Funky Primer

[funnelcake]

Made a trip to the range today with a friend of mine. He was blasting away with my .38 Super & I was keeping an eye on an picking up the brass. One of them was a 9mm from the fella next to us. I happened to look at the primer & it looked really funky. Best I can describe, it looked like a doughnut stuffed in the primer pocket.

I tried to get a look at what he was shootin, but couldn't get a close enough eyeball (was a newer semi auto). After he left an I was picking up the rest of my brass, the few others I looked at were the same. He was using new S&B ammo, so not sure what'd cause it.

Here's a pic of one I brought home. It's not the greatest since it doesn't show how raised up (where its bubbled, actually is sticking up above the rest of the primer) and round the primer is. I've shot S&B out of everything from 1911's to SIG's an never had a primer look like this.



Funnel

 

[evan price]

Thin primer and high pressure, the primer metal flowed around the firing pin as the case ignited. Cases are safe to reload.

 

[moooose102]

i agree, too high of pressure. as long as the next primer is NOT LOOSE when you press it in, go ahead and use it. if the primer pushes right in, without a "pressed in" feeling, scrap it!

 

[Sheldon]

The Beretta 92 series of pistols leaves a funky donut shaped primer hit too. I cannot see your pic because of the filters here on the "Work" computer, but I'm guessing that's what you have?

 

[Galil5.56]

I'd wager it was fired from a Beretta as mentioned, or other pistol that has a chamfered firing pin hole on the breech face. I own a Beretta M9, and because I can see it, it looks exactly like what my Beretta does even with very low pressure cast bullet loads.

 

[FieroCDSP]

+1 on the Beretta. I have a Stoeger (Beretta) Cougar that makes a bullseye mark on the primer, not too dissimilar from that.

 

[rcmodel]

Chamfered firing pin hole, like the Beretta mentioned, OR an undersized FP, OR too large a hole in the slide.
At any rate, a properly sized firing pin that fits the un-chamfered breach-face FP hole will not allow that to happen.

It has nothing to do with pressure or thin primers.

It's a gun thing of some kind.


rcmodel

 

[The Bushmaster]

And if it is a "gun thing". It really won't hurt a thing. My 92F Beretta has been doing it for years...I ignore it with that pistol. The rest? I pay particular attention if I see it...

 

[Walkalong]

I was going to chime in with what rcmodel has already said.

Looks like on oversized fireing pin hole/undersized firing pin/weak firing pin spring, or any combination. The primers edges are not even flat.

 

[funnelcake]

Thanks all.

I had kind of figured it was a gun specific thing. I've never seen high pressure issues that looked like that, etc.

Funnel