Weird misfire

[joem]

Yesterday firing my M44 (7.62X54R). I had a misfire. I waited 30 to 45 seconds with rifle pointed down range. Nothing, so i slowly opened to bolt and extracted to shell. The shell dropped on the table and i let it lay for about 10 seconds. As I went to pick it up, the primer blew out. Scared the bejabbers out of me but I was unhurt. I took the shell home and pulled the bullet and cleaned the primer pocket. No flash holes. Haven't seen that before.

Information

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[Mizzouboy]

What brand of ammo was it? Boxer or Berdan primed?

[joem]

It is berdan primed and from Hungry I think. I will be more careful and wait a little longer in the future.

[RED]

Strange... pics please. Berdan primed, how do you deprime a Berdan primed cartridge that has no flash holes... the water method I use wouldn't work.

[Johnny Peppers]

We made "kitchen sink" reloads for the old Model 71/84 rifles when we shot up all the original ammo. To deprime them, we drilled out a piece of pipe to where the 11mm case would just seat in it, drove an icepick in the primer and lifted it out, and carefully tapped in a new Berdan primer with a plastic mallet. Loaded hundreds this way, but could never get the reloads to shoot as well as the original blackpowder loads with the paper patch bullet.

[Jim K]

That is an interesting story for those who respond to my caution by informing me that there is no such thing as a hangfire! But I admit that is the first time I have heard of it happening in conjunction with lack of a flash hole. Weird.

(Of course, had there been a flash hole, the round would have fired when the primer did, with unpredictable results and possible injury. You were lucky.)

Jim

[Ken C.]

That is an interesting story for those who respond to my caution by informing me that there is no such thing as a hangfire! But I admit that is the first time I have heard of it happening in conjunction with lack of a flash hole. Weird.

(Of course, had there been a flash hole, the round would have fired when the primer did, with unpredictable results and possible injury. You were lucky.)

Jim

No such thing as a hang fire? Apparently your detractors never had to shoot much of the old military ammo.......Im glad they arent teaching firearms safety anyplace. (I hope they arent)

[Buckeye Shooter]

To answer Red's question, the primer de-primed it self when it blew out.