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Loose primer pockets?


Fred63

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At what stage of sorting, prep, reloading do you find, discard, excessively loose primer pockets in your brass? I sometimes deprime with a pin punch in a jig I rigged up and can catch them but for larger runs in a progressive press how do find them?

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My answer is, if they have a dark colored ring around the primer when you find the empty case or the way the primer feels when you're putting the new one in in the press. If it just drops in real easy push the new primer out and junk the case.

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In reloading 9mm brass (Winchester and Starline) on a Dillon 550b, there are times when a primer seats "too easily" (i.e., it requires much less effort than normal). I also wonder if it would be wise to immediately remove this case from the shell holder and discard it.

My concern is this: can a loosely seated primer can be blown retrograde by gas generated from powder ignition--and thereby result in a squib?

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In reloading 9mm brass (Winchester and Starline) on a Dillon 550b, there are times when a primer seats "too easily" (i.e., it requires much less effort than normal). I also wonder if it would be wise to immediately remove this case from the shell holder and discard it.

My concern is this: can a loosely seated primer can be blown retrograde by gas generated from powder ignition--and thereby result in a squib?

All primers get blown backwards on ignition somewhat. Then the case pushes back and reseats it.

I personally find it difficult to tell from a press handle when primer pockets are loose. All primers seat a little differently with some seating easier than others in perfectly good brass.

The only way I ever found a primer pocket to be loose was by putting the loaded ammo in a ziplock bag and taking it to a match. When I was loading mags I found powder on my hands. One round had a primer fall out.

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deprime 3000 9mm cases....

check it twice

reload, shoot and then lose a quarter of them....

hmmmmm

for rifle cases, it may be a good idea.

not sure that is a good fit for pistols.

I am think this is a good reason to clean in my tumbler...

miranda

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When picking up brass, if there is no primer....I toss.

Reloading, sorting, cleaning, boxing if they fall out....I toss.

I've shot a dozen or more that the primer fell out between firing and picking brass. Never noticed any problem from them.

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In reloading 9mm brass (Winchester and Starline) on a Dillon 550b, there are times when a primer seats "too easily" (i.e., it requires much less effort than normal). I also wonder if it would be wise to immediately remove this case from the shell holder and discard it.

My concern is this: can a loosely seated primer can be blown retrograde by gas generated from powder ignition--and thereby result in a squib?

All primers get blown backwards on ignition somewhat. Then the case pushes back and reseats it.

I personally find it difficult to tell from a press handle when primer pockets are loose. All primers seat a little differently with some seating easier than others in perfectly good brass.

The only way I ever found a primer pocket to be loose was by putting the loaded ammo in a ziplock bag and taking it to a match. When I was loading mags I found powder on my hands. One round had a primer fall out.

I agree and have had a few primers fall out myself. The first time it happened, I was confused as to why do I have powder on my hands. Fortunately, I always do a final round inspection before I load my magazines, and yes I do case gauge all rounds before packaging my loads into the zip lock bag in 100 round increments.

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I deprime all my brass before cleaning.. i use a separate press a RCBS jr for this process... if the primer comes out real easy... i throw that brass in the re-cycle bin...

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For about $12 you can't go wrong with this go-no go primer pocket gauge. After I decap and clean my fired brass I run each case through the no go side before doing anything else. If it's brass that I haven't loaded before and may have had crimped primers, I run it through the go side and if it passes then it goes through the no go side. All if this only takes a couple of seconds per case.

https://ballistictools.com/store/reloading-products/case-and-ammunition-gauges/swage-gage-small-primer-pocket

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For about $12 you can't go wrong with this go-no go primer pocket gauge. After I decap and clean my fired brass I run each case through the no go side before doing anything else. If it's brass that I haven't loaded before and may have had crimped primers, I run it through the go side and if it passes then it goes through the no go side. All if this only takes a couple of seconds per case.

https://ballistictools.com/store/reloading-products/case-and-ammunition-gauges/swage-gage-small-primer-pocket

I just ordered one of these yesterday, looks like it will be really handy. Looking forward to trying it out!

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ruleyoutoo1911, did you notice that they also have a neck tension gauge? That's a new item that I'm considering ordering.

I did not but I saw it when I went back and looked at the site again just now.

They also had a combo pack that looked interesting.

https://ballistictools.com/store/reloading-products/case-and-ammunition-gauges/three-gage-pack

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