Misfire, need help troubleshooting

[AZmark]

I've been reloading for 40+ years for several rifle and pistol calibers and feel that I am fairly knowledgeable and very careful about the process. Today I had my first misfire and its really bothering me as to why. So here's a brief description of what happened.

I have been working up some new loads for my sons Rem 700 .270win that I gave him 30 years ago and my Rem 700 Ti .270 win. The reason I'm working on new loads after all this time is I had a new barrel installed on my rifle by Feldcamp so it's a new rifle to me and I wanted to try out the Nosler Accubond, I've been loading 150 gr Nosler Partitions for deer/elk in these rifles since day one. I'm trying to find the load that gives the best accuracy for both rifles, then I'll chrono them and maybe try playing with OAL to fine tune my groups.

I had one cartridge that when I seated the bullet it seemed to seat very easy as compared to the other cartridges, I tried to pull the bullet out by hand but it was tight enough not to budge so I marked it with and X so I knew which one it was when I shot it. Well when I did shoot it, it did not fire so I waited a minute before opening the action and pulled it. It had a firing pin dent in the primer that looked normal and plenty deep to set it off. The rest of my reloads fired no problem.

When I got home I pulled the bullet which came out very easily. I dumped the powder and measured it and it was exactly what I was loading. I looked into the case with a bore light and it looks like the primer ignited because there's a black residue or stain in the bottom. The bullet can be seated into the case and pulled out by hand.

These cases were primed about 4 weeks ago and stored in closed MTM plastic ammo boxes in my garage. We have had some rain in the past couple weeks but this is AZ and even when it rains the humidity doesn't get all that high indoors. I loaded the cases just yesterday. The primers are Federal Match LR primers a couple years old, stored inside my garage, inside my reloading bench drawers and in their original containers.

So how did this primer fire and not catch the powder? Why?

Had anyone here has this happen before? What did you determine the cause?

The only thing that keeps coming back is why did this bullet seat so easy in the first place, which I think I have the answer to that. These were new factory cases that I resized, tumbled, didn't trim because it wasn't needed. I think I must have missed resizing this case. Did it not seal good at the neck and draw in moisture over one night?

Any help, brainstorming, ideas is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[jds holler]

I'm guessing that you loaded up a case with a spent primer in it. Probably not resized either. That would account for lack of neck tension also. jd

 

[coldboreshot]

Primer didnt fire. If it did, some powder whould change color to golden, and be sticking together.

What powder are you using? Ball powder?

Clean your bolt. Slow velocity of the firing pin causes misfires, but still leaves a dent in the primer.

May be time for a new firing pin spring.

Good point raised here...with limited info, I tend to agree regarding bolt and pin spring. If you rebarrel a 30 yoa rifle, you can't neccessarily consider it a "new rifle". Its a 30 yoa rifle with a new barrel. How many firing over the span of 30 years? If I were rebarreling an older rifle, I would be refreshing some of the operational components as well.
Just a theory.

 

[drop_point]

Any 30 year old rifle being rebarreled deserves a new firing pin spring, whether its the culprit here or not.

 

[SeabeeKen]

Is it possible the flash hole was blocked by tumbling media? What powder are you using? Its possible you didnt resize and decap that case as already mentioned

 

[243winxb]

So how did this primer fire and not catch the powder? Why?

No flash hole?

 

[6.5 forever]

I believe you have two different problems. Ignition would not be affected by neck tension on the bullet

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Here's what you could have done.
Pull bullet on ftf round. Weigh verify charge
Decap, size case load with new primer and pulled powder and bullet.
Use as a fouler after you replace the firing pin spring and cleaned and lubed bolt.
Because likely you charged and seated a bullet in a fired unsized spent primer equipped case.
And with a new firing pin spring, you can blame the old spring and not you getting old,lol.

 

[DaveTooley]

I would size and load that round. I'll bet it goes off.
Just one of the mystery's of life.

 

[kenhwind]

Although this isn't the issue here, or doesn't seem to be, according to Speer, "The number one cause of misfires is primers not seated properly."

I do agree that a rebarreled rifle should have had, firing pin, ejector springs and any other part that would have been worn from years of use replaced.

 

[dellet]

Measure the brass to make sure it’s within spec. If you still have powder and primer, try them again. Specifically the primer, one not fully seated would not have gone off, but would still have a reasonable dent. You can try it in an empty case.

If all that checks out, you will likely be down to only one component to question.

Other wise you have my condolences, your 40 year run of luck, just ran out. You just had something unexplainable happen loading. Most of us don’t make it that long.

 

[dhagerty40]

I would also question the one case depending on the MFGR.

I stopped using RP brass because of problems. The last lot of RP 7BR brass (when it was still made) I bought 200 cases and out of them, 3 cases had a hole in the neck, 2 cases had split necks and 1 case had no flash hole!

never had problems with starline, Lapua, Peterson or Alpha brass though.

 

[drop_point]

I would also question the one case depending on the MFGR.

I stopped using RP brass because of problems. The last lot of RP 7BR brass (when it was still made) I bought 200 cases and out of them, 3 cases had a hole in the neck, 2 cases had split necks and 1 case had no flash hole!

never had problems with starline, Lapua, Peterson or Alpha brass though.

I've had Lake City, Hornady, and Winchester brass with no flash hole. Never Lapua, ADG, Norma, or Nosler. I haven't used Peterson or Alpha.

 

[Shooter13]

My $.02, did you clean or lube the case? Maybe leftover lube inside the case? I did this, on 14 cases that didn't get cleaned enough, the powder came out as clumps.

 

[joshb]

I'm guessing that you loaded up a case with a spent primer in it. Probably not resized either. That would account for lack of neck tension also. jd

This is where my thinking is.

 

[AZmark]

Thanks for all the input.....I appreciate it!
I've always gone on the principle I learned from the Cat In The Hat, "to find out what/where something is you must first find out what/where it isn't" same principle goes in electrical troubleshooting. So I will list all the things that have been suggested that it "isn't".

Weak firing pin spring: The spring was replaces as was the firing pin when it was re-barreled, Kampfeld replaced all that so I could get rid of the stupid J-lock on the bolt shroud.

Dirty gunked up bolt: I has only seen maybe 20 shots since rebuilt by Kampfeld.

Left old primer in case because I didn't resize: The cases were factory new so never had an old primer, I ran them all through a resize die but definitely could have missed one and never knew it because it didn't have a primer to knock out. However its very possible I missed this one on resizing and that would explain the loose neck.

Flash hole was blocked or no flash hole: I did use a flash hole deburring tool on all the new cases making sure they were all clean but there is a good I could have missed this one deburring and also resizing if it had been stuck under flap in the box. I'm thinking the flash hole was clear because looking in the case with a bore light I see soot and burn residue just like a fired case looks. Possible I missed the deburring process and it could have been blocked/partially blocked.

Primer not seated properly: Possible but there's a good firing pin dent in it.

Leftover lube in the case: Possible. I resized using Hornady one-shot and they say it will not contaminate primers or powder. However I always wash my cases with Dawn and water, rinse well and dry out in oven. Plus it was a couple weeks after this washing process that I loaded.

Loaded a case with a spent primer: Possible but I think I would have noticed that. And where did this case come from as I was working out of a new box of brass.

My 40 year luck of reloading without incident ran out: Yep

Possibly two different problems: Definitely the loose neck and misfire are different issues.

Here's a pic of the failed primer

Thanks

 

[dellet]

It’s hard to believe you had to completely separate odd issues with the same piece of brass. Loose neck, bad primer. But maybe it was your unlucky day. An odd piece of brass makes the most sense. That’s why I suggested measuring the odd piece. If it’s longer base to shoulder or larger diameter than your other sized rounds, it never passed through the die. That would explain both the loose neck and spent primer. The only way for the neck to be a smaller internal diameter, loose bullet, would be to have a thinner neck wall. That’s if it passed through the same die.

The piece of brass in question should not be the same as your now once fired, new unsized, or new sized. Possibly the same as fired in the earlier barrel. I think comparing those measurements will give an indicator.

Maybe you should lay out a sleeve or two of primers and have a good look. Seems like there has been more primer complaints in the last couple years, than last couple decades. Here’s a fun one.

Thread 'Misfires at the range today.'

Oct 3, 2025

At our normal Friday shoot this morning, one of our group had several misfires (4) with factory Winchester 223 ammo.
He's contacted Winchester with the lot number but hasn't heard back yet.
The ammo was tried in 2 separate 223 rifles that were there. SOLID primer strikes from both but no ignition.
This was WHITE BOX ammo. I'll get the lot number as soon as I can.
He had 4 FTFs out of 17 rounds. I have never seen this many misfires in my life from factory ammo.

• CJ6
• Replies: 30
• Forum: Main Message Board

• 

 

[steve210]

Just a bad primer would be my first guess, I've seen them before more than once.

 

[AZmark]

I actually did measure the necks on new resized brass I had of the same lot and the new reloads that had been shot.
New resized = .308-.309
Fired = .309
Case with problem .311
So definitely I did not resize it. But it chambered ok.

 

[dellet]

I actually did measure the necks on new resized brass I had of the same lot and the new reloads that had been shot.
New resized = .308-.309
Fired = .309
Case with problem .311
So definitely I did not resize it. But it chambered ok.

It’s almost impossible to conceive that a new from factory piece of brass would have an oversized neck.

What about base to shoulder? The headspace dimension.