Your primer will not cause a Ka-boom as long as your not loading over max rounds. You don't say how many grains of powder or what weight bullet you are using? Stay with in the books limit and you'll be OK. So far as the over dent in the primer, I wouldn't worry about it unless it is tearing them. Then I would take it to a Smith.

Originally Posted by 44magFMJ

Hello all....I have a 9mm Taurus PT99 (blue) that seems to crater the primers in any load configuration I may use. Originally I thought it to be a sign of too hot of a load but after modifying that it still seems to do it.

My question is, is this typical of this model/brand of firearm to do this? My other handguns don't seem to do this unless I load them too hot. I certainly don't want to precipitate a KaBoom! for myself so any thoughts on this matter would be appreciated.

Sorry to be ignorant, but what do you mean by 'cratering'? Is this to do with the firing pin impact, or the pressure from the discharge?

Originally Posted by Orion6

.......what do you mean by 'cratering'? Is this to do with the firing pin impact, or the pressure from the discharge?

The primer cup material flows around the firing pin an up into the firing pin recess. This makes the primer appear like a small "crater"...that is instead of have a flat profile you'd see a small lip around the perimeter of the indentation if you viewed it from the side. I have seen it written in the past that high pressure loads can cause this.

I tried to upload a camera image of what I'm referring to but the system here won't allow it saying it's above the limit.

Originally Posted by 44magFMJ

The primer cup material flows around the firing pin an up into the firing pin recess. This makes the primer appear like a small "crater"...that is instead of have a flat profile you'd see a small lip around the perimeter of the indentation if you viewed it from the side. I have seen it written in the past that high pressure loads can cause this.

I tried to upload a camera image of what I'm referring to but the system here won't allow it saying it's above the limit.

e-mail me the picture, I'll host it for ya

nathan.plemons@wku.edu

Sounds like you might have some bad primers. If you are reloading your own.

Originally Posted by Nathan Plemons

e-mail me the picture, I'll host it for ya

Done.

Originally Posted by Baldy

Sounds like you might have some bad primers. If you are reloading your own.

Could be, but I don't think they could all be bad unless they all came from the same lot.

There ya go

Originally Posted by Nathan Plemons

There ya go

Is there a secret to posting a jpeg file on this forum?

looks normal to me??primer strike and maybe a little printing where the cartridge seated against the breach face??

From that picture I don't see anything wrong. Are you getting a flush fit after seating the primer? If the primer was not seated all the way, that might cause that little ripple in it. Heck get a hold of 2400. Him and his wife have run 1000's of 9mm rounds out and see what he says. He can tell you more than anybody about it. Dang thing goes bang I am happy.

Originally Posted by 44magFMJ

Is there a secret to posting a jpeg file on this forum?

See this thread...

http://www.handgunforum.net/showthread.php?t=2475

Originally Posted by scooter

looks normal to me??primer strike and maybe a little printing where the cartridge seated against the breach face??

No...the cup material is extruding back into the firing pin hole between the firing pin and the hole. That's why it's called "cratering" because it looks like a mini crater with a rim above the horizon. I've always read that that's a sign of excessive pressure. These are the same primers and size that are used on a .38 spec. and .357 mag and they don't give that signature unless there is excessive pressure. If it's not excessive pressure then it may be the machine tolerances of the gun in that area, and that's why I posted this message here to find out if any other Taurus owners of the same or similar gun happened to know if this was normal for this gun.

FWIW. I picked up some of my old brass today and looked at it. Sure enough it has the same thing that I can see in your picture. I would show you but unfortunately I can't get my very low featured digi camera to focus on it.

The problem is that I'm not sure if it will tell you anything or not because they were +P loads, so they are hotter than what you have been firing. They came out of my PT92 which save for the adjustable sights should be identical to your PT99. I looked at some of my .45 Brass and even the +P loads didn't show the same. I would think that it is just a characteristic of the gun.

Originally Posted by Nathan Plemons

.......I would think that it is just a characteristic of the gun.

That was my guess, but I wanted to check it out with some other owners first. I still think it's has some over-pressure elements causing it too, but I'll find out soon enough when I load and fire another batch of different slugs/powder/primers. I plan on using 231 powder this time.