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A fellow at the range yesterday showed me a fired 16 gauge reload with a punctured primer. The reload was a 1 ounce, Remington hull, with a W 209 primer. The gun was a near new CZ sxs. The primer was flush with the base.

What is the probable cause? How dangerous is this condition?

I have seen this happen in various shells from time to time, and in various guns sometimes with factory loads. The CZ is the newest gun I've seen do this.

Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 863 Location: NoDak

Hi, what brand of primer is he using? Some are more "soft" than others and may tend to puncture more (Cheddites for one). Also the length of the firing pins can cause this. A case in point is my 16ga D. Gotobed 16b hammergun. When I first got her, almost every primer was pierced, I was using RST's (which use Cheddite primers)and solved the problem by having the strikers shortened up some and the headspace adjusted. Some guns will pierce primers more than others, just depends. As to being dangerous, not all that much to worry about. The problem will be firing pin erosion from the primers if they are not cleaned.

Hoped this helped some.

Good Luck!

Greg

Joined: 20 Feb 2014 Posts: 19 Location: Missouri

What was the reload? What powder and what wad was used in the RGL hull and WW 209 primer? Was it a published load, and from what source?

Joined: 03 Feb 2014 Posts: 325 Location: West Texas

I have had trouble with punctured primers on factory RGL's in 16 gauge. I switched to Herters and never had one since. I'm reloading Herter's with W 209 primers and haven't seen a punctured primer yet.

The danger is to the gun's firing pin. With enough punctured primers the firing pin will start to erode, leading to more punctured primers at first and eventually not enough pin left to ignite the primer.

JMO. Smile

Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 863 Location: NoDak

Hi, guess I should have put on my glasses. I see the primer was a Win 209, sorry. Then the problem should be the firing pins.

Best!

Greg

I have loaded a ton of Rem GL and Win CF hulls with Win 209 primers and shot them in many different guns and have never had a pierced primer.

Like wellshooter I have also had pierced primers using new factory Rem GL's. The last box I shot had 4 pierced primers in one box! Shocked

Joined: 19 Apr 2014 Posts: 429 Location: Maine

I've had numerous punctured primers with the Remington RGL 16ga. I've had numerous boxes of RGLs with two different types of primers in the same box. I've had no punctured primers Win or Cheditte 209 with my 1000's of reloads. Try some different shells.

Member Joined: 15 Mar 2007 Posts: 601 Location: Virginia

My experience with pierced primers is that they tend to be gun dependent. Citoris are prone to it. Remingtons are not, probably because their firing pins are a little larger and more rounded. Some of the German guild guns are very prone to it, but that may be because their firing pins are already eroded and need to be replaced.

As for which primers are most likely to pierce, I'd put Cheddites ahead of the others. The least likely are probably Wolf 209s. Those are so hard that they barely exhibit a dimple after firing.

DanLee says, "My experience with pierced primers is that they tend to be gun dependent. Citoris are prone to it..."

Based on my own experience, I strongly disagree here. In fact, this is only time I've heard of this problem as being common to the Citori. Frankly, I'm baffled.

I've owned and shot quite a bunch of Citori models in all the gauges over many years. I can't remember ever having the problem. It might have happened, but it's certainly been rare enough that I've not noticed it. This includes all the factory loads and my reloads I've ever fired in any of my Citori models. That would make a considerable pile of spent hulls.

I have had a few failures to fire in a couple of my Citori models caused by overly hard primes and too deeply or too loosely seated ones (mine or the factorys' fault). Others here have too. But pierced primers has not been a problem commonly reported about the Citori. Perhaps others might want to comment.

Member Joined: 15 Mar 2007 Posts: 601 Location: Virginia

Joined: 19 Jun 2004 Posts: 1480 Location: Mpls, MN.

Once the primer has been pierced, the entire charge of that particular round of ammunition has a vent hole, in addition to the large one at the muzzle.
Depending on design, age, and strength of the action, the danger could be to the action, the head of the stock, or the shooters face, eyes or hands.

It isn't anything to take lightly.

Best,
Ted