[Xfactor]

The idea here is to find best primers to use with minor, 40 major, and Open loads... that is, not so hard that it won't ignite reliably every time, but not soft enough to yield back-flow or flattening with common powders at major PF.

With primer shortages, I know there's a lot of the "I'll take whatever I can get" mentality right now... but IF whatever you wanted was available, what would you choose? Also, if you've experienced any particular issues (either too hard or too soft), please share!

Thanks,

[Joe4d]

Winchester primers are my choice, SP for small pistol, SP magnum for the magnum level Open loads.
No feed problems in Dillon primer feeders.
CCI's at one time had problems in Dillons, but I think this is a thing of the distant past.
Federal are riding their name for some reason and I feel they are over priced without offering any real advantages.
Personally I would buy CCI, Federal, Win or Magtech whichever was cheapest. If Wolff are more than $2 per K cheaper I would buy them.

[G-ManBart]

Joe4d, on Oct 17 2009, 11:24 PM, said:

Federal are riding their name for some reason and I feel they are over priced without offering any real advantages.

In striker-fired guns with lightened springs the slightly softer Fed primers are an advantage.

I've found that for 38SC Major loads I get a couple of extra loadings out of cases before the primer pockets get too loose...very slightly larger diameter. When the primer pockets are just a bit too loose for Win SP/SR, Fed SPM/SR will let me go a couple more times before I toss them.

I don't see any disadvantage to the Fed primers and they seem to be slightly more available right now. R,

[MoNsTeR]

Given a choice I'll take WSP every time. Unfortunately they're completely unavailable, so I'm making do with Magtech and Wolf.

[boz1911]

G-ManBart, on Oct 17 2009, 08:37 PM, said:

Joe4d, on Oct 17 2009, 11:24 PM, said:

Federal are riding their name for some reason and I feel they are over priced without offering any real advantages.

In striker-fired guns with lightened springs the slightly softer Fed primers are an advantage.

I've found that for 38SC Major loads I get a couple of extra loadings out of cases before the primer pockets get too loose...very slightly larger diameter. When the primer pockets are just a bit too loose for Win SP/SR, Fed SPM/SR will let me go a couple more times before I toss them.

I don't see any disadvantage to the Fed primers and they seem to be slightly more available right now. R,

This is more of an issue for 9 major (primer pockets). I have accumulated some Federals recently also, sounds like they'll work fine.

[TM262]

These days, I'll take what I can get. In my XD, WSP, WSR, FSP, CCI SP, and Wolf SP all worked, but Wolf SR was a little to hard. So, far, my 2011 lights them all off.

[open17]

WSPM. Started using the small pistol magnum in everything about 3 years ago. 9mm minor for production,
40 minor and major, 9mm major for open. No problems, and they are often easier to find than WSP.

For Revo and Single stack 45 I use Federals.

[Matt P.]

the ideal primer to me is one that I can actually get my hands on!

[LPatterson]

Farm supply store is finally starting to get in something besides CCI. Federal LP 20,000 available, Federal LR 20,000 available, Winchester SR 10,000 available after I bought 3,000. One of the local sporting goods stores is asking $1.00 per 100 with a 3 box limit. They are now on the do not go into list with K Mart.

[zhunter]

Matt P., on Oct 18 2009, 09:56 AM, said:

the ideal primer to me is one that I can actually get my hands on!

+1

[Xfactor]

Some really interesting results so far...

I didn't realize that so many were using Fed SP in their Production loads. And I'm also surprised that Win SP seems to be the predominant choice in Limited... I thought more folks were using Magnum and SR primers for major loads.

To those using Win SP or Federal SP-Magnum primers in Limited, have you experienced any issues with back flow, flattening, etc.? How about those using Win SP-Magnum or any Federal primers in Open?

[MoNsTeR]

I use, or used rather, past tense, WSP in my Limited major loads with N310 and didn't experience any flow, nor much flattening to speak of. And that's without an extended firing pin. The Wolfs I'm using now don't flow or flatten either.

[G-ManBart]

Xfactor, on Oct 19 2009, 11:50 AM, said:

To those using Win SP or Federal SP-Magnum primers in Limited, have you experienced any issues with back flow, flattening, etc.? How about those using Win SP-Magnum or any Federal primers in Open?

I've used plenty of Win SP in my Limited and SS guns with no real problems at all...perfectly good choice. I've also used Fed SP and they would flatten a touch, but not bad.

I just recently got around to trying Fed SPM and SP in 38SC Major. The SP did flatten more than I'd like, but still were usable. The SPM are close to idea. Fed SR is about perfect in my guns and the SPM were very, very close to the FSR...not enough difference that you would notice without really looking to see it. I'm probably just going to buy a bunch of SPM when they're available again because I like them that much...I'd be happy using nothing but in 38SC from now on and they'd probably work fine in my M&P, Lim and SS guns as well. R,

[Xfactor]

G-ManBart, on Oct 19 2009, 10:47 PM, said:

Xfactor, on Oct 19 2009, 11:50 AM, said:

To those using Win SP or Federal SP-Magnum primers in Limited, have you experienced any issues with back flow, flattening, etc.? How about those using Win SP-Magnum or any Federal primers in Open?

I've used plenty of Win SP in my Limited and SS guns with no real problems at all...perfectly good choice. I've also used Fed SP and they would flatten a touch, but not bad.

I just recently got around to trying Fed SPM and SP in 38SC Major. The SP did flatten more than I'd like, but still were usable. The SPM are close to idea. Fed SR is about perfect in my guns and the SPM were very, very close to the FSR...not enough difference that you would notice without really looking to see it. I'm probably just going to buy a bunch of SPM when they're available again because I like them that much...I'd be happy using nothing but in 38SC from now on and they'd probably work fine in my M&P, Lim and SS guns as well. R,

Thanks Bart. I've been doing a little more research on primers, and now I'm wondering how much of the old adage of Federal primers being the "softest" is actually due to a thinner/softer cup, versus the priming compound just being a bit more sensitive. Either way, it sounds like Federal SP-Mag and SR are both great choices for Limited and Open loads. Have you found Win SP-Mag to be about the same hardness/sensitivity as Fed SR, and Win SR to be harder than all 3?

[Carlos]

MoNsTeR, on Oct 20 2009, 03:03 AM, said:

I use, or used rather, past tense, WSP in my Limited major loads with N310 and didn't experience any flow, nor much flattening to speak of. And that's without an extended firing pin. The Wolfs I'm using now don't flow or flatten either.

Did not vote because the Wolfs I am using (older copper/gold color) are the ideal primer as far as performance (and particularly as far as cost). Have not tried the newer silver colored Wolf pistol primers so there is no evidence against Wolf as far as my experience.

Prior to Wolf, I used Federal.

[ogiebb]

i would use win sm pistol for production
and Fed Sm rifle for major loads....

[Xfactor]

ogiebb, on Oct 20 2009, 04:07 PM, said:

i would use win sm pistol for production
and Fed Sm rifle for major loads....

That's what I'm leaning toward too... although I have about 9k Fed SP-Mag primers that I'll probably also use for Limited major.

I've heard that the different brisance levels/flame durations can sometimes affect accuracy (depending on the powder, bullet, etc.); maybe one of these days I'll get around to testing various primer loads for groups.

[G-ManBart]

Xfactor, on Oct 20 2009, 12:10 PM, said:

Thanks Bart. I've been doing a little more research on primers, and now I'm wondering how much of the old adage of Federal primers being the "softest" is actually due to a thinner/softer cup, versus the priming compound just being a bit more sensitive. Either way, it sounds like Federal SP-Mag and SR are both great choices for Limited and Open loads. Have you found Win SP-Mag to be about the same hardness/sensitivity as Fed SR, and Win SR to be harder than all 3?

I have wondered the same thing about Federal primers compared with the other brands as well. I guess it really wouldn't be too difficult to section a couple and see what difference, if any, there is in the cup material. Like most things, it's probably C) All of the above....slightly different thickness, hardness and priming compound sensitivity that all adds up.

I actually have never tried WSPM that I can recall....maybe, but it would have had to be years ago. I should have taken pics of primers as I did my comparisons because going off memory is only ballpark. The only things I'm pretty certain of about the primers in question would be that FSP's are the softest (duh!), WSR the hardest, FSR and FSPM are softer than WSR, and FSPM are just a touch softer than FSR. So, out of those it would go FSP, FSPM, FSR, WSR. WSP would probably go between FSP and FSPM as they looked similar to FSPM, but maybe a touch more flattening. I just eyeball that amount, but it's not too hard to compare them next to one another and be able to see which is softer. My guess is that WSPM would probably be pretty close to FSR if the trend is consistent. Now that I think of it, I probably have some of each in my brass bins that I can say for certain which primer was used....have to go look. R,

[Zerwas]

For me, Federal primers would be my choice hands down.

I have had nothing but outstanding luck with each and every round I have ever loaded using the Federal primers.
I can't say I've had that kind of reliability using a different primer (Winchester). I have had a couple of WSP primers go click and not bang with good hard hits on the primer. Now, I'm not saying Winchester primers suck,,,not at all. I have had good luck with them in fact (except for the two mentioned above) but that was over tens of thousands of rounds being fired off as well.
I have recently been forced to try the CCI primers and it remains to be seen if I like these or not.

[gino_aki]

Where's the Fed -SP choice for .40 Limited? Don't need mag or sr primers for that.

[Xfactor]

gino_aki, on Oct 26 2009, 02:04 PM, said:

Where's the Fed -SP choice for .40 Limited? Don't need mag or sr primers for that.

Sorry - I didn't think Fed SP was a popular choice for anything but Revo and Production due to the extra high sensitivity...

[G-ManBart]

gino_aki, on Oct 26 2009, 02:04 PM, said:

Where's the Fed -SP choice for .40 Limited? Don't need mag or sr primers for that.

I think we sometimes forget that pushing a 180 or 200 with a really fast powder like N320, TG or Clays causes very high pressures. That's why there isn't even much, if any, loading data for those combos. Granted, we tend to load them long, which helps, but my normal .40 Major load with N320 and a 180 flattens primers pretty noticably and FSPs flatten pretty significantly. I still like them because they work great, but I'm not sure SPM might not really be "better" for such a high pressure combo. R,

[Corey]

sorry to revive a somewhat dead thread, but why is there no options or discussion about Remington primers in this thread? are they that looked down upon??

[twodownzero]

I hate to say it, but I don't care what primers I use anymore. I have used Winchester, CCI, and Wolf. I have used more CCI than anything else, but I have never had any issues with any of them until last week. Last week I had two rounds not go off in my S&W M&P with my girlfriend at the controls (Wolf primers). I'm not sure yet if the primers were the cause but I highly doubt it's characteristic of any future problems as I've been nothing but happy with Wolf. Moral of the story? Shoot whatever you can get your hands on, they all work fine.