First .38 reloads. Lots of misfires

[joelh]

I reloaded about 20 .38 reloads and had multiple misfires. I am shooting them in a S&W model 67 with a pretty light trigger. I was thinking light primer strike, so I went through a box of WWB and they fired fine.

All of the rounds showed a primer hit and most fired when hit a second time

My load was a 158 grn LSWC with 4.0 of Unique. I was using CCI small pistol primer. I am hand priming with a RCBS priming tool. I though maybe I had set the primers too deeply, but have not had issues with any of my reloads in other calibers.

Any thoughts as to what is going on? Thanks.

 

[floydster]

You are not seating the primers hard enough, seat them like you mean it!!!

 

[Walkalong]

Yep, seat them all the way.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I agree with others.
You cannot set them "too-deeply!"

They should be set just a hair below the bottom of the case (like .002" below). If what you set are flush or out a bit, you did not put enough pressure on the ram.

For this reason, I use the RCBS Bench-Mounted Priming tool. The handle is about a foot long and it gives me a lot of leverage, yet I can still 'feel' the primer being seated! I seat partway, then rotate the case 180 degrees then finish seating. I also set the bullet, or pill, into the cases that way (begin to press the pill into case, turn case 180 degrees then finish seating pill).

 

[longdayjake]

I just got my 686 back from the smith. He had to put a new firing pin in it because it wasn't protuding far enough to make the rounds go off. My model 28 has the firing pin incorporated in the hammer and it would have no problems at all setting them off. Maybe you got a crappy firing pin like I did.

 

[tekarra]

After priming, I run a finger across the primer to feel if it is recessed. This is a quick check for proper seating. With a little practice you get the feel and it goes quickly.

 

[joelh]

When I first started priming, I was actually denting the primers, so I backed off a bit. I will load another test batch and make sure the primers are set deeply enough.

The model 67 was Dads and is about 40 years old. The trigger is very smooth and I was concerned that It might not be hitting hard enough, but with a box of factory shooting fine, I think the gun is OK

 

[ReloaderFred]

Ideally, primers should be seated approximately .004" below flush. If they're not below flush, the first firing pin hit is seating them the rest of the way, and the second hit is striking a properly seated primer.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[Arkansas Paul]

After priming, I run a finger across the primer to feel if it is recessed. This is a quick check for proper seating. With a little practice you get the feel and it goes quickly.

I do the same thing. After a while you don't even think about it, you just do it. I still find one now and then that I run back through.

 

[Lost Sheep]

What Fred Said

Ideally, primers should be seated approximately .004" below flush. If they're not below flush, the first firing pin hit is seating them the rest of the way, and the second hit is striking a properly seated primer.

Hope this helps.

Fred

Also, CCI Primers are reputed to be made of harder metal than others, so may take a heavier strike.

Smith & Wesson revolvers have a leaf spring powering the hammer, with an adjustment screw at the base of the grip, in the front. You can lighten the trigger by reducing the tension by use of that screw, but at the cost of a lighter primer strike. Perhaps your Dad or someone "tuned" the trigger a little lighter than optimal? No harm in trying a change in that adjustment. Just count the turns so you can put it back to where it was (if that's important to you).

Good Luck. My money is on the primer seating, but the pre-tensioning of the spring may help if you don't get a total cure. Federal primers are said to be the easiest igniting, if my memory serves.)

Lost Sheep

 

[gamestalker]

If not for the fact that factory ammunition is not mis-firing, and also given the fact that your second strike is detonating your no doubt not seating all the way. I use an RCBS priming die. It allows me to seat them all to the same depth, and eliminates having to do it by touch.
I do have a S&W 66 that I had to put an extended firing pin in because it was just a smidge to short to be 100% relaible.

 

[rcmodel]

Also, CCI Primers are reputed to be made of harder metal than others, so may take a heavier strike.

I don't know if they are harder then other brands, but there is no doubt in my mind they are harder to ignite / less sensitive then other brands.
And I have the Colt Commando to prove it!
If all else fails, try a box of Win, Rem, or Fed primers.

But I would bet it is not the primer brand, or the way you seated them.
My money is on a loose strain screw on the Model 67.

It is the screw located in the front of the steel grip frame.
It should be tightened fully tight.
If it isn't, you will have misfires.

Lots of folks think it is a trigger pull adjustment screw, but it most definitely is not!

What it does is pre-tension the flat mainspring so you have enough force to reliably fire any primer.

rc

 

[GLOOB]

You cannot set them "too-deeply!"

Depends on your particular equipment, brass, and primers. It IS possible, because I've done it.

Ideally, primers should be seated approximately .004" below flush.

The depth of the pocket and height of the primer will vary slightly between brands of brass and primers. So ideal depth varies when you are using mixed brass, unless you've uniformed the pockets. If you use a progressive press, then go ahead and set it to 0.004". With a hand primer, feel for when it bottoms out, then squeeze just a little harder. Then check that it is at least flush.

 

[ranger335v]

It's not likely you are seating primers much too deeply; mechanically, that's difficult to do. But it is easily possible to use enough pressure to crush the priming pellet and that WILL cause failures to fire.

 

[GLOOB]

TBH, this might be the case. I still have my two cartridges that are "set too deep." Primers are 0.011-0.014" deep. Later on, after work, I'll pull the bullets and powder and see if I can get them to light in a different gun. If that fails, I'll pull the primers and see what the pellet looks like.

Either way, they apparently failed to fire cuz they were seated too deep/hard. So when wisdom such as "You cannot set them too-deeply!" gets passed around on the net, I think it can lead to problems.

 

[rcmodel]

It can be your brass too:

See this about that:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=563715&highlight=colt+commando

But I'd still like to see joelh tighten the strain screw in his gun first.

rc

 

[joelh]

Will tighten the strain screw and report back. Thanks for all of the good info.

 

[joelh]

Lost Sheep, RCModel.. Thank You!! Strain screw was about 1 1/2 turns out. tightened it down and no misfires. Increased the weight on the trigger a bit but no misfires. My wife is going to use this gun for her CCW class, and I was a bit concerned, but it appears good to go. We will put 100 or so through it before class, just to make sure.

 

[rcmodel]

Glad you found the problem!

It is a safe bet that your S&W Combat Masterpiece will fire any primer, seated any way you want to seat them now!!

rc