Primers backing out
Quote from EGGS on November 21, 2025, 12:58 amToday I had a primer that backed out enough to cause the cylinder on my S & W 460 to stop rotating. This has never happened to me before, and I need to try to find out why it happened to avoid it happening again.
While shooting a 240 grain Hornady XTP Mag. bullet, using 44 grains of H110, in a Hornady case, ignited by a CCI 250 LRM primer the malfunction happened. The primer failed to fire after being struck very hard, based on finding that it showed a very deep indent from the firing pin. While attempting to go to the next round in the cylinder I was unable to do so. With a little effort from cocking the gun, and assisting the cylinder to rotate, the problem was resolved, and I opened the cylinder and removed the round, along with the remaining live round.
I usually shoot much higher loads from this, especially for hunting purposes, but this load is my pumpkin blowing load, and of course it is much more fun to shoot.
Is it possible that the Fail to Fire event caused the primer to expand with no-where to go except backward? Remember that I said the primer was well hit. My cylinder gap is .010, in case you were wondering if that had any effect.
I went on to fire 10 more rounds without incident.
Would appreciate your help on this. Thank you.
Today I had a primer that backed out enough to cause the cylinder on my S & W 460 to stop rotating. This has never happened to me before, and I need to try to find out why it happened to avoid it happening again.
While shooting a 240 grain Hornady XTP Mag. bullet, using 44 grains of H110, in a Hornady case, ignited by a CCI 250 LRM primer the malfunction happened. The primer failed to fire after being struck very hard, based on finding that it showed a very deep indent from the firing pin. While attempting to go to the next round in the cylinder I was unable to do so. With a little effort from cocking the gun, and assisting the cylinder to rotate, the problem was resolved, and I opened the cylinder and removed the round, along with the remaining live round.
I usually shoot much higher loads from this, especially for hunting purposes, but this load is my pumpkin blowing load, and of course it is much more fun to shoot.
Is it possible that the Fail to Fire event caused the primer to expand with no-where to go except backward? Remember that I said the primer was well hit. My cylinder gap is .010, in case you were wondering if that had any effect.
I went on to fire 10 more rounds without incident.
Would appreciate your help on this. Thank you.