This is one of the most useful videos on reloading out there. Everyone should be required to watch this before you ever prime your first case. Thanks so much!

7 years after you did this video, and it's still serving it's purpose. Perfectly executed info for a newby reloader.

11 years on, and as a new reloader this is perhaps the most useful video I have come across on the subject. Many thanks.

Everyone that reloads should watch this video. Thanks for sharing!

This video was very useful. Unlike everybody else on U-tube, you explained and displayed what pressure on the primer pocket is supposed to look like. Thank you

Also don’t forget that : less powder isn’t safe. If you get a loading density too low for your case, it can also go overpressure as the primer ignite all the powder at the same time and literally "burst" a big amount of gaz in a very short time (powder deflagrate instead of burning fast). Be safe and check reloading data of the manufacturer of your powder.

Succinct, organised, and very well done. And I appreciate the absence of long intro with guitar riffs and mindless videos of yourself up front. Keep being you my man!

Top notch KZfaq video right here. Very clear and right to the point without unnecessary jibberish. Done quickly yet got all the info in without wasting the viewers time.

Best video I have ever seen on over-pressure. Great job on the zoom up, and the recap! Nicely done!

A very clear and concise description of what to look for in regards to unsafe loads. I could not find a better teaching tool than this video. Thank you so much!!

As a beginner, I say thank you so much for a clear and concise explanation on an issue that has been worrying me. I now know exactly what to look for.

This is spot on. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this. It is so clear and well done. Anyone who loads ammunition should watch this. Thank you for making it and posting it. Just like your videos where you put on your safety glasses FIRST before working, safety is first and foremost. Nice work gathering the different cases and lining them up in order. Pressure signs and primers 101.

Excellent demo! I've seen guys going up that ladder when they wish they'd had this advice! One guy cut the hell right through the bolt face with a jet of fire and heat and galled the hell out of his lugs. That was about a $1000 mistake and he should have caught what was left of a custom bolt square in the cheek. Reloading is dangerous and if you don't pay heed to pressure signs and you take blind advice. It could very well put you in serious trouble or even worse someone you love. Thanks for this wise advice!

Good info from a beginner who has not shot his loads yet due to rain. Very informative. Thank you

Well done. An excellent introduction for the beginner and a useful reminder for the experienced. For those who want to delve further the reloading book “Modern Reloading” by the godfather of hobbyist reloaders, Richard Lee is still the “Bible.” He started a little company called Lee Precision. You will find much useful information on powders, case capacity, bullet hardness, and other interior ballistics factors effecting pressure.

This video has good basic info that should be heeded/looked at/understood by all reloaders...BUT there are a few more things that CAN affect the pressure info you can get from ONLY reading primers and mislead you...one of them occurs when bullet seating varies from off the lands to "jammed" into the lands. A "jammed" bullet CAN produce pressure signs that will go away by changing the seating depth of the bullet to allow more "jump" and can be done if case volume allows. Varying seating depth will also affect bullet speeds and pressure rise times. Further variables are things like head spacing, and clearance between the firing pin and the bolt face itself (a lot of this depends upon the clearance around the firing pin---increased clearance allows easier (and sometimes deceiving) primer cup flow). You need to be able to read pressure signs as accurately as possible, but you MUST be familiar with your individual rifle's signs as they can vary from rifle to rifle. Likely, the SAFEST thing to do if you think you have signs of high pressure is to reduce the load.......it is pretty tough to get into dangerous territory, pressure-wise, by reducing the load as long as you don't get carried away and reduce the load WWAAYY too much into the overly low charge range.

Dude i can honestly say that I would've never even thought of this. Thanks for the gold my dude

If you are reloading your cases, a moderate to approaching the high end book load will save your brass for another loading or two or three. Higher pressure loads stress the brass and can cause a flowing forward of the brass and a thickening of the neck, thece to have higher pressure also. Also, watch for cracks or splits in the case walls. If in doubt, throw it out!

This is excellent. I am starting to reload and I have been hearing about excessive pressures and the effect they have on brass. Until now I have not actually seen detailed examples of what to look for. Thanks for this video.

What a superb demonstration of over pressure.

10 years After your vidéo IS greate ! Thanks a lot Best regards from France

This is one of the best videos I've seen on reading over pressure signs. Short and to the point. Great job!

Watching this video 10 years later. Thank you from a newbie

New to reloading and watching anything I can get my hands on....EXCELLENT information. thanks!!!!

I keep finding your videos the best instructive ones and easier to understand. Thanks for sharing, but additionally thanks for teaching, this was a real class.

Excellent information and concise which is a refreshing change for you tube. Thanks I am a beginner reloader in .308 Thanks

i was getting condition 3 on an old python. It would cause the cylinder to hang and lock up the pistol. A highly renowned colt gunsmith returned the gun to me and said the firing pin hole was oversize. He said reduce the load to 125gr bullets to shoot. Bottom line--i replaced the firing pi and spring and problem solved. All ammo used was factory and now I am reloding. Youi really helped me understand what is going on and how to load for this cherished old gun. All your vids are so very helpful to me. You have done this very well.

This is the reloading video I have been looking for! Thank you! I was thinking some of my loads were hot, because my primers felt flat, even though they were in manual spec, lol. Im learning 🤣

Great video, and thank you for taking the time to make it! If they aren't flat I left some on the field and that aint gonna happen. I've seen that far right one from a regular ole LR-308 shooting brand new factory 147 to 175gn bullets. That's a sign of an overgassed system not a pressure sign in the case. Run em hard and run em hot baby. Here's the deal folks. Cases are not created equally and even some manufacturers will have cases in their own line which are beaten by the cases of other manufacturers. Lapua stamps their cup twice at the web in order to make it extra strong in order to last the longest and to run it right up to pressure max velocity nodes. Starline prob has the best 223 case, damn thing is like iron. Peterson is right on up there and Alpha has their cups pretty tough too. Now, if you go into other makers, you will see differences. Ive seen Hornady cases with thin walls that could hold more powder, I'd run em hot once and toss em cause the web was done. If you're hunting and reloading for the hunt, then accuracy of 1MOA may be fine in the custom hunting rig, so you take it right up to the wall. It's all according to Boyle's Law. Just do it slow and safe. If I have a cartridge that says the max load for 2700fps is 41gns of X powder, then I run it 1/10 grain up to that wall and 0.5 gns past it. I stop when I feel the recoil get noticably harder and the bolt lift is difficult. To each their own. I've had some primers that came off the line softer than the last lot and Ive some that were harder. A soft primer will lie to you just as a firing pin bur or firing pin that's too long or the firing pin spring is either too heavy or too light. It's wild how many factors play into this. One other trick I look for if I think I hit the pressure wall. I will take that final fired cartridge, let's say its the one that had a 41.2gn load. I pop the primer out and measure the pocket depth. I compare it to say a 39.8gn pocket. If you went over the rating on that case, the primer pocket will have shortened, i.e. a bulge towards the bolt face occurred. Always make sure before you use this method that you have either measured the primer pocket depth prior to loading or that you uniform the primer pocket. That's something you should be doing about every 2-4 loads anyways depending on whether you're running hot or a magnum caliber. Keep it light folks and have fun, but be safe. Just another tip from your old uncle Larry.

Extremely useful information. Great job of video taping & the thorough explanation that went with it. Thank you so much!! This is definitely a channel worth subscribing to.

America must be proud and gratfull for this video. Thank you and please keep your vids coming here or in Rumble.

Thank you for the kind words and the support you give my channel. Have a great day! :)

Rifle primer information you gave is very much appreciated.

Sat third case that you describe is also an indication of a soft primer and or, a bolt face that is a little bit off in its precision. I have seen primers like that when I once switched to Winchester primers because Winchester primers were known to be softer oh, something I found out after I started seeing those signs and went back to the CCI primers. That was some years ago.

very clear visual instructions, - thank you!

Thanks for a very clear explanation. I looked it several other videos and couldn't tell what they were talking about. This is exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks again for taking the time .

Simple ,visual and straight to the point. Thanks for that!

Thank you! I appreciate the kind words and support you give my channel. have a good evening! :)

Simple truth, and agrees with my experience. Well done, thanks.

Great video every beginner to reloading should watch your video....you explained tell tale signs of high pressure loads

Nicely done-good quality images and good explanation. Also, not excessively long, but to the point. Thank you!

Bulging primers can also be due to "Head Space". Excessive head space can lead to bulged cases or even outright failures - cracks, case head separation, and splitting of the case neck. It can also cause light primer strikes, failure to fire, "primers popping out of the primer pocket", and of concern to reloaders, shortened case life. Head space is the distance measured from the part of the chamber that stops forward motion of the cartridge (the datum reference) to the face of the bolt. ... If the head space is too short, ammunition that is in specification may not chamber correctly.

Excellent description and illustration! Thanks

Good review, GREAT images, very clear. Thank You!

Great video. Might be worth updating it with one additional failure mode and one comment. 1. Blanking/piercing. This instance is between catering and failure. The crater becomes so extreme that it is removed from the primer and (in most cases) ejected back through the firing pin into the bolt. The bolt will need dismantling and cleaning of the powder fouling and primer crater to prevent future malfunctions. 2. This isn't necessarily a sign of overpressure. If your firing pin hole and firing pin have too much clearance (eg using Lapua 308win brass with small rifle primer in a Remington 700) then the primer is not fully supported and can flow around the firing pin. You can fix this by bushing the firing pin (gunsmith job) or by using magnum primers which have a thicker cup. This is notorious in small rifle primers. It happened with my 6.5x47 Lapua and today with my 223 (you should use magnum primers for this calibre due to high max pressure of this calibre). Happy shooting!

Best video I have watched so far. Good job.

Well explained; easy to understand, even for a layman like myself. Thanks!

Thanks for the detail. People talk about signs of pressure, but they never really show it. Cheers! C

Just starting to reload and thankful I saw this video...Give me pause and will make me pay attention to the details.

My friend, a lot of thanks for this, as always. Stay safe and accurate! My best wishes from Italy!!

Very interested and helpful information. Thank you!

It pay's to be safe! I got hooked on reloading watching your reloading video's and man is it fun,except case prep..that ain't so fun!,thank you for taking the time to produce such great video's, YOU ROCK JIUJITSU2000!!!...

Thank you! I appreciate your kind words and the support to my channel. Have a good day! :)

Thanks for the helpful explanation. I had some factory IMI ammo that blew up one of my rifles with a Criterion barrel chambered in .223 Wylde. Experienced several blown primers prior to the unfortunate end. I thought the chambering might have been responsible so I tested a few more rounds in a 5.56 chamber FN barrel. They all looked like your last 3 examples. Flat primers, cratering, blown out primers. Never buying IMI ammo again after that.

A clear example of the various stages of pressure on primers, nice vid ,cheers.

An oversized channel for the firing pin can cause cratering. Had one that did it no matter the load

Good vid skeet. Also over pressure signs can occur due to copper fouling build up. Just cleaned one up that had over pressure signs. Full of copper. Sweets 7.62 wipes it out.

Great video used this to look at my first 400 reloads from 380 40 cal and 45 ACP. Found out my 380 was WY light. I use this video a lot thank you.

Thanks a bunch just into rifle reloading . Was wondering sitting here looking at my cases.

Excellent informational video! Quick & clear with great commentary, thank you very much from a newbie reloader!

Very good information. This answered my questions on what to look for very precise and to the point. Thank you!

Thanks, U taught me basics to start with n moving on to test stage. been worried may have misjudged powder load even after double checking. Thanks for great video and feel alot more confident to test first reloads. Keep up the good work! I'm a fan...

Thank you for the great photography and clear explanation. Well-made video.

Thank you sir. Very good visual.

Good video! The problem with these classic signs of pressure is that there are so many factors that could cause some of these effects, like headspace, and like you said, loose primer pockets... This is the reason I also measure the expansion of the brass just in front of the webwith a micrometer, and use three reloading books per charge, and a chronograph... And I never try to get those last 50-100 fps, because for a significant increase in pressure, you don't get a lot of fps....... Better be safe! (And also, if you think of the barrel life, just by going down a few hundred fps, you will dramatically increase the life of your favorite rifle's barrel.... When you know the BC of the bullet you are using, and the velocity of that bullet, it is easy to adjust for the drop for long range shooting...)

An oldie but goodie. Good info, thanks.

As several others have pointed out, cratering can be a sign of a loose firing pin hole, and also a chamfered firing pin hole, my Remington 700 has cratered since new with factory ammo, because the pin hole has a small chamfer.

The best vid I have seen o this subject. Excellent demonstration!

Very informative safety video, well explained and extremely useful to know. Thank you.

Thank you. I shoot everything in HD when I can. It takes FOREVER to upload each video though. Ha ha especially if they're long ones as I tend to do... Have a great day! :)

I like using primers to watch for pressure, but sometimes dimpled primers are NOT a sign of excessive pressure but are simply a firearm flaw. If there is too much of a gap between the firing pin and the bolt face it will happen on every load. this can be common with old firearms. That being said, sometimes it is indeed a sign of excessive pressure. Too light of a load can cause detonation in large cases and can cause a bullet to lodge in the barrel in other cases. So use discretion. If you are still not sure then testing velocity with a chronograph will solve the riddle.

Great video man. Just gathering info before I start reloading and this helps tremendously. Thanks

Thank you! Absolutly! I believe 209 will show (some) similar indicators. Have a great evening! :)

Excellent video, thank you! I'm just starting to reload 223 and this is exactly what I need to know where I'm at with my reloads and how to check for pressure signs. Good stuff! 👍

Great video, right to the point and very informative! Thanks

Another great video! I have learned SOOOO much from you. I recommend your videos to anyone I know looking to start reloading. God bless you brother!

Good video very simple to understand short and to the point for a hammerhead new reloader like me

Thank you! I appreciate the support! Have a great day! :)

Thanks for the info I've been looking for info on this it was clear to understand thanks

Great video that gets right to the point and makes it easy to see how your loads are performing. Thanx for the helpful info! Peace.

It's all understood but your video was perfect visual with good explanation, good job. I give you a #10

This is the one I am looking for. Great job.

Thank you for this!! Excellent safety information

great job. good information given without excess. i'm new to reloading, and will not forget this information anytime soon.

Thank you! In time they'll come. Have a good evening. :)

Best description I've seen 👍

Thank you for appreciating my content. I have many more video's in the works. Have a good evening :)

Thank you very much for making this video. Absolutely useful information.

Great video, thank you for sharing that information. I'm newish to reloading and I always check every single brass after it's fired. So far I have not over done it and honestly don't plan to. But again, thank you for sharing.

The cratering on the middle primer is more indicative of a loose firing pin fit between firing pin hole and firing pin. Reading primers to determine pressure limit is dubious at best. Measuring casehead expansion is probably a bit (a lot) more accurate.

Excellent job

man this is good info, thank you for the visual references on those.

Now, that was interesting. Hum.. I didn't know this stuff, have to watch again.

Thank you! Great information, specially since I just did my first rounds and now look to invest in the tools to continue reloading.

Great video. Very precise and useful.

Many thanks,JIUJITSU2000! Great teaching with pictures to back up the words. Thank you for the time and effort in making this salient production. Best wishes!

Thank you! I appreciate the support to my channel. have a great evening :)

Just two things i wanted to point out. On #3 you can also get the same affect from a firing pin that is too long. This is often seen in some older military rifles. Also on #5 you can also have that happen with a normal round but with a piece of brass that has a worn primer pocket from reloading too many times.

Thank you! I hope it was helpful. Have a great day!

Thank you! I appreciate your comment and support to my channel! Have a great day! :)