primers pushing out ??

[blacknwhite]

I have been shooting some reloads the last couple of days and just noticed that after fireing the primers are pushed out ever so slightly. What is causing this? I am shooting LC .223 brass with 55gr nosler BT and 22.5 gr of IMR 3031.

 

[spclark]

Can be caused by many factors, the single most common is brass that's tired; the primer pockets aren't tight enough anymore to hold the primers when the charge is fired.

This in an AR or a bolt gun?

Next most common is inappropriate head space / improper case sizing; cases are too short / head space is too large & the case head isn't staying at the bolt face when a round goes off, so the primer is free to get pushed out until it's stopped.

There are more but they're not nearly as common. Any one of them is not good; in combination they can be down right dangerous. It doesn't take a too-hot-for-your-gun load to blow up a case.

,From your stats it looks like you do a lot of posting but you've only been here for a few months. I'll assume you're an experienced reloader/shooter but even they can learn something if they keep an open mind about safety & firearms.)

 

[blacknwhite]

It's a TC Encore. I don't know how worn the brass is because I just bought the barrel, brass and the reloads that I am currently shooting. I plan on loading some of my own this weekend and trying them. Some of the brass looks unfired so I plan to load some of those and see if it pushes those out as well.

 

[spclark]

I've shot various Contenders in center-fire cartridges, never an Encore.

Even new, virgin brass can be the wrong size for the chamber.

Do you have a Stoney Point / Hornady LTL gauge that'd let you measure the difference in case length between an unfired case and one that's been fired in this barrel? You want to measure from the case head to the case shoulder, not the end of the neck. That's why you need an appropriate gauge & caliper. If the difference is more than .005" I'd say your head space is too great & your cases aren't seating properly against the action face, not to mention getting stretched too much when fired.

Another possibility is the fit of that used barrel on your action is making for a head space problem; too much & the barrel is moving forward when a round is fired.

T/C stuff is pretty stout but you don't want to risk hurting yourself with a combo that's mechanically unsound. Go slow.

 

[Winchester69]

I don't know how worn the brass is because I just bought the barrel, brass and the reloads that I am currently shooting.

I doubt that the reloads are fitted well to the barrel/headspacing. Were they fired in that barrel? Try some factory rounds and see if you have the same problem.
.

 

[blacknwhite]

I will work on some of those suggestions. It doesn't seem to be affecting accuracy or damaging any of the brass. I am interested to figure out why its happening.

I have noticed that a few of them are barely pushed out if at all...So maybe it is just the brass. Hope to have an answer soon.

 

[ssphoger]

The Encores have a gap from the barrel to the face of the action which can very from .001" to ? plus when fired it will strech a bit adding to this, one of mine a 260AI is .004" and it was tearing brass in half on the first shot!!!,I sent that one back.) But this can be worked with, the once fired brass if neck sized and not pusing the sholder back will work fine. Also loading new brass with the bullets pushing on the lands will hold the case back and give a good formed case, Just back down from max loads to do this.
Hope that helps