Is it normal to get bad primers?

[Infamous]

Was out shooting Wolf 762x39 & had a few rounds that the primer didn't ignite. Shot around 300 rds w/ 10 bad rds that I counted, is that normal or a bad batch of ammo? I have shot Wolf a lot before and never had that many failed rounds in one session.

[GeoffLinder]

I cannot remember the last time I had one of my reloaded rifle rounds fail to ignite.

Are you sure you are seating the primers fully?

If they aren't pushed in till they bottom out and deform slightly it is very likely you will get failures, if they are properly seated with what is known as a little "crush" they ought to ignite with no real perceptible failure percentage.

A couple failures per hundred is several orders of magnitude too large a faiiure rate for primers. It should be in the 1-2 per several hundred thousand at the absolute worst.

[Gio]

Was out shooting Wolf 762x39 & had a few rounds that the primer didn't ignite. Shot around 300 rds w/ 10 bad rds that I counted, is that normal or a bad batch of ammo? I have shot Wolf a lot before and never had that many failed rounds in one session.

It is not a widespread problem but it does happen with all ammo makers. Wolf is no more, but usually you could contact them and they would replace the bad rounds for you with a new box or two.

I would check the spring you have as well, could be underpowered.

[Infamous]

Going to hit the range tomorrow morning, I will have more Wolf but from a different batch. If more rounds fail I will fill you all in on the problem, but thanks for the reply's, some good info there on what to look out for.

[Fyathyrio]

I've got Wolf large and small pistol and rifle...they go bang when the firing pin hits 'em for me except on my first batch of reloads...I made the mistake mentioned above and hadn't seated them properly.

Wolf is no more, but usually you could contact them and they would replace the bad rounds for you with a new box or two.

Source or link for this? I must have missed this news while deployed. The website is still up...

[pepsi2451]

I'm not sure if the OP is reloading but yeah 10 out of 300 is not normal either way. I use wolf primers in LR SM LP and SP. I have had some problems with the small pistol primers. I get one that wont go off every couple hundred rounds with my p226. I tried them in my dads SW 9mm and it had problems every other round. I think thats because someone replaced a spring to lighten the trigger pull but it shoots federal primers just fine which leads me to believe the wolf have a harder cup. I never had any problems with my p226 before I got the wolf primers. I've shot lots of them in LP LR and SR without a problem though.

[Gio]

I've got Wolf large and small pistol and rifle...they go bang when the firing pin hits 'em for me except on my first batch of reloads...I made the mistake mentioned above and hadn't seated them properly.



Source or link for this? I must have missed this news while deployed. The website is still up...

Ha ha, I guess that is what I get for listening to a friend of mine then

[Low-Pressure]

I shot 100 rounds of 9mm that I reloaded using Wolf primers last Friday. I had 3 that failed to ignite. I checked the depth of the primer and they were seated properly. I bought my primers from a fellow Calgunner, so I'm not sure if that plays any factor. I still have about 400 round to shoot.............. hopefully the 3 that failed are the last ones.

[Cheep]

Had problems with the small pistol primers in a mag fed pistol-started using them in a revolver and NO failures. Just a thought.

[sonnyt650]

A few out of thousands of my 40S&W reloads with Wolf primers failed to fire on the first hammer drop, but fired when struck a second time via double-action (obviously not a long-term solution) -- haven't had one that failed to fire at all. I'm unsure of the cause: maybe the process of seating primers to a consistent depth has some merit over the "feel" method I've been using, or maybe the hammer spring on my stock P226 needs to be replaced. Since they all fired the second time they were struck, I'm leaning towards the first cause assuming the primer anvil was pushed a little closer to the explosive capsule.

[kmca]

A few out of thousands of my 40S&W reloads with Wolf primers failed to fire on the first hammer drop, but fired when struck a second time via double-action (obviously not a long-term solution) -- haven't had one that failed to fire at all. I'm unsure of the cause: maybe the process of seating primers to a consistent depth has some merit over the "feel" method I've been using, or maybe the hammer spring on my stock P226 needs to be replaced. Since they all fired the second time they were struck, I'm leaning towards the first cause assuming the primer anvil was pushed a little closer to the explosive capsule.

Sure does sound like high primers. First strike fully seats the primer, second hit fires it.

[sonnyt650]

Sure does sound like high primers. First strike fully seats the primer, second hit fires it.

The thing is I'm not dainty when it comes to seating the primers where I give the press handle a solid push with shoulder behind it. I might be close to overdoing some of them as it is, and more force could cause FTFs due to crushed primer pellets with the anvil not hitting any priming material when fired.

I'm thinking that maybe the subtle differences in the dimensions of primers and cases make some feel seated, and I'd be better off with a priming setup which seats them to a set depth every time. My press isn't designed that way though where it seats primers at the bottom of the stroke. At this point I'll just live with it and try a different primer when I run through the few remaining thousands .

[bohoki]

yea ive had wolf 762x39 not go off in my mini 30 its so random some boxes will make it some boxes i get 5 duds

and of those 5 duds 4 often go off with a second hit

[pepsi2451]

The thing is I'm not dainty when it comes to seating the primers where I give the press handle a solid push with shoulder behind it. I might be close to overdoing some of them as it is, and more force could cause FTFs due to crushed primer pellets with the anvil not hitting any priming material when fired.

I'm thinking that maybe the subtle differences in the dimensions of primers and cases make some feel seated, and I'd be better off with a priming setup which seats them to a set depth every time. My press isn't designed that way though where it seats primers at the bottom of the stroke. At this point I'll just live with it and try a different primer when I run through the few remaining thousands .

The thing is you don't want them all the same depth, especially if your using mixed head stamp cases. You want them to be fully seated so they don't have any give when the firing pin hits them.

I think the problem is the wolf small pistol primers. I use wolf primers for everything. I have shot thousands of LP without a problem but with the SP I have problems every couple hundred rounds with my p226.

I know my dads SW 9mm has a light primer strike (due to a previous owner) but it fires federal primers just fine, the wolf it will only fire about every other one.

I'm only loading practice ammo so I'm trying to look at the bright side, at least it gives me a chance to practice malfunction drills, but next time I buy SPP they won't be wolf.

[Don the savage]

I had the same issues with the wolf SPP. 3-5 FTf per 100 loads in 9 and 40. They are now my back ups unless someone wants 700 wolf primers in a trade.