Pressure signs

[Moosehunter]

Attached are some photos
223 16" Tikka ab a-10 suppressor
First 20 rounds down the tube
Hornady match 73 eldm

Not knowing a lot about pressure I'm just curious if you all think there's a real problem or just bad ammo lot?
It's every bit as bad as it looks in the pictures. I've hand loaded to pressure for years and I've never seen anything close. Granted I'm on the cautious side.

 

[Lawnboi]

Shot two cases of that ammo in my tikka factory tube. Cratered every single primer. I think it’s just a fairly hot load. Never did pierce any.

Something I’d keep an eye on.

 

[Moosehunter]

Honestly alI i had was one box.
I grabbed it while I was in town picking up my suppressor. I was just giddy and wanted to shoot suppressed. Didn't disappoint.lol
All I have is loading components and really just want to shoot I just wish black hills was in stock.
Thanks tho!

 

[SDHNTR]

How was bolt lift?

 

[Moosehunter]

How was bolt lift?

Bolt lift was fine. Totally normal.
There was a little grey dust on the bolt face that I seen once I noticed the brass.
But the brass is destroyed.

 

[SDHNTR]

How is the brass destroyed? All I see is some minor primer cratering. Which can also be caused by an oversized firing pin hole.

 

[Moosehunter]

Ok. Destroyed being relative. There's a bur actually build up on the brass all the way around the primer pocket. Along with a deep ish "crater" around it.
I just wouldn't load it again. But then again. Ive just never had brass look like this

 

[waspocrew]

Ok. Destroyed being relative. There's a bur actually build up on the brass all the way around the primer pocket. Along with a deep ish "crater" around it.
I just wouldn't load it again. But then again. Ive just never had brass look like this

That’s not a burr - it’s a crimped primer pocket. The brass is fine.

 

[SDHNTR]

primer crimps are super common with .223 brass

 

[Sadie]

Primers are not flat. Not over pressure. As to the catered primers soft primer cups and or space around firing pin.

 

[Lawnboi]

Ok. Destroyed being relative. There's a bur actually build up on the brass all the way around the primer pocket. Along with a deep ish "crater" around it.
I just wouldn't load it again. But then again. Ive just never had brass look like this

That brass is fine. The ammo I noted being exactly like that above, I went on to load 5 more times. The worst part about that brass was that it was wildly inconsistent in size.

The brass around the primer is a type of primer crimp. It will have to be cut out before loading. They do this at the factory on a lot of 223/556 brass.

My recommendation. Throw that Hornady brass in the recycling bin. Buy some Starline brass, or a case of ADI ammo and use that brass.

 

[hereinaz]

Primers are not flat. Not over pressure. As to the catered primers soft primer cups and or space around firing pin.

This.

Specifically, we see the outside edges of the primers are still nicely rounded. When you see the edges round but the “cratering” around the firing pin, that’s because the primer is soft enough to spread into the gap between the firing pin and bolt face.

It’s not worth it, but you could have the bolt face bushed to reduce/eliminate that.

 

[CBB1]

This.

Specifically, we see the outside edges of the primers are still nicely rounded. When you see the edges round but the “cratering” around the firing pin, that’s because the primer is soft enough to spread into the gap between the firing pin and bolt face.

It’s not worth it, but you could have the bolt face bushed to reduce/eliminate that.

So would you continue shooting these? What if this were happening with hand loads? I had this same thing happened to me with hand load .223. No issues with a Ruger but popped primers with my Tikka T3X.


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[wind gypsy]

73 ELDm match factory ammo i have all had gold primers rather than silver like what is in your pictures. They showed a little flat at times in factory tikka but I never had flow around the firing pin like that. That very well could be a function of the primer cups or just a loose fit around the firing pin.

I'd keep shooting unless you got sticky bolt lift or it got notably worse personally.

 

[TaperPin]

I’m embarrassed for them to not be able to center a crimp ring.

The wife says I need to be more positive, so on the bright side this ammo fully meets my expectations of the company as a whole.

Consumers keep buying anything Hornady puts out, so they must be doing something right.

 

[wind gypsy]

So would you continue shooting these? What if this were happening with hand loads? I had this same thing happened to me with hand load .223. No issues with a Ruger but popped primers with my Tikka T3X.

Was ruger chamber 556?

 

[wind gypsy]

I’m embarrassed for them to not be able to center a crimp ring.

The wife says I need to be more positive, so on the bright side this ammo fully meets my expectations of the company as a whole.

Consumers keep buying anything Hornady puts out, so they must be doing something right.

That factory 73 ELD was the most accurate factory ammo in my tikka for about $1/ea and with a bullet that's about the highest BC factory loaded option out there.

Oddly enough, my expensive aftermarket barrel doesn't shoot it as well.

 

[hereinaz]

I

So would you continue shooting these? What if this were happening with hand loads? I had this same thing happened to me with hand load .223. No issues with a Ruger but popped primers with my Tikka T3X.


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I agree with the others. Shoot unless you have a pressure sign. That doesn’t show pressure.

Sounds like it is only that ammo so far.

“If” the firing pin gap becomes an issue, you will “punch” primers. A punched primer can happen on small rifle primers, and is solved by reducing the pin diameter and bushing it.

I am not saying that you will have that problem, in fact I doubt you will. But, if there actually is a problem, I am just saying it will look like you punched a perfect little hole in the primer and there will still be no other pressure signs.

I modified a couple of Howa that had to have the firing pin bushed down when I started shooting small rifle primers in 6 BRA.

 

[CBB1]

Was ruger chamber 556?

Good point, yes it is.


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[CBB1]

Shooting 77gr TMK, 24gr TAC in hornady brass. Fed. small rifle primers.


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