WLP issues

I have been using WLP primers in my 1911s for years. Never had any problems! Last match I went to I had 4 rounds that failed to fire. One was the last round  another the first round that caused a double alibi!
Primer looked well hit so I was thinking my 1911 possibly didn't close properly. Did some checking and maintenance though nothing looked as if there was any problems. Was busy with other things but the 1911 test fired fine! Went to another match this weekend, again a few fail to fires, one was the last shot in slow fire and I had plenty to time to experiment. Though the primer hit well I used it again checking to see that the slide was completely closed. Nothing, so I tried again and nothing again and the primer well dented! Still having time and the previous unfired though well hit primers were still in my box I tried them too, none fired! Running out of time I inserted one from the box and it fired with no problem! Later I had another! All primers were well seated, no indication of not being installed properly loaded on a Dillon 650.
 Primers are not old, part of 5000 I purchased at Perry last year from that guy on commercial row that has little more than Power and Primers plus some reloading stuff. They are in my home, never been wet or treated badly in average temperature yet I'm getting more failure to fires than I ever had, 7 in 400! Actually can't remember having any that didn't fire if closed properly in the 1911! Yeah I did nave a few that fired with no power in the case and I had to pound the bullet out of the barrel!
 Anyone having similar issues??

That's all I use. No problems. But thanks for giving me something to worry about now.

I am having the same issue. I bought 30,000 a few years back but not wanting to run out I bought 15,000 about 4 months ago from powder valley. Now I'm having a 5% FTF rate. A shooting buddy of mine is having the same problem with small pistol Winchester primers. Last time I shot with him he was having about a 20% FTF rate. The remainder of my Winchester primers will be used only for practice. Most of the time I can't finish a target without a FTF. All my Match ammo will be Federal primers. I will never buy any more Winchester primers.

I thought it was just me.  I'm about 1 box into a new sleeve of 5000 WLP and and experienced the same, only once though.  Once home I pulled the bullet and looked into the flash hole with a strong light and saw the anvil was missing from that particular primer.  As described the second hit dented the primer way past what normally occurs.  I didn't notice anything was amiss when loading the primer tube from the tray and up till now I assumed the anvil was knocked out somewhere in the primer feed of my SDB.  Now I'm not so sure.

And I just bought over 5000 Winchesters from Cabellas.  A mix of WLP, WSR, WLR

how about posting lot# of the primers you are having issues with..

Frank have you pulled those primers to see if the anvil is missing??

messenger wrote:I am having the same issue. I bought 30,000 a few years back but not wanting to run out I bought 15,000 about 4 months ago from powder valley. Now I'm having a 5% FTF rate. A shooting buddy of mine is having the same problem with small pistol Winchester primers. Last time I shot with him he was having about a 20% FTF rate. The remainder of my Winchester primers will be used only for practice. Most of the time I can't finish a target without a FTF. All my Match ammo will be Federal primers. I will never buy any more Winchester primers.

The lot# on my cases (open) of large pistol primers is HDL137G. I have two cases of these. I have two more but they each have different #'s. I just reloaded them and didn't know what to look for. I will look for missing anvils from now on. The learning never stops. Neither does the torture.

Wow we just had a thread about Winchester primers causing erosion problems.  Which based on information reported here Winchester has somewhat taken responsibility for.  Now we have failure to fire issues.  Sure glad I have nothing but and use nothing but Federal primers.  I have used them since 1978, never had a failure to fire, EVER!

My lot number is KDI337G
No I didn't pull the primers yet, I didn't think there was a problem until yesterday when the same thing happen and I loaded them again and non fired.

 I might take them to my shop to pull the primers, if I pull the bullet and dump the powder the only way I have is to put them in the 650 then I wouldn't be sure if the anvil was there or fell out in the press.

 At least I now know it wasn't only me!

 Change the lot No. to KDL1337G  The lower part of the L was not visible being that the number was printed low in the window.

Another problem I had is 2 light loads but again back to back causing a double alibi. Power wasn't enough to eject the case and it was trapped as the next round was being fed into the chamber. Is it possible it's primer created? I have been using 700X powder for many years in my Dillons 550 and 650 and found that the powder measure supplied meters 700X very well. I check the dropped charge often and find that once adjusted the weight remains constant. At one time when Adam was home we decided to make some super accurate 50 yard loads and started checking every charge with the intent to add or subtract powder as necessary. However we ended checking due to every charge was exactly on!
 I can't figure out what changed! I was loading Zero 185 JHP into once fired Starline brass with 4.2 gr. 700X and WLP. Seemed to work fine, Loaded 8 boxes to go to Perry. Testing my gun just before leaving my slide was not locking back. Talked to smith on AMU trailer (I consider him to be the best there is) and he suggested a lighter spring to get me thru the match. Purchased it and all went OK. However after Perry I loaded more using another box of 1000 primers and my slide is now not locking back with the lighter spring so I increased charge to 4.6gr that did work!
 Looking in the trash container near the press I found a number of empty sleeves with no lot number some with HFL185G and KDL337G (It's the lot I incorrectly listed in my previous post because the number is printed very low in the window so that the lower portion of the L is not visible on most of the boxes but a few are high enough to see half of the lower part of the L) Looking at the remaining 2000 primers I have a box of 1000 KDL337G and a box of 1000 HBL052G.
 I'm thinking I switched to lot KDL337G when my power lowered again plus now failure to fire! Is it possible the primers are causing this issue too??
 I think I'm going back to Federal primers, stopped using them a while ago when they had problems of over sensitive primers then came out with the new package that requited a much larger shipping box.

I use WLP with no problems so far. Many had problems with large  rifle primers, but the cups are a different size, so not related.   Federal primers may be more  sensitive because they have nitroglycerin. Google the msds. 

I had a similar problem with Federal 100 Small pistol primers.  Failures to fire during a match during time stages using .38 special.  Obvious solid hits with no ignition. about 1/2 a dozen out of 100 or so. Even multiple strikes in different revolvers SA and DA and a lever action rifle with no joy.  I contacted Federal and they indicated that the cost of the 1000 primers would be reimbursed to me upon return of that lot to the dealer.  That was several months ago and despite contacting them again 3 weeks ago, no compensation has been received.  Very disappointed.

WLP I had problems with my last box.

Also did you by any chance change case lube or case cleaning components? 

I find some primers are more sensitive to chemicals than others.

I used once fired brass that was not cleaned since the looked new that was sitting in dry location for over a year so I doubt if water was an issue, Have carbide dies so I don't use lube. Have been thinking about the spray on lube but didn't use it yet.

 I'm thinking of trying another brand but Large Pistol (non magnum) Remington is out of stock, so is Federal. I had problems with CCI fitting in the tube of my Dillon 650, caused quite a bit of problems and some that made it to the plate would not go in all the way. A friend of mine had the same problem.
 Anyone have a source for Federal Primers? Midway and Powder Valley don't have Federal or Remington.

http://ammoseek.com/

Froneck wrote:I used once fired brass that was not cleaned since the looked new that was sitting in dry location for over a year so I doubt if water was an issue, Have carbide dies so I don't use lube. Have been thinking about the spray on lube but didn't use it yet.

 I'm thinking of trying another brand but Large Pistol (non magnum) Remington is out of stock, so is Federal. I had problems with CCI fitting in the tube of my Dillon 650, caused quite a bit of problems and some that made it to the plate would not go in all the way. A friend of mine had the same problem.
 Anyone have a source for Federal Primers? Midway and Powder Valley don't have Federal or Remington.

A suggestion clean the Primer pockets. If they get too dirty they may not seat in all the way and functin.

Recently started having the same problem, though this is with an older batch (from 2011) I just started using.   Only happens with one gun which has the firing pin hitting off center a little.   Second try at a different point on the primer gets it to fire but that gun has been relegated to backup for now.   Need to test another lot and load separate match and practice ammo until I use these up.