Primer pocket issue with new 308 Lapua brass.

[DartonJager]

Was priming 50 of a 100 count box of my new never fired large rifle primer 308 Winchester Lapua brass.
This was also the first time I ever primed any brass made by Lapua.
I was utterly astonished at how much force was required to seat the primer in every shell.
After inspecting each shell, the only case prep I did to them prior to priming was first run a mandrel through each one to true up the case mouth and necks as they are shipped loose in their box.

I was using a Hornady hand priming tool I began priming them with Federal LRG/RFL GMM primers.
After three shells in a row required more force to prime than I ever recalled being needed for seating primers in new or fired brass for any other rifle caliber I have ever reloaded for I decided to uniform the primer pockets of the remaining 47 pieces of brass using my K&M primer pocket uniforming tool chucked in my 20V Dewalt BD. It made no discernable improvement at all.

I then confirmed for certain I was using the correct size #1 Hornady shell holder
Switched to a Size #2 Lee then a size #1 Redding then a #3 RCBS again no change.

I then switched to LRG/RFL primers from WIN and CCI and standard Federal LRG/RFL primers again no noticeable reduction or change in the amount of force needed to seat the primer.

So I'm reasonably certain it was not my primers, shell holders or my priming tool but almost certainly the brass itself had simply quite tight primer pockets that was causing me to use such an increase of a level of force needed to seat a primer greater than I ever recall using in the past. Lastly all but one of the rifle calibers I reload for use LRG/RFL primers so I have seated 1000s upon 1000s of LRG/RFL primers so I have considerable experience on just how much force is needed to seat a primer.

I'm not necessarily saying this is bad or any sign of a problem or defect in my Lapua brass, I just want to know from those who have a lot of experience using Lapua brass if this is normal.

 

[308win]

It's a pain, but tight primer pockets are a good thing. My experience was with Alpha brass, same thing. Works great now on the 3rd loading.

 

[QuietTexan]

Normal IMO. Better than them sliding in with no resistance.

Seating effort with a hand primer was a big part of why I bought a Primal Rights CPS. Pull lever, primer goes in, no effort no squeezing no guessing. Makes running through 100-200 cases a pleasure.

 

[GLTaylor]

Sinclair priming tool also has good mechanical advantage. Like good snug pockets. They last longer

 

[morgaj1]

I am experiencing the same with a new box of Lapua 300WM brass. I ended up priming on my RCBS bench automatic priming tool. All it needed was the mechanical advantage of that tool. I don't see this as a disadvantage. I shoot a hot load in this rifle and brass by other manufacturers get loose primer pockets after only a handful of loads. I am hoping that the Lapua brass lasts longer.

 

[ShtrRdy]

It seems like something changed in the Lapua brass manufacturing process. It use to be smooth seating a primer in Lapua brass and now it's hard.

 

[morgaj1]

It seems like something changed in the Lapua brass manufacturing process. It use to be smooth seating a primer in Lapua brass and now it's hard.

Interestingly, I have some recent manufactured Lapua brass in 7mm-08 and 30-06 that are not hard to seat primers. Just the 300WM...

 

[ShtrRdy]

Interestingly, I have some recent manufactured Lapua brass in 7mm-08 and 30-06 that are not hard to seat primers. Just the 300WM...

A friend of mine experienced hard primer seating on some 22-250 and 223 brass this past year. My experience with hard seating has been with the 300 WM also.

 

[DartonJager]

I am experiencing the same with a new box of Lapua 300WM brass. I ended up priming on my RCBS bench automatic priming tool. All it needed was the mechanical advantage of that tool. I don't see this as a disadvantage. I shoot a hot load in this rifle and brass by other manufacturers get loose primer pockets after only a handful of loads. I am hoping that the Lapua brass lasts longer.

Thanks for reminding me.
It just so happens I have a RCBS bench priming tool still NIB unused until your post I had forgotten I had.
Will brake it out and use it.

How many firings before one can expect to experience loose primer pockets on max reloadings of magnum cartridges?

The hottest round I currently shoot is my 300WSM out of my T3 Light. Gun shoots absolute bug holes. Best load is using IMR-4831 and pushes a 180grn SGK, NAB or NBT at an MV of 2900fps which requires both a max as as well as compressed load and I salt bath anneal after every firing. I have 300WSM brass by Nosler, Win, Federal and Hornady all have a minimum of but no more than five firings and I haven't noticed the primer pockets getting the least bit looser on any of them and I make it a point to pay very close attention while priming for any changes in the force needed to prime all my rifle brass.

The hottest caliber I reloaded for prior to that was my 7mm STW but haven't reloaded for it or shot it for a very long time. Used either Winchester or Remington Brass and did experience flattened primers and very hard to lift bolt (needed a rubber mallet to open the bolt) IIRC with both IMR-7828 and H-1000 using 160-164grn bullets and again IIRC both loadings were 2-2.5 grains below max. But never recall experiencing a loose primer pocket and my 7mmSTW brass had 4-5 reloadings.

Need to add went and checked my notes on my 7mm STW hard bolt lift was at 1-1.5 grains below a compressed load.

 

[SArnold30]

I run Lapua brass for several cartridges, including 308 Win. The first time I ever primed some I was worried about the same issue you're describing here, but I've since learned tight primer pockets is the norm for Lapua and not to be alarmed by it. I've also switched to the RCBS automatic priming tool and that seems to make the process much easier.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Yes- tight good, loose not so good. Next loading or two will be easier to seat the primers.

 

[mdbiggerstaff]

Thanks for reminding me.
It just so happens I have a RCBS bench priming tool still NIB unused until your post I had forgotten I had.
Will brake it out and use it.

How many firings before one can expect to experience loose primer pockets on max reloadings of magnum cartridges?

The hottest round I currently shoot is my 300WSM out of my T3 Light. Gun shoots absolute bug holes. Best load is using IMR-4831 and pushes a 180grn SGK, NAB or NBT at an MV of 2900fps which requires both a max as as well as compressed load and I salt bath anneal after every firing. I have 300WSM brass by Nosler, Win, Federal and Hornady all have a minimum of but no more than five firings and I haven't noticed the primer pockets getting the least bit looser on any of them and I make it a point to pay very close attention while priming for any changes in the force needed to prime all my rifle brass.

The hottest caliber I reloaded for prior to that was my 7mm STW but haven't reloaded for it or shot it for a very long time. Used either Winchester or Remington Brass and did experience flattened primers and very hard to lift bolt (needed a rubber mallet to open the bolt) IIRC with both IMR-7828 and H-1000 using 160-164grn bullets and again IIRC both loadings were 2-2.5 grains below max. But never recall experiencing a loose primer pocket and my 7mmSTW brass had 4-5 reloadings.

Need to add went and checked my notes on my 7mm STW hard bolt lift was at 1-1.5 grains below a compressed load.

I believe it's pretty normal. Same for me on 308 and 30-06 Lapua. Good product and no worries. I use CCL primers and RCBS equipment pretty exclusively. Good companies and products all the way around.

 

[Rosebud]

When primers go in really easy in lapua brass its toast. Usually at about load twenty or more.

 

[TRexF16]

I have only used Lapua in LR .308 Win, SR 6.5 CM, 6.5 Grendel, and .223 Rem Match. Everything seated pretty normally except the .223 Match. Those are very tight, just as you described. Pockets were so tight I had a hard time even getting my primer pocket uniformer tool into them. But doing so carefully did open them up just a tiny bit such that primers weren't quite so hard to seat.