Primer depth

[Robin]

Sorry one more question I think.

How deep is too deep for primer seating. I just did one and it looks like it’s almost a mm past the edge of the case . I’ll throw a photo up to show

Is this ok or is it too far. I did this using the Hoanady hand held priming tool

[jezzab]

I'm still learning but you just made me think of it, ive only ever installed them until they stop and they are usually flush with the case head (or ever so slighly below).
Just measured the depth of my Hornady 7mm-08 primer pocket: 0.1270" and a Federal large rifle primer is 0.1250".

[Oldbloke]

Very unusual. Never seen that before. They are always flush.

My instinct says it's the wrong type of primer.

Someone else may know better.

[Oldbloke]

Could it be a large pistol primer? Rather than large rifle primer?

[Billo]

Seating of the primer should have it flush with the cartridge base, even a slightly deep seated primer can lead to light strikes and failure to go off.

I'd suggest you buy some calipers and learn how to read the depth of primer pockets and the thickness of primers

[Robin]

Winchester Large Rifle Primer

With the hand primer I did this till I heard a click however when I did it to the point of feeling resistance it was only recessed by a very small amount to the point where my caliper wasn’t able to pick up a reading , now that I look at it. I’m thinking I might have squashed my primers

[Robin]

When I measured my primer hole depth and the primer size , the difference was about 0.002

[Oldbloke]

Mmmm, sounds like you were heavy handed.
But I would still measure them to ensure that they are LRPs

Pistol primers and rifles generally don't go well together.
It's bloody rare but occasionally they are packaged incorrectly.

IMG_20250416_132858.jpg (154.72 KiB) Viewed 1165 times

[Oldbloke]

When I measured my primer hole depth and the primer size , the difference was about 0.002

Sounds about right.

[Robin]

The ones that I may have been too heavy handed with , will they be ok to shoot or is it now unsafe

[Robin]

The ones that I may have been too heavy handed with , will they be ok to shoot or is it now unsafe

[Oldbloke]

Id imagine more likely you you will get a failure to fire.

Could you put them aside for practice or fowler's?

That's what I do if I have e ammo that isn't up to spec.

See what other suggestions you get.

[No1_49er]

Looking at your photo, I'd say that they're unlikely to fire. They are too deep in the primer pocket and, at best, you'll get a light strike.
Best bet would be to de-prime all those cases and start afresh.

49er

[bladeracer]

Sorry one more question I think.

How deep is too deep for primer seating. I just did one and it looks like it’s almost a mm past the edge of the case . I’ll throw a photo up to show

Is this ok or is it too far. I did this using the Hoanady hand held priming tool

As long as it's below the case head it should be fine, put one in the firearm and see if it fires it okay. It's not possible to seat them too deep, they must be seated against the base of the pocket to reliably function.

[bladeracer]

Seating of the primer should have it flush with the cartridge base, even a slightly deep seated primer can lead to light strikes and failure to go off.

I'd suggest you buy some calipers and learn how to read the depth of primer pockets and the thickness of primers

A correctly-seated primer should be below the surface of the case head. Leaving a primer sitting above the bottom of the pocket can lead to light strikes.

[Wm.Traynor]

What jezzab, oldbloke and bladeracer said

[Billo]

Seating of the primer should have it flush with the cartridge base, even a slightly deep seated primer can lead to light strikes and failure to go off.

I'd suggest you buy some calipers and learn how to read the depth of primer pockets and the thickness of primers

A correctly-seated primer should be below the surface of the case head. Leaving a primer sitting above the bottom of the pocket can lead to light strikes.

Hence why I suggested measuring both depth of the primer pocket and primer thickness, you need to match it up

[bladeracer]

Hence why I suggested measuring both depth of the primer pocket and primer thickness, you need to match it up

Not really, I haven't ever had an issue even with very deep primers, most centrefire firearms have more than enough protrusion to cope with it. All that really matters is that the primer is below the case head, for safety, and that it is fully-seated against the bottom of the pocket so it can't move and absorb any of the energy of the striker.

[GQshayne]

The primer must be seated correctly, in two ways. It cannot be too deep as you have seen. But the primer MUST be seated correctly in the primer pocket. A certain amount of "crush" is required to engage the anvil in the primer to make it work.

I have been handloading since the 80's and have only had an issue with this once. Mostly I just chucked them in no worries! But when faced with a problem I soon found that different brands of primers can be different thicknesses, and cases can have vary primer pocket depths. In my case, we ditched the brass.

[Billo]

Hence why I suggested measuring both depth of the primer pocket and primer thickness, you need to match it up

Not really, I haven't ever had an issue even with very deep primers, most centrefire firearms have more than enough protrusion to cope with it. All that really matters is that the primer is below the case head, for safety, and that it is fully-seated against the bottom of the pocket so it can't move and absorb any of the energy of the striker.

you obviously haven't owned enough Mid locking 2 piece bolt Ruger 77s or sloppy Martini's cadets where light primer strike and primer thickness is crucial

[bladeracer]

you obviously haven't owned enough Mid locking 2 piece bolt Ruger 77s or sloppy Martini's cadets where light primer strike and primer thickness is crucial

No, thankfully I haven't had to deal with those
Some firearm designs really are sent to try us.

[Fester]

I have never seen one that deep.
I think you mentioned using a hand primer so you should get a good seating feel unless it is crap.
You wouldn't go far wrong buying an RCBS Universal hand priming tool as mine was far superior to the Hrdy one that I near wore out.
Much better feel, and operation, also no shell holders needed.