Primer heads pop off

[Tuco Ramirez]

Ok I am punching out some 243 Win rounds last night when I get 4 cases that just the head of the primer bust off. The side is still in the primer pocket. WTH? I have punched out tons of primers through the years and never had this happen. I have had the head stretch out on military brass but the primer still came out in one piece. I was using the Lee universal de-capper die. I ran all the brass through the wet tumble for 3 hours including the 4 that still had the primer sides stuck in them. I ended up taking a small screw driver getting all 4 primer side to come out after some choice words....

[Archer]

I've punched through a couple military crimped in place primers. Managed to get all of them out anyway but one. Never had the bottom of the primer cup separate.

[donhuff]

Never had that happen before?????

Was it new brass, once fired? What brand brass and primers?

I hope it's not something new THEY are starting to do to discourage us from reloading.

[Tuco Ramirez]

No worries Don this was not even close to new brass. It was some old reloads my brother had maybe 15 years old. He had about 40 rounds of all different weights and types from SP to HP. I pulled the bullets and dumped the powder in the yard. The (4) that did this were RP brass. I don't that anything to do with it. Just wondered since I have never had this happen to me before.

Heck I just resized over 100 270 Win Frontier cases for my brother. I can't remember seeing or hearing of Frontier brass so I had to look it up. Was made in the late 60's to very early 70's by Hornady from what I have read. The Frontier brass was very tarnished. Ran it for close to 28 hours in the walnut tumbler and only moderately cleaned it up. Ran it through the wet tumble for (3) hours and it looked like new brass...

[Tuco Ramirez]

I've punched through a couple military crimped in place primers. Managed to get all of them out anyway but one. Never had the bottom of the primer cup separate.

Yea I have had this happen before. Had a few that just went in the trash can.....

[donhuff]

Ok,

I reminder buying some of the frontier stuff wayyyy back. It was just a sales gimmic thing to make it sound like it was somehow different from regular ole ammo.

I bet it's hard to get that ring out.

[Tuco Ramirez]

I had no problems with the Frontier brass. The popped primer heads were much newer 243 Win brass made by RP. Yea those primer sides were a bass-turds. I remember spewing some brown words getting them out....

[CHX77]

I've had this happen on once-fired British RORG 5.56. These of course had the primers crimped in place and sealed. I never managed to get the remaining primer pieces out without messing up the primer pocket. It's puzzling that it happened on reloaded cases. Was there any sign of galvanic corrosion between the primer and case?

[akuser47]

I was gonna say the same thing radway green brass in 5.56 I had was sealed and crimped and it was a pain to deprime them. I have been sealing my .308 long distance plan loads for a while now at the primer and I wonder now if this will be an issue later LoL I hope not. I use markon custom bullet sealer It looks like nail polish slightly blue/pink for when I was doing shoots in all sorts of weather so that my ammo could get wet no problem. I have close to 80 shells still needing to be neck sized then I will know at some point I will be back home again and will see how they do as it was 5 years ago since I loaded and shot them.

[Tuco Ramirez]

I've had this happen on once-fired British RORG 5.56. These of course had the primers crimped in place and sealed. I never managed to get the remaining primer pieces out without messing up the primer pocket. It's puzzling that it happened on reloaded cases. Was there any sign of galvanic corrosion between the primer and case?

Some but not enough to really to cause any concern. What really seems funny was the metal on the primer seemed really weak. Most of the military primers I have punched out will stretch a country mile. The face of these 4 primer just gave way as soon as the primer pin touched them. These were not crimped primers.

Who knows, I just know I have never had this happen before. Maybe some clown super glued them in.... I was able to cuss them out with a small screwdriver so all is good.