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Posted: 10/19/2009 5:09:25 PM EDT
| I have been reloading for a few years, but I am still a little unclear about the proper way to seat a primer. When I seat them using my hornady hand primer I push them in until I hit solid resitance and then give it a little more pressure until it feels solid. The part I am unsure of is the last part. Should I do it that way or stop when I feel it bottom out? Is there any possible problems that could arrise from seating too hard? Thanks for any help. |
| My RCBS universal hand primer feels the same way, it feels like the primer seats but then you can give it a little extra and it gets solid. I checked this out a couple times and found it to be the primer pocket starts to get tight as you near bottom but you need that extra push to get the full seating of the primer unless you are seeing damage like described above then it might be to much but if no damage or flattening of the primer is visiable then seat that bitch all the way. |
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FYI.........Primer Seating Depth
From the Speer manual.......... Repriming is a simple, but critical, step that reloaders often do not give enough attention to. In order to gain optimum primer sensitivity, it must be seated firmly to the bottom of the primer pocket. But this doesn't mean using so much force that the primer cup is deformed. When primers are properly seated, the top of the primer is from .005" to .008" below flush with the case head. The purpose of this is to assure that the primer anvil legs are in firm contact with the bottom of the primer pocket. If they are not so seated, it requires an average of 59% greater firing pin blow to give reliable ignition. This much extra force simply isn't available in many firearms. Analysis of hundreds of handload misfires complaints show that the vast majority are caused by insufficient primer seating. You can check............by running your finger along the bottoms of your cases. You'll learn the "feel of the primers" as they should be seated below flush. If, after completing the reloading operation, you discover some rounds with high primers, do not attempt to reseat the primer in a loaded round. To do so is extremely hazardous! The chance of a primer firing during proper seating is extremely remote. Yet, if it does, it will ignite the powder in the case and you have a home-made "grenade" right before you. If high primers are discovered, remove both bullet and powder charge from the case before attempting to reseat the primer! There is no safe alternative. And...........If, you happen to seat a primer too firmly..........there is a chance that the "primer pellet" will break. Thus, you may be introducing a consistency "problem." And not to mention that if the primer was too deeply seated.........well, the firing pin can only travel only so far. 
Aloha, Mark |
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