how do these primers look?

[devster55]

Are these showing too much pressure due to the primer flattening? The load was 25.9 GR of CFE 223 with a 55GR extreme bullet and Tula primers with mix brass. Max load is 27.4gr

[mark501w]

look pretty flat is the ejector showing up on the back of the case? Take a better pic. you'll also notice a difference in ease of primer seating.

[OldShooter32]

Run your thumbnail across the primer indent. Feel a ridge? That's "cratering" and is a sign of high pressure -- when I get that, I back off the load.

[ironhorse1]

I have never seen a primer that flat on a reloaded .223 or factory 5.56 round.

Now we have been told that flattened primers are not always a good indication of pressure.

Yet when I see flat primers such as those I tend to believe it is time to back down on the load.

Not all guns are equal and that is why we need to work up our loads.

Here's another test. Can you place a bullet easily into the neck of the fired case?

How long are your cases after resizing? To long can be a problem and can raise pressure.

irh

[devster55]

look pretty flat is the ejector showing up on the back of the case? Take a better pic. you'll also notice a difference in ease of primer seating.

pretty much every round that I have shot it does that to.

[devster55]

I have never seen a primer that flat on a reloaded .223 or factory 5.56 round.

Now we have been told that flattened primers are not always a good indication of pressure.

Yet when I see flat primers such as those I tend to believe it is time to back down on the load.

Not all guns are equal and that is why we need to work up our loads.

Here another test. Can you place a bullet easily into the neck of the fired case?

How long are your cases after resizing? To long can be a problem and can raise pressure.

irh

The cases are trimmed to 1.750 per my hornady handbook.

[devster55]

Run your thumbnail across the primer indent. Feel a ridge? That's "cratering" and is a sign of high pressure -- when I get that, I back off the load.

no there is no ridge at all. Just flat.

[ironhorse1]

What rifle did you use to fire these rounds?

Have you reloaded other powders without a problem?

Have you fired factory ammo without the primers being flattened?

Is the bullet a flatbase or boattail?

irh

[devster55]

The LC and SADU is factory loaded ammo. then the other 4 are reloads. There is no dimpling and I trim to 1.750 or make sure they are below the recommended length. Its a piston upper if that makes any difference made by AA with a mid length gas system.

[ironhorse1]

Will a fired case rechamber without difficulty?

Sorry for all the questions. Looking at the cases, factory and reloads makes me believe that you have a tight chamber.

Only measurements can determine if that is the case. As tooling wears out things tend to get a bit smaller. Your might want to check your barrel for proper lead as well.

irh

[devster55]

they slide right in. without any force. I have no idea. I got this upper brand new right out of the box. How would I check the lead?

[ironhorse1]

To check the lead I would seat a bullet long in a resized case. Then chamber the case and see if the bullet is pushed back into the case. The final length may give you an idea of the length of the throat or lead. Unless the bullet is pulled out of the case when ejected. Then you know that it is stuck in the rifling.
You can try again using a shorter OAL.

Does a bullet easily fit into the neck of a fired case. If it does not the neck area of the chamber is tight causing higher pressure.

One step at a time. Measurements are important.

Good luck!

irh

[mark501w]

Do you have ejector marks?

[devster55]

Do you have ejector marks?

no not really. maybe on a few but on the rest I don't. Maybe just a little smudge not a gash or anything like that. I have more on factory ammo then on these reloads.

[devster55]

To check the lead I would seat a bullet long in a resized case. Then chamber the case and see if the bullet is pushed back into the case. The final length may give you an idea of the length of the throat or lead. Unless the bullet is pulled out of the case when ejected. Then you know that it is stuck in the rifling.
You can try again using a shorter OAL.

Does a bullet easily fit into the neck of a fired case. If it does not the neck area of the chamber is tight causing higher pressure.

One step at a time. Measurements are important.

Good luck!

irh

The bullets slide right in like a unsized case.