Wind Gypsy
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- Joined
- Mar 12, 2017
- Messages
- 2,481
Bump, i'm also curious how the new bore looks and shoots.
Would be a real bummer if the new barrel looked good and shot lousy!
Input on damaged rifling
- Thread starter millerkiller77
- Start date
Bump, i'm also curious how the new bore looks and shoots.
Would be a real bummer if the new barrel looked good and shot lousy!
millerkiller77
Well-known member
I completely forgot to update this thread, thanks for the bump/reminder. I started load development on the new barrel at .5gr below and up to .5gr above the known loads I had already tested in the original barrel, assuming I'd treat it the same as a new gun. Same brass, powders,bullets,& *primers*. I got ES swings in the 60's-90's, and shotgun patterns up to 2.5" on loads that I had previously been consistently grouping under .4" . The primers were randomly collapsed, like I hit them with a framing nail instead of a firing pin. Not cratered, completely collapsed to the point that the anvil came apart inside the primer pocket. When I decapped them, 2-3 small pieces came out of each pocket instead of one intact primer as usual.
Same FED GM205M primers I used previously, except I opted to open a new case so as to not mix lot numbers with the previous barrels loads .
Huge mistake
millerkiller77
Well-known member
I contacted Federal CS and they asked me to send in 10 loaded cases, spent defective primers, and anything else I could to help them evaluate the issues. Here's a few samples of what I'm calling "collapsed" primers, with a semi normal one in the pic for reference 
millerkiller77
Well-known member
Btw, I'm open to theories on why those primers collapsed
Potsie
Well-known member
Have you tested anything else in the new rifle? Probably worth it to pick up a box of cheap range ammo to throw through it.
millerkiller77
Well-known member
After 6 weeks of crickets from Federal, I decapped everything. I'm not a ballistician, but I'm smart enough to know that light loads shouldn't decimate a primer that way and not show signs anywhere else.
I reloaded the same charge weights with CCI 450's and I got right back into one hole groups with normal looking spent primers. . The only difference I'm seeing between barrels is, the 62gr fusion and 60VMAX are grouping slightly better than the first barrel, but that's with different primers. Other than that, it's a damn good shooting rifle.
I reloaded the same charge weights with CCI 450's and I got right back into one hole groups with normal looking spent primers. . The only difference I'm seeing between barrels is, the 62gr fusion and 60VMAX are grouping slightly better than the first barrel, but that's with different primers. Other than that, it's a damn good shooting rifle.
Darkside
Member
It's because you are using Norma Brass.
Just kidding, in over 40 years of reloading, I have never seen that.
millerkiller77
Well-known member
Closing this out. Ruger customer service has been top notch, and the rifle shoots just as good or better than before the barrel was replaced. Above my expectations for the price point of the rifle.
Federal/Vista customer service is a joke. To the Vista CS asshat that told me the primer cups collapsed and came apart because of an excessive carbon ring in a brand new chamber, you sir, are an idiot. The $25 check Vista mailed me to "cover" 5k primers, and the brass they aren't returning to me is comical. I hope testicular cancer ravages the entire company.
Federal/Vista customer service is a joke. To the Vista CS asshat that told me the primer cups collapsed and came apart because of an excessive carbon ring in a brand new chamber, you sir, are an idiot. The $25 check Vista mailed me to "cover" 5k primers, and the brass they aren't returning to me is comical. I hope testicular cancer ravages the entire company.
Can I have the rest of the primers? mtmuley
millerkiller77
Well-known member
I dont see why not. If you're interested I'll send them your way. You sort and pay postage.
If you could ship primers I would take you up on it. mtmuley
antelopedundee
Well-known member
Did you perchance contact Ruger about the issue since the primers didn't change**, but the barrel and chamber did? As a first guess I would say that the primers are too soft, but that should have been brought to the attention of Federal by others, since I doubt that you are the sole user of that particular lot.
I would check headspace and have someone do a chamber cast. Also try some other brands of ammo. If the problem persists, then it's Ruger's issue to fix.
At least they aren't perforated so there's that. Agree that the carbon ring comment was BS, but some folks would rather tell you something than admit that they don't know the answer.
** Primer lot changed, but not the manufacturer.
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44hunter45
Well-known member
If there was debris on the mandrel when it was hammers out you could see a defect like this.
millerkiller77
Well-known member
100% a defective batch of primers. CS agreed they shouldn't come apart or concave the way they did. But, they could not be liable for them since there are so many variables in reloading that are beyond their control. Basically, " sucks to be you, better luck next time"
millerkiller77
Well-known member
Let me know when you're in the neighborhood. There's ~600 live decapped in baggies and ~3700 live, never seated in the bucket. Heck, I might enjoy watching someone empty the bucket one primer at a time.
bluegrassdan
Member
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- Mar 25, 2025
- Messages
- 36
That's an odd one for sure. Almost looks like a pin protrusion issue. That would be true if it did that across the board, but if you are getting normal strikes on other brands or lots, then it has to be soft primer cups. How was the bolt close and lift? Excessive headspace would allow the energy of pin to push the case forward, showing light strikes and most of the time you have a few failure to fire. Tight headspace could show the heavy hit, but the bolt lift would be really hard and there is normally an ejector mark on the case rim. Did the primers feel like they seated all the way and nothing felt loose?
antelopedundee
Well-known member
It's really poor form to store bulk live primers like that. If one goes they could all go.Let me know when you're in the neighborhood. There's ~600 live decapped in baggies and ~3700 live, never seated in the bucket. Heck, I might enjoy watching someone empty the bucket one primer at a time.
antelopedundee
Well-known member
You would think that Federal would issue a recall. Also they should have communicated what they found when they test fired the "returned" loads in one of their rifles.
A quick Google search doesn't find that Federal has recently issued a recall for #205 primers. I would guess that they don't deem it to be a hazardous issue.
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millerkiller77
Well-known member
Seated fine, felt no different than the previous lot or any other primer. Bolt lift is normal, it's not a spicy load. I would think a headspace issue would carry over to all loads, not just one particular lot of components. I really think it was just a handful of bad primers in the lot and I'm more upset I didn't get my brass back than tossing the primers.
millerkiller77
Well-known member
I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm rolling the bucket down the stairs while beating it with a hammer. The bagged ones are getting tossed in the fire pit....
I was speaking with the guy where I recycle primers and brass, he buys from a few of the local ranges and said getting live cases was fairly common, especially. 22's. I asked about live primers and he shrugged it off, said he didn't care.
Flipping over pick up tubes worries me more than primers in a bucket.
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