Primers not seating properly? Help!

[Outandabout-goneshooting]

Hello all.

I have successfully reloaded for 17 hornet all the way through to 308, and have recently got 300 blackout. I have never had an issue seating primers with a handheld rcbs priming tool. All have gone in smoothly with no issues. I seem to be having trouble with blackout though. 3 x different makes of primer and 3 x different makes of case. Small rifle primers.

Only about half seat ok, with the other half ending up mashed up or not seated at all. See photos.

I can't work out what is going on as all the same factors and they seat fine in all other calibres with the same tool. With this same tool and 3 x different makes of everything, I am still mullering about half of all the cases and primers I'm trying to use though.

I clean all the brass well and clean all the primer pockets with a primer pockets tool.

Am I missing something obvious? Is there a way of running a round file round the primer pockets to ensure they will fit, or any way of lubing the primers to ensure they seat properly??

Thanks in advance.

1st photo is the nailed ones, 2nd photo is the normally seated ones. No difference in methodology.

 

[Smellydog]

Do you have access to another priming tool?

 

[Jagged77]

I take it when you start to meet resistance and it’s obvious it’s not going to go straight in, you try moving the case around the shell holder? I don’t mean to sound harsh but forcing them in to the state you have seems like you’re lacking a little bit of feel! When I encounter tight pockets moving the case around invariably solves it. If it refuses to go in I’d rather extract and remove rather than force it.

If the primer pockets are genuinely undersized you can buy a swaging tool to uniform them.

 

[takbok]

Is it possible that there's a problem with the shellholder?

 

[cjm1066]

You have a lot of damage to the rim, is that caused during the priming process?

 

[webley701]

I take it when you start to meet resistance and it’s obvious it’s not going to go straight in, you try moving the case around the shell holder? I don’t mean to sound harsh but forcing them in to the state you have seems like you’re lacking a little bit of feel! When I encounter tight pockets moving the case around invariably solves it. If it refuses to go in I’d rather extract and remove rather than force it.

If the primer pockets are genuinely undersized you can buy a swaging tool to uniform them.

I can only echo the thoughts above.
I’m astonished at how much damage you managed to do to cases & primers.

Have you successfully reloaded any these particular cases before or is this the first time you’ve primed/loaded them?
Could there be any residual trace of crimp left on the primer pockets (that’s if they were ex-factory loads & were actually crimped)?
Was the shellholder centred in the priming tool?
Were the cases correctly positioned in the shellholder? Some debris in the shellholder rim recess can cause incorrect alignment.

 

[Donkey Basher]

Are those new cases? - there appears to be a red ring around the primer pocket which would suggest there might be a crimp from a factory load… that would also explain why it’s difficult to seat the primers!

Suggest you get an RCBS primer pocket uniforming tool or similar & run all the cases through it.

 

[Outandabout-goneshooting]

I'm answer to all the above:

Have tried 3 x different number 4 shellholders also.

Yes, have successfully loaded, chambered and fired about half of the attempted reloads without an issue. This is what makes it so strange.

There is almost no perceptible difference between the primers that seat perfectly and those that go wonky. Both seem to require a fair bit of force. Yes I've tried moving the case about a little when in the priming tool.

All the brass I've used is once fired- either I've shot the factory load and re loaded that or I have some once fired and have tried that. It's black hills, Hornady and Winchester. None of them appear to have been crimped.

I can only think it is non uniform primer pockets, so I'll have to get a swaging tool and give that a go.

It's the fact that some work fine and others are awful that I can't understand.

 

[Outandabout-goneshooting]

Thanks for the replies though, I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious.

 

[takbok]

What brand are the primers? Could they be dodgy?

 

[Outandabout-goneshooting]

Have tried CCI, Remington and ruag. All work fine in .223 or .222, and again, weirdly about half work fine but the other half get mullered in 300 blackout. I'm coming to the conclusion it must be the brass as all the other causational factors have been eliminated.

 

[Smellydog]

Chamfer the primer pocket mouth

 

[Outandabout-goneshooting]

Is this what is suggested I need please?

primer pocket swaging tool - Google Shopping

www.google.com

 

[Tikkat1x]

got to be crimped brass surly,

 

[Donkey Basher]

Rcbs Primer Pocket Swager Combo - 2

<p>New improvements include a redesign to fit a larger group of cases, swaging rods made from stronger, high-tensile steel.</p>

www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk

You can chamfer primer pockets with a case neck chamfer tool.

 

[Donkey Basher]

I'm answer to all the above:

Have tried 3 x different number 4 shellholders also.

Yes, have successfully loaded, chambered and fired about half of the attempted reloads without an issue. This is what makes it so strange.

There is almost no perceptible difference between the primers that seat perfectly and those that go wonky. Both seem to require a fair bit of force. Yes I've tried moving the case about a little when in the priming tool.

All the brass I've used is once fired- either I've shot the factory load and re loaded that or I have some once fired and have tried that. It's black hills, Hornady and Winchester. None of them appear to have been crimped.

I can only think it is non uniform primer pockets, so I'll have to get a swaging tool and give that a go.

It's the fact that some work fine and others are awful that I can't understand.

Sorry, but I’m pretty sure that there are clear crimp rings around the Blackhills cases in your pics so there’s your problem!

 

[Tikkat1x]

id put your chamfer tool in a drill and give it a second or 3 to ream it out, thats what i did with crimped brass

 

[Outandabout-goneshooting]

Here are the three makes next to each other.

I'll get a primer reamer/ swaging tool and see what effect that has, if any.

 

[Fosbery Holster]

Your case head rims are damaged whatever shell holder you are using should match your dies…..RCBS dies RCBS shell holder, Lee dies Lee shell holder, don’t mix non compatible components.

If you are mixing non compatible components you will get case rim damage, and if you are using the wrong shell holder (case sits to loose in the shell holder) your cases won’t align with your hand held primer hence your problem.

How do I know ? I used a Lee shell holder with a RCBS die, not compatible, used RCBS shell holder…..no problem.

Just my opinion.

 

[Tikkat1x]

Here are the three makes next to each other.

I'll get a primer reamer/ swaging tool and see what effect that has, if any.

first 2 are crimped, they need to come out, then you'll be golden