Do Primers Go Bad

John@redmt

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Mar 2, 2019
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191
Location
San Antonio Valley CA
I was out shooting some reloads yesterday in a 6.5 CM comparing them to some factory loads. I had a couple hang fires and a couple no fire in the reloads. There's plenty of primer/pin contact and no issues with the factory loads. All I can figure is that the primers are too old?
 
I really don't know how old. A good guess would be a couple years. I bought them from a guy that I have bought a lot of reloading supplies from. TRhey are a box of 1000 and there's no appearance of any moisture.The brass would have been vibratory walnut cleaned.They would be CCI primers.
 
If they were not exposed to damp conditions, they should be OK. Many years ago, I had similar problem with a brick of Federal 205's. Called them and they send me a new brick, and together with postage paid box for the remaining primers.
 
What rifle and priming tool are you using? One of the first hand priming tools I used was the lee auto prime. It worked fine with most cartridges but with my rum and Rem brass it would seem like it was seating primers all the way but had very little to no crush on some pieces. Every so often I would have a round not go off. Switched to priming with my co ax press or the Sinclair hand priming tool and it solved the problem.
 
I'm using the RCBS hand priming tool and both the rifles are Rugers. One is the Predator and the other a standard. They have no issues with factory ammo. I used the same powder in .257 Roberts loads with pre primed casings with no issues. It has to either be the primers or the guy holding the priming tool(me) I'm not ruling out either one.
I have been considering a bench primer just for the ease of use with arthritic hands. They get sore pretty easily.
 
Never had any issues with primers, but it's not very humid here in Az. Like memtb I have thousands on the shelf. I vacuum sealed each thousand when purchased and only open when I run out of a size.
 
My hand loads for the 2017 and 2018 season where from the last I had from a brick from 2007. My next hand loads will be from a brick from 2012. When I buy primers I always write the date that I purchased them. I always use the older primers first as I rotate my stock. I have yet to experience a misfire. (knock on wood) I use the rcbs bench priming tool. I have a son in law that was told primers are made so that they deteriorate in a couple of years. He did not know what to say when I showed him that his loads where made from primers I had from 2007 last year. I told him that whom ever told him that was full of bs.
 
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Under normal storage conditions (kept at a constant temp, no excessive moisture, etc...) they can last nearly indefinitely. This is why loaded ammo from the late 1800's can still be fired if it was fully-sealed and stored in a constant temperature. Think of the old spam can .30-06 ammo from WW1, or really old Swedish 6.5x55 mil-surp ammo stored in sealed metal cans still being useable and stable. I do all my loading in a spare room inside my house (temp controlled, no moisture), and store all my components the same for this reason.
 
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