Primers getting wet?

**hotrodder636** · 02-18-21, 17:45

Put some in deprimed cases NO powder, NO bullet and fire them.

**T2C** · 02-19-21, 09:04

Originally Posted by hotrodder636

Put some in deprimed cases NO powder, NO bullet and fire them.

Exactly. I've been doing this for over 40 years without any issues.

**DG23** · 02-19-21, 09:46

Originally Posted by T2C

Exactly. I've been doing this for over 40 years without any issues.

You summed it up perfectly in your post #9.

With no bullet that primer is NOT moving unless it was falling out of the primer pocket to begin with.

**Esq.** · 02-19-21, 13:27

I have used some really UGLY 209 shotgun primers. If the stuff you are talking about was like what was on mine, it's a form of corrosion- a white growth that is sometimes hard that turns powdery if you rub on it.....

I used the ones I had in my Perimeter Alarms. Despite being outside in even worse conditions than they had been stored in, I haven't had one fail to pop when tripped yet.

**Pappabear** · 02-19-21, 14:19

Good to know. I'll let you guys know what happens.

**AndyLate** · 02-20-21, 01:53

Originally Posted by Dr Dues

Primers DO back out on firing, and reseat on initial pressure spike (powder burn). Bullet goes forward, case moves back.

This is the conventional wisdom and the reason folks enlarge the flash hole on cases used with wax bullets.

Andy

**DG23** · 02-20-21, 19:47

Originally Posted by AndyLate

This is the conventional wisdom and the reason folks enlarge the flash hole on cases used with wax bullets.

Andy

The flash holes get enlarged to increase velocity with their plastic training bullets (according to Speer at least) and no, The primers will not back out if you don't.

Without a real bullet and / or powder it is not happening. Wax or plastic bullets that are primer powered only do not make enough pressure to move a primer in an otherwise good primer pocket.

**Bimmer** · 02-20-21, 21:40

Wow, I didn't mean to kick off a flashhole enlarging controversy...

The theory that I heard (and that made sense to me) was that given that the flash hole is significantly smaller than the face of the primer, the primer wants to push itself out of the primer pocket.

In normal ammo, the pressure of the powder burning pushes the cartridge case back against the breach face, which either holds the primer in place or shoves it back into place after it has partially dislodged itself.

FWIW, I think I remember that this is why you see breachface etching in rings around firing pin holes: The primers are coming out enough to let a bit of hot gases come out.

With no bullet, the primer dislodges itself, there's not enough pressure pushing the case back against the breach face, so the primer stays dislodged, and the gun jams...

Again, that's just what I heard, and it made sense to me, so I drilled out the flash holes of 10 cases to make "blanks."