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Primer Failure

I have pulled bullets in a load that was not thought to be compressed and found the powder clumped as yours. I decided it was a bullet seated deeper than the book or the powder not settled properly, and resulted in a slightly compressed load. That said compressed loads work every day. Your powder seems to have none of the symptoms listed as signs of degraded powder. I see no flaw in your reloading at all. In testing I believe that CCIs shoot tighter than the others in many of my loads, I have had 3 fail over the many years I have been using them. One in my 6.5-284 that looked similar to this. The primer fired, black color in cup but failed to ignite the powder. Could this be just a weak primer that had a too small amount of compound to work properly? I cannot tell from the picture if this is a small primer or not, but read years ago on BRC that a small primer was on the edge of being too weak for 40 grains or more powder. If these are small rifle primers, maybe try some small rifle magnums and see if it helps. Good luck!!
 
I THINK -- the only time I've had a fail to fire, was because I re-seated a spent primer by accident when priming with my press mounted priming ram and auto primer feed.

Other than that I've found primers to be amazingly reliable. jd
 
I have pulled bullets in a load that was not thought to be compressed and found the powder clumped as yours. I decided it was a bullet seated deeper than the book or the powder not settled properly, and resulted in a slightly compressed load. That said compressed loads work every day. Your powder seems to have none of the symptoms listed as signs of degraded powder. I see no flaw in your reloading at all. In testing I believe that CCIs shoot tighter than the others in many of my loads, I have had 3 fail over the many years I have been using them. One in my 6.5-284 that looked similar to this. The primer fired, black color in cup but failed to ignite the powder. Could this be just a weak primer that had a too small amount of compound to work properly? I cannot tell from the picture if this is a small primer or not, but read years ago on BRC that a small primer was on the edge of being too weak for 40 grains or more powder. If these are small rifle primers, maybe try some small rifle magnums and see if it helps. Good luck!!
Nothing about the powder itself seems off. I don’t use any wet lubes inside my cases, including the neck. I shoot this load weekly and have for some years. I’m leaning towards simply a dud primer - compound mix was off or inadequate (I’m shoot LR primers). Or I fouled the primer somehow in handling it. Exceptionally rare but I happened to come across one. If something else suspicious pops up going forward I’ll circle back.

I hope this exceptionalism flows over to my big game draws this season.
 
This is why I do not use a primer seating tool that needs to have the user handle a new primer for each case.

IMO, the chances of getting a fouled primer with a bulk feed tray, feeding system is considerably less.
I understand it is pretty difficult to kill a primer. This particular case looks like a primer got way less than its fair share of compound. It's remarkable that primers, by and large, are as consistent as they are but any production process is susceptible to error.
 
I understand it is pretty difficult to kill a primer. This particular case looks like a primer got way less than its fair share of compound. It's remarkable that primers, by and large, are as consistent as they are but any production process is susceptible to error.
True .... however, unless using rubber gloves, the chances of fouling a primer by handling/touching it is quite a bit more than when using a bulk feeder (IMO)
 
I had a whole thread about this exact issue. Noticed u were using Peterson brass. Same here. From new, there is a contaminate inside new brass. U need to wet tumble/ wash the brass to remove it.
My rounds had the same clumped powder, primers fired, and numerous hang fires as well as failure to fire. Once the brass is fired, no issues.
I've used a lot of Peterson brass over the years and never encountered what you describe, I wonder if there others out there that have had your experience?
Did you ever contact Peterson about the issue? If so what was their response?
 
True .... however, unless using rubber gloves, the chances of fouling a primer by handling/touching it is quite a bit more than when using a bulk feeder (IMO)
I agree, I always use nitrile gloves and started a couple of years ago due to concern about contamination on ME... much less the powder and primers.
I do use a separate priming tool and I suppose that if someone was doing the same and had sweaty hands that could introduce not only moisture but the skin acids that might effect a primer.
The only "Off" powder I have ever have experienced was some very old 4831 of surplus WWII era and had been stored in metal cans for nearly 30 years.
The discoloration is a sure indicator of some sort of powder degradation/contamination.
 
I agree, I always use nitrile gloves and started a couple of years ago due to concern about contamination on ME... much less the powder and primers.
I do use a separate priming tool and I suppose that if someone was doing the same and had sweaty hands that could introduce not only moisture but the skin acids that might effect a primer.
The only "Off" powder I have ever have experienced was some very old 4831 of surplus WWII era and had been stored in metal cans for nearly 30 years.
The discoloration is a sure indicator of some sort of powder degradation/contamination.
The yellowing is caused by arrested combustion. Not enough heat and pressure to get the charge going. Reddish dust and an acrid odor are hallmarks of powder degradation.
 
Fingers crossed I've never had a bad primer.never through lots of rounds


Only duds I've witnessed was by people barely seating primers.that I know for fact was a problem that I witnessed the primer seating and rifle firing those rounds.

I always crush primers and seat by feel.zero problems

I definitely believe most duds are people not seating anvil.much as they think they are.they are not I've witnessed it . setting up tools to a perfect depth.naw you get to relaxed on primers being fine now they don't go bang

Back off from your gizmo that you think gives you an exact perfect seating depth and seat till it bottoms out and give it a tad more .by feel no stupid stop
 
This is where I would start. Something contaminated that powder or the powder is starting to degrade. Clumping and sticking together are indications of some kind of possibly serious problem . Maybe excess lube inside the case neck? Put on your investigation gear and go to it. Good luck and keep us posted.
Paul
this is what happens to powder that does not ignite fully. Usually it is a big melted together clump and a greenish yellow color.
 
How old is that powder?????? IMR and H powders long ago had inert markers added for identifying the powders and lots! Bill Clinton wanted markers to identify the powders for criminal investigation in firearm crimes! But, the NRA and the courts had these markers removed!!! I have experienced this same misfire issue once!!! A couple of markers, by a huge chance, had blocked the primer flash!!!!!! The IMR 4064 powder came out clumpy and discolored! My loads were compressed! I started removing the markers after that!!!!!! And, the occurrence of fliers dropped dramatically!!!

If this is newer powder, IMO, the flash hole was partially blocked! A piece of polishing media, a dead spider, a fly, a piece of brass from trimming or neck prep, fouled carbon flake from the case interior or neck caused by dropping a primed case, etc!!!!!!!! Contaminated or old powder can also cause this as mentioned in several posts!!!

From the primer picture, the anvil was fully contracting the primer pocket base!!! Note the 3 shiny anvil feet and no fouling!!! This eliminates the short primer seating theory as being the cause!!!
 
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I've had that happen, what I call an Attic fly crawled into the Dillon powder hopper. Ended up in a .223 round, the round didn't go off. When I pulled the projectile I found what the OP found.

Paul

A dove down feather caused a muff load in my shotgun once!!! After that, I checked the inside of hulls for feathers or other debris before reloading!!!

I have never had a rifle or shotgun primer that didn't fire!!! Over 15000 rifle and pistol loads, and around 20,000 shotgun loads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've had 5 failures of reloads!! 2 flash hole obstructions, 2 loads with no powder, and a short charge on a shotgun load!!!
 
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A dove down feather caused a muff load in my shotgun once!!! After that, I checked the inside of hulls for feathers or other debris before reloading!!!

I have never had a rifle or shotgun primer that didn't fire!!! Over 15000 rifle and pistol loads, and around 20,000 shotgun loads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've had 5 failures of reloads!! 2 flash hole obstructions, 2 loads with no powder, and a short charge on a shotgun load!!!
Ahh yes -- and remember the old paper base wads in almost all shot shells that weren't AA's. They could get wet and stay wet enough to ruin the powder charge. How many shotguns sploded or bulged the barrel when fired with a charge stuck in the barrel, often at the choke. Two of my friends did that when we were kids. A shotgun primer, especially in a 20 ga, has enough oomph to get a charge well into the barrel, and in the heat of the moment, a follow-up shot spells disaster.
jd
 
Ahh yes -- and remember the old paper base wads in almost all shot shells that weren't AA's. They could get wet and stay wet enough to ruin the powder charge. How many shotguns sploded or bulged the barrel when fired with a charge stuck in the barrel, often at the choke. Two of my friends did that when we were kids. A shotgun primer, especially in a 20 ga, has enough oomph to get a charge well into the barrel, and in the heat of the moment, a follow-up shot spells disaster.
jd

I use to goose hunt before the lead shot ban on migratory birds!!!! I had a Rem 1100 Magnum 12 gauge, 30" full choke tube!!! 1st year of shooting steel shot sucked!!! The steel shot was not as dense as lead, and I pulled more feathers on birds, than dropped birds!! The 2nd year, I had a goose coming straight in off the lake!! 1st shot pulled feathers, 2nd shot rocked it, the 3rd shot put me down hard, with a canon loud report!!!! I picked myself off the ground, rubbed my bruised shoulder, and picked up my gun!!! Looked at it, the barrel was slightly twisted with receiver and vented rib not in alignment!!! Inspected the rest of the shells in the 3" Federal Premium Steel Shot box left over from the 1st year!!! Almost 1/2 of them had rust in them!!! Cut one open, the shot column had rusted together like a steel slug!!! I threw that box into the lake and never shot steel again!!!!
 
Maybe I missed this being addressed, but another possible cause is excessive shoulder pushback on that one round not allowing the cartridge to be held firmly during the primer strike. We all know that when truly excessive, we get failure to fire. The clumped powder is usually a sign of moisture or contamination. Could be a combination of the two, as another round that hade longer "headspace" may have been able to overcome the moisture with a more solid pin strike. While the photo shows a pretty solid pin strike, that was after two strikes, if I read this thread correctly. The primer probably popped lightly on the first firing - while the second firing did nothing but enlarge the primer strike?

You are doing a great job of eliminating probable sources...
 
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Primers I have purchased during/after COVID closures and the work station spacing nonsense, I have been visually "inspecting". The most visually inconsistent has been the AR match SR primers. The green material is all over the place, including on the top of the primer. Haven't had any misfires/ftf but I'm making sure I bottom them out in the pocket. And I have sorted out 2 and put into a container marked 2nds. At some point I will probably load/mark the cartridges and use for prairie dogs. As I mostly single load and a ftf won't be as big of safety risk.
 

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