Reloaded ammo wouldn’t fire

[ckaz34]

I loaded 6ARC with lever using 29.5, 30 and 30.5 (all under max charge per Hornady manual). 29.5 was fine. 30 had a few pierced primers. None of the 30.5 fired (stopped after the third failed). The primers had light striker marks. Could the powder be too compressed even below max charge? Same COAL for each. Any other thoughts?

 

[T_Widdy]

I loaded 6ARC with lever using 29.5, 30 and 30.5 (all under max charge per Hornady manual). 29.5 was fine. 30 had a few pierced primers. None of the 30.5 fired (stopped after the third failed). The primers had light striker marks. Could the powder be too compressed even below max charge? Same COAL for each. Any other thoughts?

You more than likely have pieces of the pierced primers in your bolt keeping the firing pin from going its full travel. Clean the bolt and then figure out why your piercing primers.

 

[RockAndSage]

It's the gun.

 

[ckaz34]

I shot 5 of the other two loads before the 30.5. What could’ve happened with the gun between rounds?

 

[ckaz34]

I shot 5 of the other two loads before the 30.5. What could’ve happened with the gun between rounds?

Sorry, didn’t see the response above

 

[RockAndSage]

Sorry, didn’t see the response above

Been there, no worries. What @T_Widdy said should be pretty spot-on. Something's most likely interfering with the firing pin inside the channel, and given you had some pierced primers, those bits are getting blown back somewhere, under 50k-ish PSI.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Are you pushing the shoulder back too far on your brass?

 

[Flymost]

I’d bet it’s primer in the firing pin too. Seriously though as I’ve never pierced primers, shouldn’t you have stopped there?

 

[Jpsmith1]

I’d bet it’s primer in the firing pin too. Seriously though as I’ve never pierced primers, shouldn’t you have stopped there?

100% this I've never had a primer pierce but that ends the range session for that gun, 100%. I keep one of those mandatory gun locks in my bag for that purpose, especially if someone else is with me

 

[wapitibob]

I’d bet it’s primer in the firing pin too. Seriously though as I’ve never pierced primers, shouldn’t you have stopped there?

reloading isn't for everybody

 

[mt terry d]

reloading isn't for everybody

Factory 223 AAC loads were the first that ever pierced and split cases for me.

 

[gbflyer]

What primers are you using?

 

[A382DWDZQ]

What bullet? Also, what rifle?

 

[ckaz34]

CCI 450, 108 ELDM, Ruger American gen 2

 

[A382DWDZQ]

It could be a bit hot, hard to say. Remember that your gun and brass are different from Hornady, hence the work up from starting. Have you measured the web on a new and on a fired case to see if it grew? Use a mic and measure a bit above the extractor groove. If that’s not growing, something might be up with the firing pin.

 

[wind gypsy]

I shot 5 of the other two loads before the 30.5. What could’ve happened with the gun between rounds?

You pierced primers. That is well beyond a sign to stop but you were trying to shoot higher powder charges?

Factory 223 AAC loads were the first that ever pierced and split cases for me.

556 in a 223 or actually 223? But yeah, AAC isn't exactly high grade reliable.

 

[Robobiss]

You pierced primers. That is well beyond a sign to stop but you were trying to shoot higher powder charges?

556 in a 223 or actually 223? But yeah, AAC isn't exactly high grade reliable.

I’ve pierced primers with factory 108 ELD-M in 6ARC. Like 3 of them from the same box.

Nothing else seemed amiss. I think It was just some weaksauce primers.

 

[wind gypsy]

I’ve pierced primers with factory 108 ELD-M in 6ARC. Like 3 of them from the same box.

Nothing else seemed amiss. I think It was just some weaksauce primers.

Not heard of such issues with CCI 450s. Not sure what hornady uses in factory but for a cartridge based around the AR platform you would hope they dont use soft primers.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I’ve pierced primers with factory 108 ELD-M in 6ARC. Like 3 of them from the same box.

Nothing else seemed amiss. I think It was just some weaksauce primers.

If you had box A that pierced primers and box B that was listed as an even higher powder charge with all else being the same, would you shoot that factory box B in that gun?

I wouldn't.

 

[RockAndSage]

Not heard of such issues with CCI 450s. Not sure what hornady uses in factory but for a cartridge based around the AR platform you would hope they dont use soft primers.

I had a batch of Ammo Inc 223 that was all sorts of screwy, with the powder and primers so messed up that it had 2 of my ARs slam-firing. That's the only factory ammo I've ever had with pierced primers, but it gave a couple of 2 and 3-round full-auto bursts. Best I could tell, the powder was peaking the pressure way too high, way too close to the gas port - that flung the BCG back way too fast, and on the forward stroke the floating firing pin punched right through the primer. In 2 cases, the anvil of the primer flowed right into the bolt's firing-pin hole, keeping the casing from ejecting. At least part of the problem, I suspect, came from not using the thicker cups of magnum or AR-rated primers.