this didn't happen to me but I'm wondering if anyone else has had the same problem. I'll save you the hunt other than the bird is still alive.
My buddy was using win. LB 3" 1 3/4oz #6's and the shell didn't fire, there was a dent in the primer so the hammer hit the primer. this is a new box from this year, same gun fired shell's from last year flawless. ran out opened a new box and this happened!!
I would shoot another one and see if it fires. Probably just got a bad shell. If it fires i wouldnt worry about it myself. If it doesn't try different shells and then probably the firing pin.
What gun, how experienced is your buddy?
Smells like a Benelli SBE that he knocked out of battery or an 870 or Nova that he didn't quite get closed all the way.
Can't blame the plane 'til ya clear the pilot...
was the dent the normal depth ???? I had the same problem from not letting the bolt to slam home..
I saw a guy with an 835 that would not fire longbeards, shot everything else!
I had a couple winchester super x loads do this this year. I fire quite a few turkey loads every spring and summer in my 835 and never had a problem til this spring. After already shooting 12 or so different loads I got a click!! It was a light strike but still dented the primer. Next shell fired then the third wouldn't. Another light strike. I held the gun pointed up with action open and added a drop of oil to the firing pin. Waited a few minutes then dry fired it a couple times. Started back with the two light primer strike shells and everything was fine. It got me through the session but I didn't hunt with it until I stripped it down and thoroughly cleaned it. It was fairly gritty in the action. Test fired some more rounds and all is good again. Though I've heard a few others with similar complaints with the LB shells I'd definitely still make sure the action and firing pin channel/hole isn't "sticky".
I think I have had issues with every brand of shell I've ever shot at sometime or another. If you shoot enough you will find a shell with a bad primer! I've had rifle carriages that I hand loaded my self do it? Just bad primers or some brand like Winchester May take a little stiffer firing pin due to the primer cup being harder?? Thing I'd you build as many shells as Winchester and shell them some will have a defect from time to time. But no way would I let that stop me from using them with the performance I get!
Close friend in Virginia had same problem. Then had problems with the shot inside the shells. Sounded loose..... When he got one to fire he said it was bad..... Like he could see the shot hitting the ground close to the bird.....
Also have seen lots of people having problems on Facebook with the Winchester shells this year... Good luck.
I have had this happen to me this year. Mine were also the LB 3" 1 3/4oz #6's and the primer clearly did not go off. I measured the indent compared to a LB 3" #5 I shot a bird with last year and its the same. After putting all the hard work in to get to the bird in the morning and having a primer issue I must say I am done with the LB Winchesters. My confidence is gone with them. I am in the middle of our season here looking for shells and planning to pattern my gun. Just not happy.
How do you know the it was the ammo? As asked, was the primer hit light? Could be the gun. It's not real common actually extremely uncommon for primers to go bad but it is possible. I'm thinking the hit was light and it's the gun not the Ammo unless you repeated it with another round, -(highly unlikely). . Still shoot the shell w another gun, see if it fires if that primer hit was light. If it doesn't you surely know the culprit instead of guessing
I was hunting with a buddy a few weeks ago and he unloaded his gun right after killing a bird. There were loose BB's inside his gun. He checked his other 2 shells and it looked like BB's were about to spill out of one of them. Those were 3 1/2 inch #6 Winchester Longbeards.
Did they change longbeards this year. I am still using older boxes but the ones I have are completely sealed. Impossible for shot to ever fall out.
We gutted the bolt on that 835, new spring and pin still the same issue, dented primers no boom, literally shot everything else, maybe a bad run of shells with primers set in deeper? He went to mag blends.
Bad primers or no powder
Got to cut them open to find out.
Quote from: mikejd on May 12, 2018, 07:30:12 PM
Did they change longbeards this year. I am still using older boxes but the ones I have are completely sealed. Impossible for shot to ever fall out.
I had bought a few boxes when they first come out and had some loose shot but mainly the overshot card that is four petals I had some broken and fell off in the magazine tube . Guess a guy could glue them,nail polish or something. The ones that rattle all or part of the resin in busted and would not use them on turkey hunt. That with the poi poa shifting and I stuck with the federal shells. Not a problem in years.
Mag blend is another good choice.
You're not saving any money dealing with stuff like this. :z-twocents:
Quote from: Dtrkyman on May 12, 2018, 08:52:00 PM
We gutted the bolt on that 835, new spring and pin still the same issue, dented primers no boom, literally shot everything else, maybe a bad run of shells with primers set in deeper? He went to mag blends.
Still say it's a gun issue especially if it happens multiple times. Just shoot the shells through another gun to rule out the first. There's no way Winchester is selling shells w primers that don't fire.
I'm not saying it's not possible but it's highly unlikely.
Not arguing you didn't see something but one gun and some shells even w changing a firing pin and spring still is using the same gun. Maybe the firing pin and spring weren't the issue.
Years ago I had a kimber 7mm-08. I reload and upon shooting it it seemed the hits on the primers were light and not going off. Sent the gun to kimber 3 times. They told me to try dif factory Ammo. I was too stupid to reload right I guess. Didn't help. They checked the pin, springs, head spacing, etc etc.
I finally just sold the gun.
I used to shoot a minimum of 400 rounds a week, 1500 on some weekends for about 15 years straight. Not saying it's more than all shooters but more than lots. In all that shooting I don't recall but one or two, except for the kimber, misfires.
Winchester ,to my knowledge and I'm not sure, didn't make primers specifically for the longbeards. Why the just stop working??
Never ever had a problem with LB #6 3" through my 835. If that happened to me in front of a turkey I would probably just throw my gun at the dang bird.
Quote from: owlhoot on May 12, 2018, 09:47:26 PM
Quote from: mikejd on May 12, 2018, 07:30:12 PM
Did they change longbeards this year. I am still using older boxes but the ones I have are completely sealed. Impossible for shot to ever fall out.
I had bought a few boxes when they first come out and had some loose shot but mainly the overshot card that is four petals I had some broken and fell off in the magazine tube . Guess a guy could glue them,nail polish or something. The ones that rattle all or part of the resin in busted and would not use them on turkey hunt. That with the poi poa shifting and I stuck with the federal shells. Not a problem in years.
Mag blend is another good choice.
You're not saving any money dealing with stuff like this. :z-twocents:
This is the reason I don't use any Hevi shot. Made like crap in my opinion. They always open. Buffer all over the place and pellets are rattling around in there. For 5 bucks a shot the quality should be way better. That's why I use the longbeards. Do they put patterns like Hevi? no way! but they are far better made.
Thought a lot of guys sealed those up too. The hevi that is. Candle wax.
Primer strike weak .Bad primer, primer not fully seated.
No manufacturer wants it to happen. Gun or shells.
Seems it has been happening a lot to be a gun issue.
Has been reported on here and many other forums for a few years now. Most common is the 835 gun but others too.
Update to my previous post. I took out my gun today and shot 4 different brands without any issues. Different sizes and weights. I will not be using long beards again. Cost me a nice bird.