light hits on primer

[usmc1974]

First, yes I did a search, did not find what I needed. I had 5 light hits as I was shooting a match yesterday six stages about 160 rounds. My 35 is like new. I take care to clean it after evry outing. I was using Federal small pistol primers. I really need this to stop. Help.

[High Lord Gomer]

When you clean it, do you take the striker out and clean in there, too?

[usmc1974]

When you clean it, do you take the striker out and clean in there, too?

Not ever time a couple times a month.

[Bigpops]

We just went through this with the Mrs' 34. Just change the Striker spring and save yourself a bunch of troubleshooting and headaches. I know you said it was new but you may have gotten a weak spring.

One other thing to check would be high primers. We had both!(should have played the lottery that day)

Edited October 25, 2010 by Bigpops

[jimzim]

Some thoughts:

- If the ammo are reloads, check to see that the rounds with light struck primers were not too far inset in the primer pocket.

- Have you tried other loads to see if the problem is persistent?

- Remove the striker and clean it along with striker spring, and swab out its housing.

- Any damage to the tip of the striker? If so, you may want to consider replacing it. I recommend the Jager Ultra-Light striker.

- Consider replacing the striker spring.

[Ronnie j]

Sounds like classic high primers

[kamikaze1a]

Another possibility... Light strikes on a properly seated primer could also be, in a Glock, due to failing to go completely into battery. Are you loading cast/lead bullets? If you still have those light strike rounds, take a look at the bullet. Look for scrape marks on the bullet forward of the shell or try dropping it into the chamber with the barrel removed. If there is some resistance or does not freely chamber completely, your slide might not be closing completely and could cause a light strike. The base of the shell should be even with the rear of the barrel's hood.

Another way to detect that is the top of barrel hood should normally be even with the top of the slide when completely in battery. If the top of the hood is not flush (a couple of thousandths lower than the top of your slide) it could be very slightly out of battery. Enough for the striker to engage but cause light strikes.

I've had this happen to me a few times when loading bullets from a different manufacturer. Seated too long, a few required a rap on the back of the slide and a few seemed to be in battery but resulted in light strikes...

[Duane Thomas]

Sounds like classic high primers

I agree with the comment that this sounds like a classic case of high primers.

- If the ammo are reloads, check to see that the rounds with light struck primers were not too far inset in the primer pocket.

Having the primers seated nice and deep is not a problem - you want them seated fully. High primers OTOH...just a click! waiting to happen.

[usmc1974]

Sounds like classic high primers

I agree with the comment that this sounds like a classic case of high primers.

- If the ammo are reloads, check to see that the rounds with light struck primers were not too far inset in the primer pocket.

Having the primers seated nice and deep is not a problem - you want them seated fully. High primers OTOH...just a click! waiting to happen.

I went through rest of the 1000 rounds I had loaded (maybe 600) found about 12 or so that needed resetted. and cleaned the striker area. Now I will shoot it. Thanks B

[Bigpops]

you're reseating high primers????

[Sarge]

you're reseating high primers????

I've read on here somewhere that guys do it routinely. Personally I would just take them to the range and shoot them or pull the bullets or pitch them all together.

[G-ManBart]

you're reseating high primers????

It may not be the greatest idea, but I'd bet that most folks have done it at some point or another. Not that it can't happen, but I've actually never heard of anyone having one go bang doing this. In my younger, poorer days I've reseated high primers...worst case is probably that the round detonates, it makes some noise and sends some brass shrapnel flying. I always looked away from the press (protecting eyes) and pushed no more than necessary. Pulling the bullet and starting over is the smart idea, of course. R,

[Pro2AInPA]

High primers is my guess as well. Very odd that a factory Glock doesn't set off Federal primers.

My Glock had a Vanek trigger with a light striker spring and it set off Federal primers 100%.

[Bigpops]

you're reseating high primers????

It may not be the greatest idea, but I'd bet that most folks have done it at some point or another. Not that it can't happen, but I've actually never heard of anyone having one go bang doing this. In my younger, poorer days I've reseated high primers...worst case is probably that the round detonates, it makes some noise and sends some brass shrapnel flying. I always looked away from the press (protecting eyes) and pushed no more than necessary. Pulling the bullet and starting over is the smart idea, of course. R,

I had a primer cook off a couple weeks ago while reloading on my 1050. The prime on the down stroke is nice but it does not provide the same feel that the 550 had. I had some Speer frangible load brass mixed in our batch from a friend that shot at our place. For whatever reason the old primers were not getting punched out properly and as I was cranking away WHAMMO! Yes....I let out a nice girly scream. (so did my 8 year old)

So, based on that incident, I could not imagine running a loaded round through the primer seating station. I would be afraid the force of the stroke would set it off. Then again, if went slow enough...never mind not worth the risk.

I just take them out back and shoot them through the trusty Trojan. They always go bang then!

[kamikaze1a]

Didn't he state that he had light hits rather than failure to fire? High primers might not fire but should not look like light hits...unless all, including the ones that fired, looked light.

And I would be really hesitant to reseat primers with bullets and primers... A kinetic or collet bullet puller is a good tool to have if you reload.

[usmc1974]

I take great care in doing this. light strike only bothers you if it don't go bang !!!

Edited October 26, 2010 by usmc1974

[Sarge]

Didn't he state that he had light hits rather than failure to fire? High primers might not fire but should not look like light hits...unless all, including the ones that fired, looked light.

Huh? Light strikes are typically failure to fire situations. High primers will show light strike indentations because the pin/striker pushed the primer farther in to the case therefore absorbing the energy of the pin/striker. If the primer is not fully in the case then the anvil won't do its thing.

[kamikaze1a]

Didn't he state that he had light hits rather than failure to fire? High primers might not fire but should not look like light hits...unless all, including the ones that fired, looked light.

Huh? Light strikes are typically failure to fire situations. High primers will show light strike indentations because the pin/striker pushed the primer farther in to the case therefore absorbing the energy of the pin/striker. If the primer is not fully in the case then the anvil won't do its thing.

I agree but there are light strikes where the "dent" is shallower/less than a normal indentation and then there are failure to fire, two totally different situations. Granted both can and do happen at the same time but if it were primers not fully seated, you would see a normal/deep firing pin indentation but no ignition. With a light strike, it may or may not ignite but see a shallower indentation...

When the OP said he had light strikes, I would take that to mean the "dent" was less than on the rest of his fired primer...

[Duane Thomas]

When the OP said he had light strikes, I would take that to mean the "dent" was less than on the rest of his fired primer...

Of course it was.

A lot of the "dent" we see on a fired casing's primer is caused by the pressure inside the casing pushing the primer cup to the rear and fire forming it around the firing pin tip while the two are in contact. Or, put another way, a firing pin strike where the primer doesn't ignite will always look shallower than one where it does, even given the exact same primer type, exact same seating depth, and exact same firing pin impact energy.

[kamikaze1a]

I agree that the primer cup expanding will enhance the appearance of the dent but I see light/shallow dents that did not fire as well as normal/deep dents that also did not fire. So I stand by my interpretation of his light hit description.

A perfect example would be my buddy's recently purchased AR in 7.62x39. His first trip the range was a disappointment because he got light hits/strikes on the primers and numerous failure to fire. When I looked at the primers, the "dent" on both the fired and failed to fire primers looked "light". The solution was relieving .007" from the fp stopper (he did not want to relieve the tail of his bolt) which increased the fp protrusion and resulted in deeper dents, resolving the failure to fire. The "dents" no longer looked shallow/light. He did have one failure to fire out of about a hundred rounds but we attributed that to the cheap, steel case ammo but the dent was noticeably deeper as in normal but did not fire.

This is why I say that there are light strike and strikes that are normal/deep and you can have failure to fire with either...

[G-ManBart]

I agree that the primer cup expanding will enhance the appearance of the dent but I see light/shallow dents that did not fire as well as normal/deep dents that also did not fire. So I stand by my interpretation of his light hit description.

A perfect example would be my buddy's recently purchased AR in 7.62x39. His first trip the range was a disappointment because he got light hits/strikes on the primers and numerous failure to fire. When I looked at the primers, the "dent" on both the fired and failed to fire primers looked "light". The solution was relieving .007" from the fp stopper (he did not want to relieve the tail of his bolt) which increased the fp protrusion and resulted in deeper dents, resolving the failure to fire. The "dents" no longer looked shallow/light. He did have one failure to fire out of about a hundred rounds but we attributed that to the cheap, steel case ammo but the dent was noticeably deeper as in normal but did not fire.

This is why I say that there are light strike and strikes that are normal/deep and you can have failure to fire with either...

He never clarified about the depth of the dents, but he did say that he found high primers in that batch of ammo...so, while he didn't describe whether the light hits were shallow dents, or just failures to fire, which many people generically call light hits, it does sound like he found the problem. R,

[kamikaze1a]

Roger that...

[usmc1974]

I will let ya'll know after the next match but, I do believe it was high primers. Thanks B

[Duane Thomas]

Please keep us posted, thanks. I'm kinda curious.