MISFIRES WITH WOLF LARGE PISTOL PRIMERS

[MAC USMC]

I have loaded and shot about 500 rounds of .45 ammo using WOLF large pistol primers with good results. Recently I was shooting the same exact load and experienced 6-7 misfires. Checking each bullet revealed that the firing pin had left a good indentation in the primers. On the second attempt each of these rounds did fire OK.

The WOLF primers were all from the same batch. The brass was of assorted brands and in good condition. The powder loads were identical.

I am in a bit of a quandry. Did I get some bad primers or did I seat the primers a tad too deep? The seating depth was precisely the same for all the rounds I loaded and the majority fired just fine.

Anyone have problems with WOLF primers? Ideas from you reloaders?

[XDRoX]

99% of the time, if a primer fires on the second try, it's due to high primers.

The first shot completely seats the primer and the second shot detonates it. Wolf primers are more difficult to seat than other brands.

Primers are actually designed to not detonate unless completely seated.

What are you loading on?

[kmca]

You probably didn't set them deep enough. The first hit seats the primer deeper so the second hit is able to ignite the primer. A primer seated a couple of thousandths high is all it takes to not fire.

beat me to it

[XDRoX]

beat me to it

....

[Inkman]

99% of the time, if a primer fires on the second try, it's due to high primers.

The first shot completely seats the primer and the second shot detonates it. Wolf primers are more difficult to seat than other brands.

Primers are actually designed to not detonate unless completely seated.

What are you loading on?

Agreed. The Wolfs can look pretty well seated, but it doesn't take much for them not to be. I'll be going back to Winchester or CCIs after this batch is gone. Just because they seat easier for me in the 550B. Never had a high primer with either of those as they go in with ease.

Al

[MAC USMC]

Me too, no more WOLF primers after this batch. My RCBS priming tool functions perfectly, so it must be the primer. Never had this issue with any other brand of primer.

[Cheep]

Wolf spp won't work in my 9mm, works good in a S&W wheel gun though. I use Winchester spp in the auto's now. Might save those for a wheel gun, or give them to me!

[XDRoX]

I think I'm down to about 7k of wolf and after they're gone I won't be buying any more either. Although I never have had a problem with them detonating. I load on a 550b, and I seat very hard no matter what I'm loading.

[ireload]

MAC USMC I load .45 acp for a buddy of mine. He uses 1911 and Sig Sauer. The method I use is to swage the primer opening. Yes it is one more step in the case prep process but makes for an easier priming process. I noticed the slight difficulty of seating Wolf large pistol primers initially. But for the cheaper price I'm willing to do the extra step.

Anyways I only swage once and I mark his brass cases so I know when he picks them up after firing it's been swaged already.

[MAC USMC]

Good tip - I thank you. What kind of tool are you using to swage the primer pockets? Marking with a felt tip pen?

[Southpaw45]

I find it interesting when I hear someone having problems with Wolf primers. Over the last 4 years or so, Without exaggerating, I have gone through about 12 thousand Wolf LP primers and about 2 thousand Wolf SP primers using different lot numbers. After burning through them all, I only had one that didnt go BANG and found one that was missing an anvil. I feel thats a pretty good track record considering they are bargain basement primers. 80 percent of the LP primers I used were for my .45 Colt loads and the others were used for .45 Auto loads. One thing I do that most reloaders dont do is I clean the primer pockets of ash build up on every load I do every time. Im not saying that this is the cause of your misfires but I just feel that the anvil needs a good clean pocket to rest in that not full of ash build up. Yes its more work and most people say Im a fool wasting my time but I feel its worth it. Like the others said. High primers sounds like your problem. Hope you figure it out........

[Triple R Munitions]

this may be true...high primers...but i am pretty sure that the wolf primers are harder then other primers.... that also may be a "problem". i cant load the wolf primers in 45 acp for some of the glock guys i load for because it does not hit it with enough force....when i run CCI/WLP no problems....but the Wolf LP run perfect in a colt....pretty sure it has to do with firing sytem....im not a gunsmith but that's my idea....

but besides that wolf primers are fine. one thing i have noticed is that their SPP(the anvil) stand proud just a hair and have to be seated harder then a CCI/WSP. and Wolf SP burn hotter then CCI-92's....the same load will have the primers cratering in 9mm using wolf while the cci-92's will be flush with a mild roll around the edge...

my .02
R

R

[DesertGunner]

I'm new to reloading, but I've loaded about 3000 rounds with wolf LP primers, and fired about 2500 so far without a single bad primer. The only FTFs I had were from primers I already knew I hadn't seated far enough.

[rsrocket1]

The Hornady chamfering tool works very well in eliminating high primers and getting that last bit of lip off of crimped primer pockets. Even after using the RCBS press mounted tool, sometimes primers are difficult to seat so I give the pockets a twist with the pointy end of this tool.

[Cowboy T]

I've had a few CCI primers do the same thing. Second try made 'em go bang, too. It happens, even with factory ammo.

I have no problems with the Wolf/Tula primers and will continue to buy them, especially at that price. None of mine (SP or LP) have yet failed to go bang. Eventually, one or two will, just like with the CCI's, and I'll just run 'em through a second time and they'll go bang.