Dents in primers when reloading
- Thread starter ra407
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Either the piece that is pushing the primer in the case is not square and flat, or it is canted sideways, or both.
What are you using to prime with?
I recognize those marks on the case head. I had two Kimbers that did that. The breechface was not machined quite all the way over. An easy fix, but it should have been right from the get go. Are you shooting a Kimber?
What are you using to prime with?
I recognize those marks on the case head. I had two Kimbers that did that. The breechface was not machined quite all the way over. An easy fix, but it should have been right from the get go. Are you shooting a Kimber?
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
The only two things it can be is either dirt of a brass chip stuck to the primer seating punch.
Or, a little tit left on the end of the primer punch when it was cut off in the screw machine lathe.
Since it is off-center, I would suspect the first one.
Take the primer punch out and see what you can see on the end of it.
PS: By "loading" you mean after "loading" the pistol, you have a bad/weak firing pin spring in the gun, and the firing pin is flying forward and hitting it when the round chambers. That is a safety issue, and the spring needs to be replaced before you shoot the gun any more.
rc
Or, a little tit left on the end of the primer punch when it was cut off in the screw machine lathe.
Since it is off-center, I would suspect the first one.
Take the primer punch out and see what you can see on the end of it.
PS: By "loading" you mean after "loading" the pistol, you have a bad/weak firing pin spring in the gun, and the firing pin is flying forward and hitting it when the round chambers. That is a safety issue, and the spring needs to be replaced before you shoot the gun any more.
rc
Quickdraw McGraw
Member
Are you using a Lee auto prime?
Quickdraw McGraw
Member
Sorry I had a problem with the Lee auto prime leaving small dents in large pistol primers.
Can't help with the Dillon, I don't have one.
Can't help with the Dillon, I don't have one.
Floppy_D
Member In Memoriam
Or a lead or brass shaving, just about any little thing does it. I used to fret about it, but I've never had a dented primer fail to ignite.
That dent looks too big for a flake of powder. I don't know anything about the OPs setup, but does it have a rod in it - like my RCBS hand primer? Cuz if he was using the hand primer I have, I'd tell him that he has that rod in upside-down. One end is flat. It touches the primer. The other end is rounded. It does not.
buck460XVR
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yep and using the hand primer with the rod upside down produces small dents in the primer just like the picture. Don't ask how I know...........
I messed with a Dillon 550 recently when a friend had one (old single stage loader myself). Proper primer seating was my biggest gripe with it. A little bit of powder would work it's way down into the primer ram. If I wasn't watching it constantly and carefully I would end up with dents like this all the time.
wally
Member
You need to keep FOD out from between the ram and the primer. Eventually you'll get unlucky and have one go off from the pressure.
Trust me, once is more than enough, and be sure you are always wearing safety glasses when reloading!
--wally.
Trust me, once is more than enough, and be sure you are always wearing safety glasses when reloading!
--wally.
Dean Williams
Member
Quickdraw McGraw:
Little too quick on the draw, eh, McGraw?
Little too quick on the draw, eh, McGraw?
rfwobbly
Member
Looks to me like trash on top of the primer seater. You need to keep a toothbrush handy to brush off powder and other smut from around the shell holder area.
Obviously, for health reasons you wouldn't want to use your current toothbrush. So to be safe, use your spouses.
Hope this helps!
Schleprok62
Member
OK... you owe me a new monitor and keyboard... now coffee stained... LOL...
As the others have stated, inspect the primer ram for debris... or in the case of the hand primer... flip the rod...
without a primer in the cup, put the handle in the seat position and use a cutip on the seater, it'll either remove the dirt or it will highlight it by snaging the fibers on it. on my press it is usually a military crimp that didn't get swaged right and it gets nipped off and then ends up on the primer seat.
Floppy_D
Member In Memoriam
Is it every round? Is the seater a snug fit inside the primer cup? Is the seater face smooth (for a dent that big, imperfections would be obvious.)
I'm still betting on debris on the seater... a good cleaning could resolve this.
I'm still betting on debris on the seater... a good cleaning could resolve this.
CSA 357
Member
Its a powder flake, i have seen this happen
USSR
Member
D@mn big flake. I also will confess to having replaced the rod in my RCBS hand primer up-side-down, and recognize that huge dimple.
Don
twoclones
Member
Experienced the exact same thing today.
sublimaze41
Member
FWIW,
You can call Dillon if the above postings don't solve your problem, they are great.
If they can't fix it over the phone I will lay you odds that a new primer ram will be headed your way.
They have a no B.S. warranty and honor it! BTW, you don't have to be the original owner.
You can call Dillon if the above postings don't solve your problem, they are great.
If they can't fix it over the phone I will lay you odds that a new primer ram will be headed your way.
They have a no B.S. warranty and honor it! BTW, you don't have to be the original owner.
rfwobbly
Member
I'm convinced it's a small pancake, with a piece of corn cob balanced atop that, with a powder flake on top of that. And the whole pile is covered with maple syrup, or is that motor oil?
There may even be a beer can pop top under the pancake... I just can't see it that clearly in my 1975 model Rock Chucker Crystal Ball. An old analog unit you know. Clearly I need to upgrade to the new Dillon digital model.
tfrazier
Member
Primer Dents - Dillon Square Deal B
Same problem here today while reloading .45 ACPs on my Dillon Square Deal B, and it was a tiny piece of debris on the primer ram. Thanks to this thread, my wife's toothbrush fixed it. I can't believe how close to harming myself I was. If I hadn't read this I might have used my own!
Of course, I was on a roll and had churned out a good twenty or so before I went to empty the bin and noticed it.
On a more serious note, I wasn't wearing safety glasses and had never considered the possibility a chunk of something could get under there and set a primer off. I'm a believer now.
Same problem here today while reloading .45 ACPs on my Dillon Square Deal B, and it was a tiny piece of debris on the primer ram. Thanks to this thread, my wife's toothbrush fixed it. I can't believe how close to harming myself I was. If I hadn't read this I might have used my own!
Of course, I was on a roll and had churned out a good twenty or so before I went to empty the bin and noticed it.
On a more serious note, I wasn't wearing safety glasses and had never considered the possibility a chunk of something could get under there and set a primer off. I'm a believer now.
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