I actually have two different questions.First has anyone out there encountered "hard" primers that do not indent deep enough to detonate? Second how do you "kill" a primer. In bear season this year I had a misfire with my Rem 700. I shot a bear a bit high with the first shot,staggered it but then it started running right towards me.I was totally shocked to hear a click as i tried to shoot it again.Luckily my third shot put it down for keeps.I was stunned as I have fired thousands of handloads out of various 700's and never had a misfire.I store my rifles with the tension off the striker spring and dissassemble the bolts reguarly and clean with WD-40, I never put thick oil on striker or spring. I also am very carefull to fully seat primers so I was at a loss as to what happened. I was determined to get to the bottom of this so I searched in the rocks and finally found my misfired cartridge with a very light dimple on primer. I wondered if it normally only indented a primer this much as after a load is fired the pressure flattens the primer around the pin making the indentation look much deeper.I also wondered if when I was resizing the cases I was setting the shoulder back and throwing the headspace off allowing cartridge to move forward in chamber absorbing some of the impact of the firing pin. So I took 2 fired cases resized one and left one as fired,primed both of them and then sprayed WD-40 in the cases letting them soak overnight assuming this would kill the primers giving me a true picture of indentations to compare with the recovered misfired round. Well tonight I loaded the cases in my rifle and to my amazement both primers fired!!?? I had always heard thats how to deactivate primers but it didnt work. Anyway both indentations in the empty cases are identical and much deeper than the loaded misfired round. My next step is to try to fire the loaded round again and see what happens. Its also possible that in the excitement of the moment I didnt get the bolt completely shut and the striker had to close it before striking primer taking away a lot of its force. Anybody have any ideas or similar experiences? The primers I was using are CCI 250 large rifle magnum

Howdy roklok. You have already stated all I can think of possibly a small obstruction is the only thing else I can think of. I figured wd-40 would have taken care of the primer as well, soak one in water for awhile that should deactivate it. Let us no what ya come up with.
Joe

Primers lately are coated and fairly water proof.


-DallanC

Deactivate in oil or WD40 either is fine , let soak for at least a day before popping it out ..
Jack

The last time I was in a discussion on the deactivation of primers it was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no satisfactory way to deactivate primers except to seat-em and fire-em in a firearm. Soakin' them in anything will only temporarly slow them down but they will come back to life...My suggestion? (I have never had extra primers to get rid of)...flush-em down a toilet, throw-em in a lake (far out), bury-em DEEP in the ground. or the fun way...Put-em in a screen cage and place-em in a camp fire and stand back (NOPE...This is not a good idea)...Primers are one of the products that are really made in good quality and to work in all conditions...One of the posters on another board did a test on several ways to deactivate primers. I'll try to find it and see if I can transfer it to here or send you-all in the right place to read it for yourself...

O K...I found it. Hope you can do it with my road map...The site is thehighroad.org Using their "search" The forum is "Handloading and Reloading". the string is "Depriming live primers". About 3 pages in you will find the results of an experiment that one of the posters did...It will enlighten you...Let me know if you make it...

I found the thread,very interesting. Apparently water didnt kill any of them. The various oils didnt kill many either. My Speer reloading manual makes a big deal out of not touching primers with case lube on fingers so I figured WD-40 would certainly deactivate them. Oh well ,I certainly dont plan on doing large quantities,just a couple for my experiment.You can never have too many primers!

I agree with Bushmaster on the primers, they are hard to deactivate.

One recommendation on cleaning any rifle with WD-40, beware of varnish that will form on the rifle surface. I have used WD 40 in the past on guns and over time it will gum them up, especially semi-autos. A good solvent and then a lube is much better than the WD40 and it will prevent problems.

DO NOT USE WD-40 ON ANY FIREARM!!! I repeat...DO NOT USE WD-40 ON ANY FIREARM!!! Unless you wish to derust it in the near future...WD-40 was designed to loosen rusty bolts, nuts and any other stuck or rusted item or machinery. It also works great for removing tape glue or labels on plastic bullet boxes like Sierra or Speer bullet boxes...If you use it on a firearm to loosen something stuck. Be sure that you wipe it dry of WD-40 and oil the firearm with a quality gun oil...This is from practical experience...

Yeah, believe Bushmaster when he say's "DO NOT USE WD-40 ON ANY FIREARM!!! I repeat...DO NOT USE WD-40 ON ANY FIREARM!!! "
Water gets trapped under it and the residual mixes with it......bad, bad expierences with it

I had a Rem 308 jamb-omatic many years ago that shot fine, then all of a sudden I would get an occasional dud. I took it to a local gunsmith for repair. The gunsmith told me that the thing was a mess and all gummed up. I proceeded to inform him that surprised me because I kept it clean and well lubed with WD-40. He gave me a long lecture on the proper care and cleaning of a firearm and WD-40 is FORBIDDEN. I shot that old jamb-omatic for another 20+ years with out a single dud and without a single drop of WD-40. If I were you I would pull the bolt apart and give it a good cleaning then lightly lube with a good gun oil and stay away from the WD-40. JMHO
Steve

Guys, not to sidetrack the topic here, the subject of using WD-40 in firearms has already been brought up in another forum.

www.huntingnut.com/ind...topic&t=74

the highroad.org ?? people actually go there ??
Jack

Coyotehunter_1...On that string the discussion was about several products and WD-40 was not discussed in this particular manor. I do not advicate the use of a product not specifically manufactured or designed for that use. That includes Break free. Like WD-40 it also was not intended to be used on firearms...Unless they are so rusted that nothing moves...

GroovyJack...Absolutely. I hand load 100% of my ammunition...Well except .22 LR. I have found no other site that serves my needs for load information, questions and answers...All the other sites that I visit (use) are purely DATA sites such as Hornady, Speer, etc, etc...

Quote::

“On that string the discussion was about several products and WD-40 was not discussed in this particular manor”

Bushmaster,
You are correct in the above statement and I agree with not using WD-40 but the original topic here is “Misfire and deactivating primers” not lubricants on firearms.

Just trying to keep the topic on subject.

Have a good day!

Chet