Hello TBF

Your input with respect to the issue of variation of primer impact was very interesting. Please see my recent posting about my difficulty with primers and ignition systems. Your comments would be appreciated

McL

If you have ONE question of ONE person, why not just send them a private message?

Mclernon,

I am far from being able to prove this with data. But my instincts and chrono data tell me that primers do not either fire or not fire.

As in, a light strike may ignite the primer , but whith slightly less flame than when firmly struck, this can cause slightly lower velocity.

This is just observation of the behavior of one of my guns with a severely lightened mainspring, and is far from scientific.

I have a couple of Handi rifles and remember reading the warning about trigger pull you mentioned above. I can see where the transfer bar could get in the way of the hammer if the trigger was barely pressed enough to release the hammer. I have not had this problem.

Try the Federal Gold Medal Match small rifle primer ( I think you said you were loading 223 Rem. ? ) this primer has worked well for me and is very soft, actually a little too soft for some brass, they are easy to crush during seating in LC primer pockets that are not well chamfered to remove the crimp. They seat fine in standard brass that has never had a primer crimp with no special care needed.

One other thing which affects primers greatly is not firmly seating to the bottom of the primer pocket. The primer needs to bottom out,and slightly preload itself against the pocket, otherwise firing pin energy is wasted driving the primer fully into the pocket.

If your duds go bang the second time you drop the hammer on them this is likely the problem.

Do not stress out about being firm with the primer seating operation, you do not need to have a gentle touch . FEEL the primer bottom out in the pocket.

Dang it, you got me devising another experiment that I don't have time for...


Travis F.