Axis II in .223 always cratering primers, should I worry?

**71GTO** · 07-07-2021, 04:15 PM

I have had my Axis II in .223 for a few months and have put about 2-300 rounds through it. Beginning with the first round through the rifle it has always cratered the primers. At first I thought it was because of my reloads were using CCI-400 primers and from what I have read, the majority of .223 Axis owners have commented that the CCI-400 is too thin. BTW the cratering was happening with a start load, middle load or close to max load. It didn't matter. Luckily I was able to purchase some CCI BR-4. CCI-450, CCI-#41 and Remington 7 1/2 primers to test. I tested a bunch of Lapua brass with different loads of Varget and a combination of all the listed primers. Same result, every single round was cratered! Okay so for the last resort I figured that I would break down and buy some factory 223 to test to eliminate my reloads as the issue. I tested 5- different brands with speeds between 2650- 3050 FPS and low and behold every primer was also cratered.

My question to all you knowledgeable shooters' is whether or not I need to worry about this or is it an inherent problem with the .223 Axis II and I should just live with it? Oh and I should add that the rifle is very accurate at 100-300 yards and has never actually blanked or pierced a primer. All my brass is Lapua that only gets shot through this rifle and the shoulder only gets bumped .002". I know for a fact that the head space is good also.

Thanks in advance for any help, comments, etc.. Tom

**celltech** · 07-07-2021, 04:47 PM

Both my Savage Axis and 12FV crater .223 primers...as long as they are not blowing out I would not worry about it. Some hand loaders who go for the limits will bush the firing pin to stop it...

**Robinhood** · 07-07-2021, 05:23 PM

Even many of the Bighorn TL3's have this problem. The reason the Bighorns do is because the firing pin radius goes below the face of the firing pin hole. Sometimes on some rifles the firing pin hole is too large. I think it is the radius more than anything. I agree with Celltech that you can bush and even reduce the firing pin diameter, or you can shoot until it fails if ever.

One should not continue to shoot once you have a primer pierced.

**charlie b** · 07-07-2021, 06:24 PM

Mine has cratered primers since new. Factory loads. Mild reloads. Hot reloads. CCI SR, Rem SR BR, CCI SRM primers. All about the same. There is no sign of flattening. No piercing. Almost 4000rnds later and it still does it. About the same shape crater as when new.

Primer 'signs' are deceiving. They may or may not mean something about pressures. Pierced primers mean something is wrong. Too hot a load, bad firing pin, oversize firing pin hole.

**243winxb** · 07-07-2021, 09:59 PM

No worry.

My Axis 223 does it more with CCI 400s, then CCI 450 or Rem 7 1/2 .

Never a pierced primer after 2700+ fired. Rem 7 1/2 showed the least flow.

**tomme boy** · 07-13-2021, 03:30 AM

Mine was blanking primers from the get go. Sent the barreled action back to savage and they replaced the bolt head and the firing pin and springs. Has not done it since but I get no primer strikes every once in a while. Pin drops but no contact with the primer. Kind of like the accu trigger that is set off without using the safety blade in the trigger. But it is not a accu trigger. Just the regular trigger.