Reloaded ammo wouldn’t fire

[Johnwell]

Other than agreeing that pierced primers are definitely time to stop, have you ever measured the firing pin protrusion? Or maybe checked the diameter of your firing pin compared to the hole in the bolt for the firing pin? Something seems amiss.

 

[Chris in TN]

I've done exactly what OP describes before. It only takes one pierced or blown primer to gum up an AR and once it happens you might as well yank the bolt group out and disassemble it and clean it. Maybe you'll notice the scrap of brass jammed in there, maybe it'll fall out unnoticed, but the rifle won't be reliable again, if it even fires at all, until you remove it.

 

[mt terry d]

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

Tikka T3x 223 I expect
Even modest handloads with CCI400's an occasional pierced, always flatten.
CCI 450's not a problem

 

[Steve300xcw]

Tikka T3x 223 I expect
Even modest handloads with CCI400's an occasional pierced, always flatten.
CCI 450's not a problem

Had a m77 223 that would pop primers well before I was in the primer popping range. Remington 7-1/2's fixed that.

 

[mt terry d]

Like I said, it was factory AAC loads. I wasn't reloading at the time.
A friend had same issue and both of us split cases