New load problems - suggestions please

[Bigpops]

I need some help troubleshooting some newly loaded 38 super ammo. I loaded up 600 rounds of new Starlin brass. I shot approx 150 tonight and around 15 failed to fire on the first attempt. I had good dimples on the primers. I reloaded them and fired for the second time and got a bang.

Nothing has changed on my 1050 press. The primers are seated fine. I changed my firing pin spring to see if that was the culprit but no joy. The firing pin looks good too.

I have not changed anything on my load…same WSR and N105 from the same batch/lot number.

I am at a loss. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

[The_Vigilante]

That really leaves only the primers as the guilty party. Winchester Small Rifle-are these new to you or have you been using them previously? Maybe you can have someone with another 38 Super shoot them out of his pistol and see if the results are similar? The fact that the primers fired on the 2nd go-around suggests they weren't fully seated to begin with. Is there any way to measure rounds previously reloaded with the new ones to see if there is any difference in the depth?

Edited October 8, 2010 by The_Vigilante

[Bigpops]

By the naked eye they looked good. Let me rephrase....by the naked 46 year old eyes they were fine! I broke out some older ammo and sure enough the primers did not seat as far in the new brass.

Thanks for making me look again. Looks like the reading glasses needed to get bumped to 1.5!

[Pat Miles]

Put the loaded rounds in an ammo box primers up. Run your thumb or index finger over the primers in line down the rows. You will probably be able to feel the high ones.

Pat

[GrumpyOne]

Yep, primers not seated is usually the culprit...

[G-ManBart]

Like others, I'd suspect slightly high primers, but there are two other possible problems. One could be that your mainspring is getting weak. It's not common, but I had one go bad on me. I called ISMI and they said they had a bad batch slip out and others had the same problem. Second, you could just have some grit built up in the MS housing...a little oil, some fine dust and you're looking at possible light strikes. R,

[Merlin Orr]

Changing brands of primers may require a slightly different setting to get the proper depth. After loading many thousands of rounds with one brand I recently switched brands and had about 15 or 20 % that did not ignite on the first hit.

In my case it was going from Win. to Federal and it was on an RL 1050. Setting it deep enough to flatten the primer across nearly all of the face with just the edges of the primer still being rounded off works very well for me.

You should not be able to see the anvil in the copper face of the primer....

[calishootr]

last match i had 2 go click on me in the same stage...stuffed em in my bag, finally gotto em this weekm turns out they were a lil high, but what got me was they were same headstamp(i run mixed/scrounged)

[RH45]

I run my finger over the primers when I'm case-gauging my ammo. Although I've not found a high primer since I switched to a Dillon press, when I was loading on a Lee, I had a lot of them.

[Rolex]

If not the primers how about the XLFP!

[Powder Finger]

One thing i've done to the 1050 is to modify a die to fit the empty hole @ primer station.

the die has a rod that you adjust down to just touch the inside of the case.

That whay if the shell plate gets loose or changes or case rims worn it does'nt affect primer seating depth.

[noylj]

Let's face it, the problem is probably a combination of slightly high primers (they can be flush or slightly below and not be fully seated) and the use of a hard primer (small rifle primers). Unless the primers worked perfectly in old cases, you might need a heavier main spring to really "pop" 'em. If this is only with virgin brass, the problem could be tight primer pockets keeping the primers from seating all the way.

The 1050 has about the BEST primer seating system out there and it should seat the primers to the same depth every time.

[Bigpops]

well good news...the newly loaded, properly seated primer rounds worked today for the Classifier Match. I think some of the bullets may have been off though...some of the no-shoots got hit!