Springfield SD-S 9mm misfiring reloads

I've been reloading 9mm for several years with no problems using Berry Hybrid Hollow points . However since buying a Springfield SD-S 9mm I've noticed occasional misfires with my normal reloads. Sometimes a misfire in 20 or so rounds. I've measured these reloads with micrometer, everything seems fine, overall length, case length, case width at mouth. I've inserted the reloads into the actual SD-S chamber, they insert readily, stop at the proper depth, rotate freely. I save and measure the misfires, everything seems fine except the CCI small pistol primer has a very shallow dent.

A friend and fellow reloader and I checked the reloads. They looked fine to him also so he recommended changing primer brands. I changed from CCI 550s to Federal 100 small pistol primers. I fired about 30 of these rounds with no problems so far. I have no idea why I was using CCI Magnum primers instead of my normal CCI 500s. Must have picked up the box of magnums by mistake. I hope this primer change corrects my misfiring problem.

Dan, I think you found your problem area by getting away from those harder primers, even the cci standards are harder than most other primers.
 I use Winchester small or large primers in all my pistols and revolvers. If I were to set up my revolver for double action sustained targets I'd use Federal primers because they about the softest and dent easier.
 You'll love this sport the more you shoot and challenge yourself, I know I do and am very addicted. Good luck to you.
 Stan

Stan, thanks for the quick reply. I agree, my problem seems to be with the harder CCI primers in the Springfield SD-S. It has a very small, light firing pin. I tried the original reloads with the CCI 550 primers in my full size S&W SD9 VE and they fire fine. The S&W SD9 VE has a larger, heavier, firing pin. So I can use up my CCI small pistol primers in my larger 9mm pistols. I'll need the Federal 100 primers for the SD-S 9mm. I'll buy Federal or Winchester primers from now on but still have a couple thousand CCI 500s.  Oh well, live and learn.
Dan

Out of curiosity have you disassembled the gun and check the firing ping and the firing pin hole for burs or dirt?
Sounds like a gun problem, not a primer manufacturer problem. 
I would be looking at sending it back because a SD gun that doesn't work with all primers is just a paper weight.

Virgil

Assuming that you haven't been experimenting with lighter striker springs, try removing the striker and cleaning it and the channel thoroughly. 

Assemble it dry, no lube of any kind.

I disassembled the pistol to use the barrel to check the reloaded rounds. I watched YouTube to see how to remove the firing pin, it looked like a big job. So I used WD40 (WD40 is not a lube) blew the firing pin assembly out with compressed air. I repeated this procedure several times.  The pin assembly is free and very dry, seems to work fine. The SD-S9 is works great with the Federal 100 primers.  I'll write to Springfield and see what they say. If they want to look at it, I'll send it in. Probably going to carry my 380 LCP2 this summer anyhow. Thanks for the good replies.
Dan

I have an old German Walther P38 9mm. It has no trouble with any of my 9mm reloads, CCI or Federal primers. Again, I'll write Springfield and see what they have to say.

I looked in one of my gun safes for more 9mm pistols. Found a Taurus Millennium Pro G2 model PT111 9mm in a new box never fired. Length and height about the same as the Springfield SD-S 9mm. A little thicker, with a double stack magazine, 12 rounds, instead of 8 rounds in the SD-S. They both have 3.1ish" barrels and short, light firing pins. I know, lots of shooters don't care for Taurus but I've had pretty good luck with them. So I took the PT111 and the SD-S to the range today and fired over 100 rounds through each of them. BOTH would misfire every 10 to 20 rounds with the CC! 550 primers but BOTH fired ALL rounds with the Federal primers faithfully. So, I'm again leaning toward the hard CCI primers as the problem. I wrote a letter to Springfield last evening, asking them what I should do? I'll post their answer in this forum.  Dan Dalrymple

Again, my old Walther P38 fires every 9mm round that I reload.    CCI or Federal primers the old P38 just doesn't care . . .

THE DUMB QUESTION OF THE EVENING.....do you have the same issue with factory ammo?

Hi Steve, There are no dumb questions . . . only friends trying to help. Thanks for the reply. I just bought 50 factory rounds from Fin Fur when I was there Saturday picking up the Federal primers, they were on sale.  They were inexpensive Blazer Brass 9mm Luger 115g FMJ 50 rounds for $11.99 (about 24 cents each). I forgot to fire any of these factory rounds the other day when I was checking out the two different brands of my reloaded primers. I'm reading the box now, nothing on the box tells me what kind of primers Blazer Brass uses.  I'm going to the range this Wednesday, I'll shoot 'em and let you know how they fire.  Dan Dalrymple

Steve, my Springfield SD-S 9mm pistol fired the factory rounds fine. I don't know what type of primers Blazer Brass 9mm 115g 9mm FMJ cartridges use but the 50 factory rounds fired fine. They cost twice as much as my Berry Hybrid HP reloads and aren't quite as accurate. However my reloads that are loaded with the Federal 100 primers also fire fine. I still think that the problem was with the CCI 550 Magnum primers that I was using. My son has a Ruger 9mm PC Carbine rifle, ALL my reloads fire in this with no problem.  I haven't heard back from the letter I wrote to Springfield yet, when I receive a reply from them I'll post it here.

My GUESS is that the problem is with the sizing of the case.
My next step would to measure the area just above the case web & compare it to new brass.
I would also try to swipe some new brass to run thru my press.

I'm assuming that the PC carbine has a more robust recoil system & possibly a slightly looser chamber.

You may have to grab a 9MM makkorov final sizing die to push the fired brass thru before running thru your basic loading program.

Steve, Your last message got me thinking . . . So, I ordered a 3 die carbide Lee Precision 90176  9x18 (9mm Makarov) die set. It'll be here in three days. I still think that primers were my biggest problem but I was due for a new die set anyhow. The 9mm Lee dies that I'm using at this time have reloaded thousands of rounds and I'm not even sure that they were carbide. . However, the 9mm reloads that I used the Federal 100 primers in all fired perfectly. I'll continue using Federal primers in all my reloads. This is a good forum, it makes me think! No reply from Springfield yet. Thanks

The 9MM Makarov dies would not be the correct sizing die for a progressive press loading 9x19
The 9MM Makarov sizing die would be used as a push thru/bulge busting step before reloading starts in earnest.

Steve, OK I finally figured out your correction to my misfiring problem, DUH? . . . So I reloaded and fired 30 9mm rounds after running the cases thru my new 9mm Makarov sizing die in my single stage press. I used the troublemaking CCI 550 primers. There were NO MISFIRES. You seem to have hit the nail on the head! I normally would have had 1 or 2 misfires with these primers. Running the cases thru the Makarov sizing die only reduced the web diameter by 0.004 to 0.006 inches but this seemed to correct my problem. I wouldn't have figured this problem out in a hundred years! I'll run all my 9mm Range Pickup cases thru the Makarov sizing die from now on. I still haven't received a reply from Springfield. Oh well, don't need a reply now . . .  Dan Dalrymple

Thanks to everyone who helped with my problem. Changing to Federal primers helped but I still had several thousand CCI primers that wouldn't work. Checking the firing pin for dirt was also good. Trying factory ammo was also a good suggestion. Steve came up with a great solution that allowed me to use all my primers. It doesn't hurt to have lots of spare ammunition, remember, it wasn't raining when Noah started building the Arc. We never know what type of law might pass. This is a nice forum . . . Dan Dalrymple

It's been a while since I had a problem with my 9mm reloads misfiring. I received several good suggestions on this forum. I tried them all including changing to Winchester primers and sizing my used cases with a Makarov sizing die before my normal reloading process. 

My family and friends do a lot of target practice at a local shooting range. I've reloaded several thousand rounds since, with absolutely no problems. Most of my brass are range pickups, I know that some of it has been fired several times. I tumble it for 3 hours and check it over well. I still use the Makarov sizing die on all used brass.