Damaged primers safe to shoot?

[Adam Gibbs]

These are 223/5.56 cases. Pretty sure this is happening because I haven't removed enough of the crimp before seating a new primer. Using a RCBS hand primer. The bottom one is an extreme example, though I have a few that look like the middle one. Anything wrong with shooting these? Primer is CCI 450 if it matters.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Are they crooked or a dent?

 

[WKR]

Are they recessed or projecting from the case head?
I wouldn't shoot those, looks like a slam fire waiting to happen

 

[BRTreedogs]

You got any of them more in focus pictures?

 

[Adam Gibbs]

They're all below flush. It's like the crimp was impeding the primer from getting pushed into the case, so it flattened the primer as it was getting seated. I'll see if I can grab a better picture.

 

[Adam Gibbs]

Maybe this will be better.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Kinda surprised they didn't go off while you were seating them.

Personally id start over. Even if it is safe it won't be consistent.

 

[sigguy3]

Yes looks like they were flattened by the tool when pressing in. Did you have to use a lot of force on the priming tool to get them to seat? I wouldn't mess with them.

 

[Tjay]

Shoot them.

 

[aachey]

If they're below flush, realistically they'll probably be ok to shoot. But safety first, so personally, I would not shoot them.

 

[Laelkhunter]

It appears you did not remove the crimp from the primer pocket as you stated. If they are flush or deeper in the pocket, then they would probably be safe to shoot, just not consistent if you are trying to develop an accuracy load. Probably just as easy to put them in the rifle and fire them. I wouldn't try to deprime them until they have been "popped". Primed only of course, not live ammo.

 

[vonb]

Safer to pop in a rifle chamber than trying to deprime. That is if they’re seated flush. Always wear safety glasses when shooting and at the loading bench.

 

[Wyobohunter]

I know a lot of folks don’t bother but… speaking of slam fires, I use only mil-spec primers in any rifle that has a floating firing pin (AR and M1 Garand for me). The cup is thicker to prevent slam fires. For the AR in 5.56 the mil spec primer is the CCI #41.

 

[Priority 4]

If they are flush or deeper in the pocket, then they would probably be safe to shoot, just not consistent if you are trying to develop an accuracy load. Probably just as easy to put them in the rifle and fire them. I wouldn't try to deprime them until they have been "popped". Primed only of course, not live ammo.

I agree with Laelkhunter. If they are flush or below, no safety concerns with shooting.

Laelkhunter- Why do you think accuracy/consistency would be affected?

 

[long hunter]

You have to remove the crimp from the primer pocket before re-priming the case, not a hard job to accomplish, the primers will go off, but I would just de-prime and start over, why chance a mis-hap Expensive lesson now of days with both the cost and finding rifle primers.

 

[RayRayG19]

I wouldn't use those

 

[Wyobohunter]

+1
Pull bullets and dump powder (I can’t remember if you charged and seated bullets) and pop the primers in your chamber before depriming just to be safe. That’s what I’d do anyway.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I agree with Laelkhunter. If they are flush or below, no safety concerns with shooting.

Laelkhunter- Why do you think accuracy/consistency would be affected?

Anything is possible with the primer. Seating depth is supposed to make a difference with ignition of the powder charge (I don't know for sure). So if the primer is only partially seated in the primer pocket (only one side of the primer seated completely), it's possible the flame won't go through the flashhole consistently. That would affect the ignition of the powder charge which would have a large effect on accuracy.
Also possible the priming pellet compound is partially crushed which might affect the ignition of the primer, causing a change in the ignition of the powder charge. Might not make a difference for blasting ammo, but for precision type shooting, such as load development, etc I would not include the pictured cartridges in the ones I am shooting for extreme accuracy tests.

 

[EdP]

I personally would load and shoot one at a time.

 

[Wrench]

If they're flush or deeper AND the cup is sealed....id shoot it.

I just bought 500 once fired cases. I dumped them into my wet tumbler and ran for 2 hours. I pulled them, rinsed and moved to the anealing station....there were two live primers in the batch. I know this because they went off in the anealing station.

Primers are pretty amazing in resilience.

As for depriming, I have pushed at least 1k live primers out in sizing dies and never had one pop.