Thread: When are primer pockets too loose

Just culled 10 or so cases today after their second firing as the cases felt very very easy to prime. As in no resistance to a hand primer but still retained the primers. When would you normally cull your brass and what would you consider too loose in a precision bolt gun?

No harm in being cautious.
If mine were loose after 2 firings I'd be backing off the powder charge.

When you are gluing them in they too loose

Pressure goes where it can. Either out front with the projectile or trying out the back way. Indicates gots lotsa presure which comes generally from how much powder you put in the boiler room. carve off a grain or 2 and then compare.Wee thing next to your bolt called your face.

When you can start a new primer a fair way in with thumb pressure they're tired.
If you can seat it fully in with thumb, mmmm....

You will almost certainly will have significant head expansion which can be measured with a micrometer. Although some argue head expansion is not a good way to measure pressure. Hmm.

I shoot, in my opinion, a very hot load in my 6.5 Ackley (in an extremely stong action with primo gas venting design). After 5 firings I had to cull a few. The culled ones also started to get tight in my shellholder.
So after 2 firings that is really cause for concern. There must be pressure signs?

What brand of brass are you using?

Try another make of primer, find that some are firmer than others to seat.

Originally Posted by PerazziSC3

When you are gluing them in they too loose

Nail polish works quite well.......

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

Nail polish works quite well.......

Suits your 243 also

Originally Posted by PerazziSC3

Suits your 243 also

I had primers fall out of resized once fired Norma brass when I took the case out of the primer tool.
The load was very accurate, no problem with bolt lift but there was a mark on the case base.
Guess it was a bit on the warm side for the brass..

Originally Posted by PerazziSC3

Suits your 243 also

Cheeky sod! You'll keep .........

Originally Posted by jakewire

I had primers fall out of resized once fired Norma brass when I took the case out of the primer tool.
The load was very accurate, no problem with bolt lift but there was a mark on the case base.
Guess it was a bit on the warm side for the brass..

These are Norma brass too. Some were fired in wet conditions thus the over pressure. But because they’re mixed in with my normal brass I’m culling on primer pocket feel.

poking them in easy...not issue for me,falling out or easy to poke out definitely time to bin. falls in on own,yeah thats an issue. at end of day,its your rifle and your face thats next to it...your call.

I have a 260 rem lapua brass that was on max more or less. was shooting in the rain. i had rain entering chamber. fired blew a primer and then fired again and same happened so dropped charge and culled brass. it was fine from then on. no point stressing the brass for little performance gains.

Originally Posted by Tuckerbox

These are Norma brass too. Some were fired in wet conditions thus the over pressure. But because they’re mixed in with my normal brass I’m culling on primer pocket feel.

Ah, the missing info.