Stumbled into a 2013 thread this morning which may be of interest.

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?319060-Holes-Burning-in-Winchester-LR-Primers

Several pictures look very much like what was happening to your loads.

Very interesting, thank you. Looks like my Winchester rifle primers will be reserved for low pressure loads for now.

I had a bunch of WSPs that would pierce on most anything. .32s were especially bad. I have never had any problems with CCI primers in those.

This is a shame, as Winchester primers are one of the most easily obtained brands around here. I've got a bunch of them, but have not had any problems. Gonna check the lot numbers on the ones I have squirreled away.

Years ago I had the exact same problems with a particular lot of Remington LR primers. I had just started reloading (for a 6.5 Arisaka, coincidentally) and I was blaming myself for doing something wrong but had no idea what. Fortunately I saw an announcement in a magazine (WAY before Al Gore invented the internet)concerning the piercing problem with Remington primers. I contacted Remington and they sent me a whole carton to replace the 200 primers I had purchased. No problems since, and I think I'm still using primers out of that carton.

Pierce primers in my ARs and Mini14, but not the 5.56. The latter seem to do fine but loads like the. 64 grain Winchester, Razorback (very accurate in a couple of my rifles by the way), and 55 grain soft points. Only happens with Winchester 223. All other ammo I've run through my AR's including handloads do fine with no pierced primers.

Thank You for the info. will pass it over to stevge when he gets off work...