Loose primer pockets...what's going to happen?

[earthquake]

I am getting primer pocket loosness reading all over the place on Hornady brass with 5-6 firings on them. Priming some yesterday I had a handful that were so loose I had to double check that one went in! I mean, i probably could have pushed it in with my fingers!

At the time I didnt think much of it, but when it happened again, I started setting them aside. However, I'm sitting on 200 primed, annealed cases with a couple super loose ones in the mix....but dont kow which is which.

Should I be worried?
Should I toss the two I set aside?

Thanks for any advice here!

 

[Park ranger]

Super glue them for one more firing then trash them.

 

[chevytruck_83]

Rw hart used to make a tool to tighten primer pockets. I have never used them or read anything about them but it's worth looking into if you annealed them.

 

[slm9s]

A torched ring on your bolt face is "what's going to happen". Maybe a little soot hitting your face. A much stronger smell of powder...

I read one anecdote involving a ball bearing being hammered on the primer pocket to "tighten them back up", but I've never tried it.

 

[Dans40X]

Depending on the cartridge-
You could have 10,000-60,000 psi of hot gases trying to flame cut your cheek.

Just before everything goes to hell in a hand basket-the primer/pocket is the built in safe guard/pressure relief from a 22Hornet to a 777Howitzer.

 

[Jose_Luis_G]

I am getting primer pocket loosness reading all over the place on Hornady brass with 5-6 firings on them. Priming some yesterday I had a handful that were so loose I had to double check that one went in! I mean, i probably could have pushed it in with my fingers!

At the time I didnt think much of it, but when it happened again, I started setting them aside. However, I'm sitting on 200 primed, annealed cases with a couple super loose ones in the mix....but dont kow which is which.

Should I be worried?
Should I toss the two I set aside?

Thanks for any advice here!

If I were in your shoes, I should not use those cases any more.
Oversized primer pocket is a clear symphtom of high pressure and should be taken into serious consideration.

Check for the reasons of overpressure, such as tight neck due to small chamber neck diameter or unturned cases, which end in a too small play to release the bullet when firing.

It can also simply be a hot load, but I believe that you already know that.

 

[savagedasher]

If I were in your shoes, I should not use those cases any more.
Oversized primer pocket is a clear symphtom of high pressure and should be taken into serious consideration.

Check for the reasons of overpressure, such as tight neck due to small chamber neck diameter or unturned cases, which end in a too small play to release the bullet when firing.

It can also simply be a hot load, but I believe that you already know that.

Seating near or in the lands can give 2 to 4 thousand more pressure then is listed. Because of the pressure spike on ignitation .
My feeling if the won't hold the primer tight don't shoot them . Larry

 

[impalacustom]

Let me guess they are 6.5CM cases? Best thing to do is trash them and reform some LC 308 brass. I have seen some a guy with a 338-378 Weatherby literally push the primer in with his fingers after it fell out as he took the cartridge from the MTM box of his. I said you aren't going to shoot that are you, his answer is what made me leave the range. ANSI/SAAMI specs for primer pockets are small rifle (.173-.1745) large rifle (.2085-.2100) measure and see if it's worth it. I'd trash them if it was mine.

 

[JohnKielly]

how comfortable are you with your annealing technique?

 

[tenring]

Rw hart used to make a tool to tighten primer pockets. I have never used them or read anything about them but it's worth looking into if you annealed them.

I have heard the Hart tool works just once. After each firing, tool use needs to be repeated.

 

[scope eye]

I have a large and a small primer one and they work great, sometimes it works for several firings and some times you have to redo it after every firing. It only takes a second to fix a case, so after all the other procedures you do prep a case what's one more to save it. Shooters have been gluing and sealing primers for a long time so that's nothing new, when you fire a case with a loose primer pockets the pressure pushes the primer up against the wall of the primer pocket and seals it. Hey do as you please this is what I do and it works for me. I am still here as well as many others who have done the same.

Dean

http://www.rwhart.com/store/proddetail.asp?prod=dhb-f-swage-lg

 

[mao0720]

If I can tap the edge of the head of the case on something hard and the primer falls out, I throw them away. Brass is disposable, just like bullets, powder, primers and barrels. They all have a use able service life.

 

[Shynloco]

My experiences tell me that whenever I have brass that has loose primer pockets, its time to throw them away. If you are concerned about a shorter life frame, consider that "possibly," you've been running pressure loads which have contributed significantly to the life frame. The other alternative is that you got a weak batch of brass. For whatever the reason, safety first and I'd rather replace all my brass rather than having to pay for a new rifle.

 

[Preacher]

I've seen hornady cases "6.5 Gap" that ruined pockets in 2 firings, that never bothered Remington cases that were turned into 6.5 SAUM's.
Agreed, they were a touch hot, but 8 times out of my rifle and they were still tight.........

 

[Eric Leonard]

a guy at work gave me 40 pieces of Hornady 243 brass he shot one time from factory ammo,,I loaded it the same as in my WW brass with 105 VLDs and 41 grs H4350,,WW brass has 6 cycles on it with no problems and the Hornady was ruined on one firing,,the primer pockets would not hold a primer after one cycle,,I also had some 285 gr 338LM factory ammo shot in a Sako TRG42 that was not even usable at all,,

either Hornady factory ammo is so hot it ruins the brass or the brass sux,,

 

[dkhunt14]

a guy at work gave me 40 pieces of Hornady 243 brass he shot one time from factory ammo,,I loaded it the same as in my WW brass with 105 VLDs and 41 grs H4350,,WW brass has 6 cycles on it with no problems and the Hornady was ruined on one firing,,the primer pockets would not hold a primer after one cycle,,I also had some 285 gr 338LM factory ammo shot in a Sako TRG42 that was not even usable at all,,

either Hornady factory ammo is so hot it ruins the brass or the brass sux,,

Maybe both. Matt

 

[dkhunt14]

There are a couple of risks for shooting loose pockets. If you value your bolt face, it is risky shooting them. If you are shooting a Match, especially long range and one leaks, where do you think the one that leaks is going? I bet it doesn't hit where the rest do. Matt

 

[DHD]

When I deprime (a separate step for me and most here I suspect) I note which pieces deprime too easily. I put these aside and may process them too, but separately. But, if a piece allows a primer to "fall in" the primer pocket, I'll toss it then and there. I don't loose to many as I don't run a higher node, but some still loosen the primer pocket. Yes, mostly 6.5 Creedmoor using Hornady brass.

 

[Ggmac]

Trash them ! Barrels are like tires on a car , replace when needed , brass is more like the gas , we replace that a lot more often . If not like gas maybe more like oil . You can run the car long after its time to change the oil but damage is done .
TRASH any possible UNSAFE brass .

 

[Eric Leonard]

blow one out with a Jewell trigger and you might be replacing it also,,it is just not worth it,,it will mess your boltface up,,possibly ruin your trigger and thats not even counting the injurys possible,,