load as usual powder going bad ( color change).

Ok, why are you using a magnum primer with such an easy to ignite powder in such a small case? Up to 20 re-loading on the brass would give variations in neck tension. The mag primer, especially in such a small case, could easily move the bullet forward and jamming it in the rifling acting as a restriction. Now the powder ignites and with the bullet jammed into the rifling and you have an over pressure condition.

Basics Dan.
.

It was my 300 blackout that I load above book in a bolt gun. And yes, it was me that said I've used old powders.

I was using the magnum primers because they are what I had on hand other then small pistol. I also anneal my rifle cases on average every 5 shots or so and these were annealed this morning, and this was firing #4 after annealing.

 

[Ian]

Red dust in your 4198?

What does the bolt face look like?

ETA never mind Rick beat me to it while I was on the phone. Sorry, but Forrest Gump had a saying about this sort of thing, not the one about "stuff" happening, the other one.

 

[Rick]

Have it your way Dan . . .

 

[SierraHunter]

Red dust in your 4198?

What does the bolt face look like?

ETA never mind Rick beat me to it while I was on the phone. Sorry, but Forrest Gump had a saying about this sort of thing, not the one about "stuff" happening, the other one.

No red dust. Honestly I didn't look the bolt face over that much but I did mic between the locking lugs and it was the same diameter as the rest of the bolt body.

I guess that saying may have been before my time.

 

[SierraHunter]

Have it your way Dan . . .

Rick, im sorry if I'm coming off rude. I really have no idea why this happened, and do appreciate the advise. I do suppose the primer could have pushed the bullet forward, but the thing that confuses Me is that I've never seen high pressure blow out a primer without stretching the primer pocket, but I am still a young guy, so just because I havnt seen it, does not mean it didn't happen.

My apologies for coming off as a smartass.

 

[Rick]

I threw the case away. But it still surprises me that the primer blew out without stretching the pocket.

I think most of the old primer is embedded in my face.

I told you a very likely reason and all I got was why you were right. I however am not the one with a primer embedded in my face am I?
.

 

[SierraHunter]

I told you a very likely reason and all I got was why you were right. I however am not the one with a primer embedded in my face am I?
.

No you are not. And I apologized for trying to be stubborn and continue to say that it was not fault of my loading technique. I came here to ask for help as to why this happend, and when you tried to give me a very probable cause, I was a bit of a smartass about it.