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Hornady LNL AP primer seat depth


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Guys, I am really struggling with primer seating issues for the last month. It started suddenly after i got into the win spp supply i had just picked up. All of a sudden i was getting about 5% of my rounds not igniting. Deep strikes, but no bang. None of the primers were 'high' so i thought i had a problem with the gun (Beretta 92 Brig w D spring). Then ot happened to me at an IDPA match where I was running a PX4 that is completely stock. So now im thinking i have a primer issue. Again, these primers are not high. So I use up a couple hundred of my Fed Match spp's.....same damn thing! Now coincidentally, I had had just added the "Ergo handle " to my press about the same time this started happening.

Fast forward to today.....swapped handles back and added a nickel under the primer punch. I have another 50 ready to try tmrw after work. AND I AM LEANING ON THAT ARM WHEN I SEAT THE PRIMERS. They dont look a bit different in the pocket though.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS?

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A Dillon 1050 solved my Hornady primer issues.

Assuming thats not an option, Do they go bang the second strike?

Is the primer punch screwed all the way into the press? Make sure its tight, but not over tight, the threads will break. Been there.

Is the shellplate tight? Again.. dont over tighten.. lol. I broke the drive hub too.

I used an ergo handle and didnt really notice any primer issues from that.

High primers can usually be seen/felt before shooting them. Hard to see it after a firing pin has struck it.

If you are sure the primers arent high, could you have media in the flash holes? Gun issues?

Edited by DWFAN
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I would agree that a tight shell plate and making sure the primer punch is screwed in is key.

The primer punch goes well into the primer pocket so it's not going to bottom out without seating a primer fully.

The ergo handle does give you less leverage - I hated using Win primers but have never had an issue w Federal. Good luck.

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A Dillon 1050 solved my Hornady primer issues.

Assuming thats not an option, Do they go bang the second strike?

Is the primer punch screwed all the way into the press? Make sure its tight, but not over tight, the threads will break. Been there.

Is the shellplate tight? Again.. dont over tighten.. lol. I broke the drive hub too.

I used an ergo handle and didnt really notice any primer issues from that.

High primers can usually be seen/felt before shooting them. Hard to see it after a firing pin has struck it.

If you are sure the primers arent high, could you have media in the flash holes? Gun issues?

No ignition on second strike [emoji20]

Happens on all three guns i have tried [emoji35] all run fine on factory ammo and borrowed reloads

Shell plate and primer punch are tight but not overtight....[emoji24]

I had zero issues for about 9000 rounds

Also tried nickel under the primer punch

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Oh yeah, i wet tumble with steel pins, so no media in flssh holes.

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That is your problem. Or rather, you are not drying your cases well enough before reloading, and the residue moisture is killing your primers. I ran into this exact issue after I started wet tumbling. It cost me a barrel. Dont make the same mistake. I started using the FA dryer from MidwayUSA, and never had the issue again.

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Oh yeah, i wet tumble with steel pins, so no media in flssh holes.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

That is your problem. Or rather, you are not drying your cases well enough before reloading, and the residue moisture is killing your primers. I ran into this exact issue after I started wet tumbling. It cost me a barrel. Dont make the same mistake. I started using the FA dryer from MidwayUSA, and never had the issue again.

You think? I let them dry on a towel for at least 24 hours before reloading. I will say this, i used to punch the primers before cleaning, but i went back to cleaning before primer removal a couple months ago. I wonder if the lack of that hole is slowing the drying process? I will try drying the cases in the oven and see if that helps. Thanks!![emoji106]

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Oh yeah, i wet tumble with steel pins, so no media in flssh holes.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

That is your problem. Or rather, you are not drying your cases well enough before reloading, and the residue moisture is killing your primers. I ran into this exact issue after I started wet tumbling. It cost me a barrel. Dont make the same mistake. I started using the FA dryer from MidwayUSA, and never had the issue again.

You think? I let them dry on a towel for at least 24 hours before reloading. I will say this, i used to punch the primers before cleaning, but i went back to cleaning before primer removal a couple months ago. I wonder if the lack of that hole is slowing the drying process? I will try drying the cases in the oven and see if that helps. Thanks!![emoji106]

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Yes!

24 hrs with no heat isnt long enough. A fan wont dry all of my cases in 24 hrs depending on the temp/humidity inside. These have been decapped, leaving a primer in will take even longer.

Now that its summer, I dry them on a wire mesh table I built outside. Winter time 2 hrs at 230 in the oven usually does the job.

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Oh yeah, i wet tumble with steel pins, so no media in flssh holes.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

That is your problem. Or rather, you are not drying your cases well enough before reloading, and the residue moisture is killing your primers. I ran into this exact issue after I started wet tumbling. It cost me a barrel. Dont make the same mistake. I started using the FA dryer from MidwayUSA, and never had the issue again.

You think? I let them dry on a towel for at least 24 hours before reloading. I will say this, i used to punch the primers before cleaning, but i went back to cleaning before primer removal a couple months ago. I wonder if the lack of that hole is slowing the drying process? I will try drying the cases in the oven and see if that helps. Thanks!![emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

Yes!

24 hrs with no heat isnt long enough. A fan wont dry all of my cases in 24 hrs depending on the temp/humidity inside. These have been decapped, leaving a primer in will take even longer.

Now that its summer, I dry them on a wire mesh table I built outside. Winter time 2 hrs at 230 in the oven usually does the job.

Do you deprime first?

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Agreed, drying on a towel is not enough, especially with no heat. 90 min in the FA dehydrator, while the next batch is tumbling, is perfect. No issues since.

De-capping first may reduce your drying time, but I have no experience with that, I hate handling my brass more than I have to, so I do not de-capp before wet tumbling and drying.

Try the oven first to see if you notice a difference, then go buy a dehydrator. You'll thank me later. :cheers:

Edited by GregJ
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I SS clean my 9mm brass primers in but absolutely make sure it completely dry. No need to buy an additional dryer, Either dry your brass on the towel in the sun for an afternoon or lay it on an old cookie sheet and place it in the over preheated to 200 degrees then turn off, leave until it cools down to touch.

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Oh yeah, i wet tumble with steel pins, so no media in flssh holes.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

That is your problem. Or rather, you are not drying your cases well enough before reloading, and the residue moisture is killing your primers. I ran into this exact issue after I started wet tumbling. It cost me a barrel. Dont make the same mistake. I started using the FA dryer from MidwayUSA, and never had the issue again.

You think? I let them dry on a towel for at least 24 hours before reloading. I will say this, i used to punch the primers before cleaning, but i went back to cleaning before primer removal a couple months ago. I wonder if the lack of that hole is slowing the drying process? I will try drying the cases in the oven and see if that helps. Thanks!![emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

Yes!

24 hrs with no heat isnt long enough. A fan wont dry all of my cases in 24 hrs depending on the temp/humidity inside. These have been decapped, leaving a primer in will take even longer.

Now that its summer, I dry them on a wire mesh table I built outside. Winter time 2 hrs at 230 in the oven usually does the job.

Do you deprime first?

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

I do, but I have an autodrive. I probably wouldnt it it was my arm doing the work.
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Oh yeah, i wet tumble with steel pins, so no media in flssh holes.

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

That is your problem. Or rather, you are not drying your cases well enough before reloading, and the residue moisture is killing your primers. I ran into this exact issue after I started wet tumbling. It cost me a barrel. Dont make the same mistake. I started using the FA dryer from MidwayUSA, and never had the issue again.

You think? I let them dry on a towel for at least 24 hours before reloading. I will say this, i used to punch the primers before cleaning, but i went back to cleaning before primer removal a couple months ago. I wonder if the lack of that hole is slowing the drying process? I will try drying the cases in the oven and see if that helps. Thanks!![emoji106]

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

Yes!

24 hrs with no heat isnt long enough. A fan wont dry all of my cases in 24 hrs depending on the temp/humidity inside. These have been decapped, leaving a primer in will take even longer.

Now that its summer, I dry them on a wire mesh table I built outside. Winter time 2 hrs at 230 in the oven usually does the job.

Do you deprime first?

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

I do, but I have an autodrive. I probably wouldnt it it was my arm doing the work.
DWFAN, thank you for your help. You were right on the mark about the moisture. I broke out my dehydrator and PRESTO the problem disappeared. I didnt have this problem over the winter, I am thinking that with the really dry air over winter they dried just fine. With the arrival of humidity to northern Ohio, I found the weak point in my system the hard way.

I owe you a beer if we ever meet! Now I just have to burn up about 500 suspect rounds. On the bright side I should be awesome at malfunction clearing by the end of the month!

[emoji106] [emoji106] [emoji106] [emoji106] [emoji106]

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  • 5 weeks later...

The first time I tried wet tumbling (a friend brought over his Thumbler's Tumbler) I used some .45 ACP cases that had not been deprived (I usually use a vibratory tumbler and don't bother depriming first). The cases came out of the tumbler looking new; I spread them out and air dried them for several days. Later on I dumped them into my case feeder and ran them through my LNL-AP progressive press.

When I used that ammo in a match I had a failure rate of about 15%. My best guess is that there was enough moisture trapped in the primer pockets to kill some of the fresh primers.

I bought a Universal Decapping Die and de-primed my entire stock of .45 ACP brass to make sure I got rid of the problem. Then I dried the brass in a low oven for a couple of hours. No problems since.

I now have my own Frankfort Armory wet tumbler. I always recap before cleaning brass in it.

(Sometimes I am lazy and use my old vibratory tumbler for pistol brass).

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