Do you examine the fired brass for all or some of your guns, or occasionally, to check for firing pin and ignition functioning ?

In shooting some of my guns that I haven't shot for a while, I noticed the primers characteristics differed quite a bit between guns.

No surprise per se, but I noticed one of them had off-center primer strikes combined with a swipe trough indicating (I guess) the case being stripped before the firing pin had fully retracted, and on the other gun, the primers were cratered and also backed out of the case, which I leaned was due to Beretta's habit of chamferring their primer holes in the breech face on some of their guns, which I thought was odd. Those primers are freaky, they look like some type of pressure issue, but the same ammo in other guns show that clearly pressure is not an issue, for these quality factory name brand ball practice ammo in 9MM.

In both cases however the guns function normally.

So, do you guys examine your fired cases from time to time, or all the time etc. ?

Not usually. Only if something appears off about the gun's functioning, or there's some other indication that it's needed.

Yes, especially when firing a new gun or a gun I haven't fired for a while. Also if I'm using unfamiliar ammo.

I do when firing a new brand of pistol ammo.

I collect all brass for reloading. So eventually every piece gets inspected.

If it’s a new load that happens sooner rather than later.

Absolutely. Shot my p239 with a couple 125 grain Gold Dots and 5 Hornaday 135 grain. Both GDs had a slight drag and only one Hornaday had a drag. AI states it's pretty normal out of that 3.9" barrel. The Hornaday being slightly less fts (1350 vs. 1225 respectively) it makes sense. Still, I may or may not inspect and clean the FP channel and replace the spring and swap out the recoil spring. They seem to be fairly soft primers (by design?). The good thing is the FP is a beast and probably can handle it.

If I’m shooting a new gun for the first time yes I will make an effort to check a couple. Afterwards just occasionally. I shoot indoors and if an empty ends up landing on the bench, I’ll take a peek at it before tossing it away. Let me add that I’m only shooting 9, 380, 45 and occasionally 40. All factory ammo.

The only cartridge I’m reloading these days is 38/357. For a new load or change in components, I’ll check the first couple of cylinders and then every so often afterwards.

Checking your brass for ignition and extraction is like randomly pulling your spark plugs to check how well the alternator works.

Unless you are having problems or quality assurance on reloading there is no need.

I'll examine the first few out of a new or new-to-me gun, or if I have a malfunction.

I am curious about many things, not least my guns. That’s how I know that my 6.5 Creedmoor Wilson Combat WC-10 dents the ejected cases pretty significantly.

I don’t have to be worried about anything to nevertheless examine things like spent cases, although more commonly other people’s. I once found a 357 SIG case in a residential area and that had been fired in a Glock.