My first FTF - bad primer

[wcwhitey]

There have been several posts and complaints about the first CCI primers that became available early last year. Were they completely defective, no but they were hard as heck and it made quite a few of us question formally reliable revolvers. I had a few myself. It seems to have worked itself out. I would rather have a fail to fire than a hang fire. As a side note also I had several squibs and one complete FTF shooting off some 7 year old carry ammo in my LCP. These were rounds in the magazines that rode in my pocket, console and the gun itself. It was factory Fiocchi XTP and FMJ. Point is it happens, things degrade from handling and use and although I saw the quoted fail rate of factory primers I will say I call BS on that number. I have found plenty of flaws with factory ammo and components over the years to have a healthy understanding of Murphy’s Law when it comes to anything ammo related.

 

[Thomasss]

"Primers are not perfect — nothing man-made is — but they are very reliable. Statistically, you might encounter a defective primer, if you shoot enough ... 99.9997 percent reliability ... means you might hit a misfire every 300,000 rounds.

I wish these stats were true. I've been shooting since the 1960s and don't remember any of my FTF primers until about 10 years ago. I think it was just my time, like a lottery ticket. I routinely get 1 FTF in every brick of primers, whether it is SPP, LRP or 209. I shoot 3 different shotguns, three rifles and four handguns, all different calibers, so I can't blame the equipment. Ammo is loaded on two different presses. I also load 3 different primer brands. I was shooting a new revolver acquisition the other day with the previous owner and had a FTF which FTF twice on the same case. He asked where did I get the crappy primers? I told him don't you remember, I bought them from you a year ago. lol

 

[ballman6711]

I've had several FTF's (failure to fire) over the years, ten or twelve at least, maybe fifteen, and all with factory ammo. Some of it was milsurp ammo, some was just off the shelf like WWB or UMC. I always try to fire it a second time (after waiting 30 seconds or so in case of a hangfire) and some have fired and some haven't. I've never had a problem with premium ammo.

Never had a true squib round with a stuck bullet, but I've had plenty of "soft shooting" rounds and hangfires where I've stopped and checked to be sure the barrel was unobstructed. Again all factory ammo, sometimes milsurp.

I haven't had any problems with shooting my reloads so far, but I do take a quick look at my primers after flipping them in my tray.

chris

 

[Mini30SS]

The brass was worth keeping

Not really. Likely berdan primers. And likely corrosive primers. I would have more likely pulled the bullets for reloading. Is there someone nearby that would pay you for the brass? ( Metal scrap yard).

 

[LiveLife]

I was shooting a new revolver acquisition the other day with the previous owner and had a FTF which FTF twice on the same case. He asked where did I get the crappy primers? I told him don't you remember, I bought them from you a year ago. lol

 

[barnfrog]

So here's a Remington 1-1/2 I just pulled apart. First pic is intact, and you can sort of see the disc under the anvil. Second pic is taken apart, and you can see the disc as well as the priming compound still in the cup. Third is after I chipped out some of the compound.




Not that it proves anything. I still think I probably didn't seat the primer all the way. No real way to be sure at this point.

As far as inspecting them before seating, one can't see the compound in a Remington primer, but at least you can see if there's nothing underneath the anvil. I guess now I'll have to pull apart some other brands to see if they have a disc as well.