The Accurate Reloading Forums
Too much pressure or bad primer?
07 August 2016, 22:14
new_guyToo much pressure or bad primer?
308 Win. 44gr or RL 15 with a 150 TTSX... that's basically Barnes' starting load.
What do you think?
07 August 2016, 22:33
dpcdBad primer that leaked out the side. Pressure on a good primer would have made a flat and/or/ cratered primer.
08 August 2016, 00:04
hivelosityI have seen that with loose primer pockets in my 25/06
08 August 2016, 03:50
Phil Brousseauis it a winchester primer?
08 August 2016, 04:16
RapidrobIt looks as though the primer caught the edge of the pocket when seated.
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Let me guess....a Win large rifle primer?
08 August 2016, 06:37
new_guyThat's actually a 210
08 August 2016, 07:13
frankinthelaurelsLooks to me like it somehow got nicked, was it seated a little high and got nicked closing the action ?? Something caused that little half moon chip and it went a little deep and the wall failed..
08 August 2016, 07:28
new_guyThe anvil was loose and came out of the cup a bit. I think that is what's creating the appearance of a nick at the bottom of the primer.
I dont believe the cup was damaged while seating.
If you're talking about the half moon on the face of the primer, that was melted away from leaking gas.
08 August 2016, 11:29
416RigbyHunterI would bet the house that is a faulty primer cup, nothing more, nothing less.
Knock on wood, I haven't experienced any of these failures, but, I have had blown primers while working up loads.
Cheers.

Looks like a primer cup failure to me as well. I've seen a few fail exactly like that but all were from the bad batch of brass colored WLRs. I don't think the cup was nicked but is instead damaged from the flame cutting by the jet of 60K PSI gas escaping from the cup failure. If it was a 210 did you contact Federal about the issue? Winchester handled their bad lot of primers pretty well and I would imagine Fed would as well.
09 August 2016, 01:01
crbutlerLooks like a crack running from the molten spot all the way down the cup.
Must be a very old Federal primer, as every one I have seen has nickel plating on it.
If it is old, that might explain it, but given the rest of the primer doesn't look too flat or anything, I would wager it's a bad primer, not a overpressure load.
09 August 2016, 04:12
Phil BrousseauBC3 i had the same winchester primer problem what did winchester do?
Winchester sent packaging for the primers and then a truck was dispatched to pick them up (5 bricks worth in two different lot numbers). A reimbursement check that accounted for my trouble showed up in the mail shortly thereafter. They also offered to repair any bolt face damage. I declined the repair because the bolt face pitting was relatively minor and the hassle of sending off several rifles was not worth it to me. I have since replaced the returned WLRs with newly manufactured WLRs from a Winchester recommended lot # and have had zero issues.
The OP picture looked like a brass cup primer and the failure mechanism looks identical to what I experienced which was the reason for the WLR assumption.
09 August 2016, 05:45
cgbachI have a batch of 5000 Winchester large pistol primers that are doing that with very mild loads. I have never had any problems with them in the past. Winchester got a QC problem?
C.G.B.
09 August 2016, 17:56
Fury01Does anyone have the bad lot #'s so that we can check our supplies?
Thanks!
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10 August 2016, 02:56
Phil Brousseaui had the same thing happen. i had no idea that winchester would stand behind their product to that degree
11 August 2016, 04:06
243winxbGas leak from high pressure or bad primer. Winchester here, with some lot numbers.
Photo link12 August 2016, 18:44
new_guyNow you've got me doubting myself. I'll have to locate the primer and look at it again. I was thinking it was a 210 that look gold because of the light, but now I think it looks gold too... it could be a Winchester, as I have used those off and on in the past. This photo is a few years old.
12 August 2016, 21:00
Doublessquote:
Originally posted by BC3:
Winchester sent packaging for the primers and then a truck was dispatched to pick them up (5 bricks worth in two different lot numbers). A reimbursement check that accounted for my trouble showed up in the mail shortly thereafter. They also offered to repair any bolt face damage. I declined the repair because the bolt face pitting was relatively minor and the hassle of sending off several rifles was not worth it to me. I have since replaced the returned WLRs with newly manufactured WLRs from a Winchester recommended lot # and have had zero issues.
The OP picture looked like a brass cup primer and the failure mechanism looks identical to what I experienced which was the reason for the WLR assumption.
Quite a few years ago I had a retired Speer employee who was then working for Accurate Arms tell me that "Winchester has never really worked for the handloader piece of the business. They were primarily concerned with retail sales only."
I had always believed that based on the rather limited volume of handloading components available from them, comparatively speaking. I am now having serious second thoughts, based on this post.
Here is a link to another thread that contains a collection of information and affected lot numbers for the WLR primer issue.
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/...hp/topics/11096795/116 August 2016, 21:53
new_guyOkay... mine was a Win LR primer.
Here is my Lot number
CLK525G
20 August 2016, 01:44
Orange1948Blew a WLR primer in my new 25-06 Cooper...pin hole blew gasses against bolt face and left a pit. My lot # is DFL722G.
21 August 2016, 08:06
AtkinsonPrimers can be an indication of high pressure, but you can't depend on it..My take is I pay attention to primers but don't get excited until another pressure sign shows up to back up the primer sign. Reloaders fly by the seat of their pants, in that some are over cautious and never get the best out of rifle, others stretch the string to the upper limits, I try to be in there someplace, depending on what Im seeing..Bottom line is Im the one that makes the judgement not somebody else..
Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120
rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com