Reloaded primers making bolt difficult

[ketch-nick]

I am new to reloading and just purchased the lee classic loader. I am reloading 30-06 for a 1903 springfield. Today I started practicing putting in the primers which was my biggest concern with this kit, I DID NOT load any powder or bullets into the case. I had already tested the empty case and it cycled perfectly through the rifle. I then inserted the primer and tested the case again, it cycled perfectly. After this I fired the primer in the rifle and the bolt was more difficult to unlock than it should have been(very slight but noticiable). I looked at the base of the cartridge and the primer was pushed out slightly so that it had caused the bolt to become difficult to unlock. I tried this several more times and each time the primer was slightly pushed out causing the rifle to again become difficult to unlock. Is this my inexperience placing the primer? It seems to sit flush in the casing until after its fired. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[John C]

The primer is pushing the case forward during detonation, as normal. The issue is that there is no powder charge to ignite, which would push the case back firmly against the bolt face, reseating the primer. So, everything is normal.

 

[bangswitch]

What kind of brass are you using? New unfired, or range brass, or once-fired NATO.....?

What primer are you using?

Could be several things, depending on several factors. Are you seating the primers as deep as they will go? They should be recessed in the pocket by about 0.003-0.005. If the brass has been fired multiple times, the pocket may have spread a little, and the primers won't seat tightly. Does it take much effort to seat the primer? You should just barely flatten the back surface of the primer with the pressure it takes to seat it in the pocket.

However, when firing a primer with no powder charge or bullet, another thing might be occurring. Since no pressure builds inside the case, there is nothing to create pressure inside the primer pocket, which causes the primer to expand slightly; the primer doesn't stay tight in the pocket and gets blown back by the force of the primer detonation. I've done that in a .308 bolt gun, but it still didn't make the action hard to open.

Have you fired any factory ammo in this rifle? Does it behave the same way, or work without any issues?

Just read John C's reply. He states what I was trying to describe, but did it better.

 

[rcmodel]

Perfectly normal.

Primers blow out of the primer pocket every shot to whatever extent excess headspace allows.

Then high pressure blows the case back over the primer and re-seats it, due to the case slipping in the camber, or gripping the chamber and stretching the case.

My first thought is that you are over-sizing the cases and pushing the shoulder back too far, or there should be almost no room for the primer to back out.

So, start over again adjusting your sizing die to minimally push the shoulder back, 'just enough' that the bolt will close with slight resistance on a resized empty case.

THEN, Do Not fire primers in your empty brass!
The firing pin can drive the case forward in the chamber hard enough to set the shoulder back slightly.

Then you made the excess headspace worse on that case until you fire it with a real load.
And it stretches excessively to make it back up and fill the chamber tightly.

Don't Do That Again!
MMKaaayyyy?

rc

 

[ketch-nick]

Thanks everybody for the quick replies and excellent information. The rifle functions beautifully with factory ammo. Ive never had a problem. The brass was once fired from the same rifle. Im thinking its what John C was saying about firing it without a powder charge as the primer is very slightly out. Im taking the rifle out shooting sunday and i'll test some loads so if everything goes well I'll know that was it. I definitely will not do that again mmmkkayy
Thanks again! Stay safe!

 

[243winxb]

The firing pin strike may set the shoulder back. Not a good thing if done a few times on the same piece of brass. (223) Have not measured 30-06

 

[JohnM]

The powder puff loads some people like to make will do the same thing to you.
Especially noticeable when you try them in a revolver, the pushed out primer can lock up your cylinder.

 

[gamestalker]

It happens due to the lack of operating pressure, no powder charge, so no, you aren't doing something wrong in this respect.

I did however hang on something you said about seating primers flush, so I'm going to touch on this, to maybe save you some grief down the road with mis fires. When you seat primers they need to be seated until they bottom out in the primer pocket, flush is not relative to this. More often than not, a properly seated primer will almost always be below flush.

GS

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The primer is pushing the case forward during detonation, as normal. The issue is that there is no powder charge to ignite, which would push the case back firmly against the bolt face, reseating the primer. So, everything is normal.

Perfectly normal.

Primers blow out of the primer pocket every shot to whatever extent excess headspace allows.

Then high pressure blows the case back over the primer and re-seats it, due to the case slipping in the camber, or gripping the chamber and stretching the case.

My first thought is that you are over-sizing the cases and pushing the shoulder back too far, or there should be almost no room for the primer to back out.

So, start over again adjusting your sizing die to minimally push the shoulder back, 'just enough' that the bolt will close with slight resistance on a resized empty case.

THEN, Do Not fire primers in your empty brass!
The firing pin can drive the case forward in the chamber hard enough to set the shoulder back slightly.

Then you made the excess headspace worse on that case until you fire it with a real load.
And it stretches excessively to make it back up and fill the chamber tightly.

Don't Do That Again!
MMKaaayyyy?

rc

Those 2 posts sum it up quite well. It doesn't matter what primers were used, it doesn't matter which brass is used, it's all about no powder in the case. Load up some ammo and go have some fun...

BTW, is there a reason what you bought a Classic Loader? Are you going to take it in the field for reloading? Today there is no real cost savings using one with the very inexpensive let quality equipment available.

Lee Classic Loader in 30-06 = $27.99
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/508946/lee-classic-loader-30-06-springfield?cm_vc=ProductFinding


Lee Basic Press = $28.49
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/807734/lee-reloader-single-stage-press?cm_vc=ProductFinding

Lee 2 Die 30-06 set = $19.29
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/300268/lee-rgb-2-die-set-30-06-springfield?cm_vc=ProductFinding

Lee #2 Shellholder = $3.69
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/61...30-06-springfield-45-acp?cm_vc=ProductFinding

The initial costs for the Press and Classic Loader is the same but of course you are spending an additional $22 on the dies and shellholder but now that you have a press, if you decided sometime in the future you want to load a different cartridge you won't have to spend $28 on another Classic Loader, only $23 on the dies and shellholder. (if the shellholder is different) Also, loading on the press is much easier IMO...

Another problem you might have in the future with a Classic Loader, it only neck sizes and eventually you will need to bump the shoulder on a bottleneck cartridge back a bit so the case allows the bolt to close correctly. That won't happen with the full length sizing dies.