Yesterday at the range my 300 Weatherby misfired. I dis-assembled the round when I got home and found that the anvil was missing from the primer (Federal 215). There was an imprint of it in the compound so it must have fallen out somehow.
In many years and thousands of rounds I've never seen that before.
I'll be eyeballing my primers from now on.

Leo

I had a misfire with a 215M. I checked the primer and it seemed ok. I measured the detent from the firing pin and it was the same as many other cartridges. This rifle has no headspace etc.

I looked into the tray where they may have come from and there is some dry dirt of some sort in that row. I have no idea what it is but I put the entire carton aside and am now using a lot of 215's for the same purpose.

Once in a while you find a loose anvil in a new primer, or one that's fallen out. I think I've only seen one that fell clear out like yours. We often take primers for granted, but their production's really a pretty complex thing and the manufacturers do an awfully good job of it for the price.

Leo
I just had the same thing happen to me about 2 months ago, from a newly purchased brick of 215's. That was my first one in 25 years of reloading but it taught me to really scrutinize the primers once they are flipped in the tray. I am glad I was'nt pointing it at something dangerous. Shayne