Dasher primer piercing HELP

[Tom Danielson]

Get a small firing pin bolt from Impact and the issue will go away. Also check your base to shoulder virgin to fired and see if the issue goes away on the second firing.

 

[Eric Sweet]

Any chance you are using a .60" firing pin in a bolt meant for .068 firing pins so there is excessive clearance?

 

[Walt Schmidlin]

Still waiting to see the fired neck diameters of the fired rounds in the newly chambered barrel versus loaded round neck diameter.

Is the neck thickness of the Alpha brass the same as the Lapua or thicker?

 

[Straightshooter1]

Is the neck thickness of the Alpha brass the same as the Lapua or thicker?

For my .308 brass the neck thickness between the two are virtually the same. . . Alpha being just a little more consistent. But there's a very big difference is that the web thickness, Alpha SRP brass being way thicker than Lapua Palma's, though not as consistent. Like: Alpha's web thickness is .181-.186" and Lapua's is .170 - .171".

 

[Clancy]

Are you sure you’re seating the primers fully? Alpha pockets have that lip in the bottom, you know?

And, will a bullet fall through a fired neck?

 

[Straightshooter1]

Are you sure you’re seating the primers fully? Alpha pockets have that lip in the bottom, you know?

And, will a bullet fall through a fired neck?

A "lip"???

You referring to a curve in the corner where the pocket wall transitions to the bottom of the pocket?

 

[Clancy]

A "lip"???

You referring to a curve in the corner where the pocket wall transitions to the bottom of the pocket?

View attachment 1571313

Nope, I mean an actual shelf or rather a pinch point. That’s a non-OCD piece of brass, or the pocket was uniformed.

I know two guys personally that were blanking primers because they were seating by feel and thought they were done.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Alpha has less capacity. In a dasher this is a good thing. Your now closer to a bra than a dasher.

 

[jxb]

Nope, I mean an actual shelf or rather a pinch point. That’s a non-OCD piece of brass, or the pocket was uniformed.

I know two guys personally that were blanking primers because they were seating by feel and thought they were done.

I have found this on at least some of my Alpha 6GT, suspect all are like that.

Noticed when priming it seemed weird, not just at the bottom but like I was feeling crush just past half way in. I ran a pocket reamer expecting to only need to clean up the bottom or near it, but it started cutting the sides about 2/3rds into the pocket and of course cleaned up the bottom. Sides in that last 1/3rd not just a trace of brass either, considerable amounts. My seating weirdness went away and ES/SD is excellent, but it was good before reaming pockets too.

Not sure it was a problem either way and didn't ask Alpha about it but while I like the brass fine just doesn't seem right, I'd expect the pocket sides to be same width to the transition at the bottom. Primers do seat slightly deeper now and where I expected them to be. Before reaming they were flush but not slightly below the base.

 

[LRPV]

Freebore diameter on your new reamer is one thing that hasn't been mentioned but unless it's really skinny and your bullets are really fat, I don't think that's it. Big firing pins pop primers. That's a given. Might get away with it for awhile but it's gonna get you eventually. Odd that you shot it so much before, without issues.

With that said, my BAT's FP is .0692" with a hole that a -.070" gage has a very nice fit in.

 

[Clancy]

I have found this on at least some of my Alpha 6GT, suspect all are like that.

Noticed when priming it seemed weird, not just at the bottom but like I was feeling crush just past half way in. I ran a pocket reamer expecting to only need to clean up the bottom or near it, but it started cutting the sides about 2/3rds into the pocket and of course cleaned up the bottom. Sides in that last 1/3rd not just a trace of brass either, considerable amounts. My seating weirdness went away and ES/SD is excellent, but it was good before reaming pockets too.

Not sure it was a problem either way and didn't ask Alpha about it but while I like the brass fine just doesn't seem right, I'd expect the pocket sides to be same width to the transition at the bottom. Primers do seat slightly deeper now and where I expected them to be. Before reaming they were flush but not slightly below the base.

Yea, a PMA Lapua small pocket Reamer will clean them up, but if you just rotate the case at first contact to square up the primer, they’ll seat easily and subsequent firings are easier.

But, I’ve seen enough of Alpha to know they’re my 3rd choice (not bad in the scheme of things) so going forward I doubt I have much use for it.

 

[joelpend]

Are you reloading cases that are all new or have you reloaded some that have been previously fired? I know there were many reported issues with the first firing of cases but the problems seemed to go away on the second firing.

 

[243winxb]

new reamer

Short chamber, requiring brass trim length to be shorter?
Don't want the chamber crimping the bullets in the case.

 

[Monday shooter40]

Short chamber, requiring brass trim length to be shorter?
Don't want the chamber crimping the bullets in the case.

I’ve scoped it. It’s not short. My resized brass has plenty of space. Thank you for the thoughtss though.

 

[Monday shooter40]

Freebore diameter on your new reamer is one thing that hasn't been mentioned but unless it's really skinny and your bullets are really fat, I don't think that's it. Big firing pins pop primers. That's a given. Might get away with it for awhile but it's gonna get you eventually. Odd that you shot it so much before, without issues.

With that said, my BAT's FP is .0692" with a hole that a -.070" gage has a very nice fit in.

Freebore on the new reamer is .120 My jam measurments are very close to my old barrels. Within .015”

I do not have a gauge pin set to measure the bolts firing pin holes.

This is what’s driving me crazy. These actions have 1000’s of rounds on them prior to this.

 

[Monday shooter40]

Alpha has less capacity. In a dasher this is a good thing. You’re now closer to a bra than a dasher.

I completely understand that case capacity is not the same between Lapua and Alpha. But I should be able to run a 105 hybrid at 2850 with Varget without piercing primers in a 26” barrel in either case brand. I ran load work ups in my old barrels that went WAY beyond these speeds, just trying to find the ceiling. And I did. But for whatever the reason is, if these barrels won’t run a 105 at 2850, then i guess it is what it is and I will pull these barrels and my lesson will be learned. I’ll keep my notes and be sure to avoid this combination of barrel/reamer.

I just ordered another barrel from another gunsmith who uses a different brand of reamer. My gunsmith seems to be just as confused at me. I’ve been chasing this for weeks with no other conclusions besides I’ve changed barrel manufacturers and reamer designs. I’ve also changed brass manufacturers.

I’ve loaded a work up test in one of my older Lapua lots that I will shoot later today. I will report back.

 

[Monday shooter40]

Are you sure you’re seating the primers fully? Alpha pockets have that lip in the bottom, you know?

And, will a bullet fall through a fired neck?

Yes and yes. Thanks for the thoughts

 

[Monday shooter40]

Still waiting to see the fired neck diameters of the fired rounds in the newly chambered barrel versus loaded round neck diameter.

Is the neck thickness of the Alpha brass the same as the Lapua or thicker?

Allegedly, the reamer is a 274 neck. My fired cases are coming out around.2725 / .273

Neck thickness is scary close. Most loaded rounds are .268 / .269 in both brands of brass.

 

[Monday shooter40]

Any chance you are using a .60" firing pin in a bolt meant for .068 firing pins so there is excessive clearance?
View attachment 1571259

No chance of this. After I ruined my first firing pin, I ordered several extras and checked them all. They are all .068

Thanks for the thoughts though.

 

[Monday shooter40]

Get a small firing pin bolt from Impact and the issue will go away. Also check your base to shoulder virgin to fired and see if the issue goes away on the second firing.

I’ve talked with Tate streater about this at length and he was confident that I do not need a .060 firing pin.

And seeing as I’ve run multiple barrels before this without issue, he’s confident that my current problem does lie within the action.

He did however believe that the .060 bolt would likely help my situation. But He also felt that it would be covering up a different issue. And he did not suggest I buy two new bolts.