If you go to the store and buy a S&W revolver even one that is a Performance Center model you can probably use any primer that will fit in the brass successfully.

However, imagine that you are one of a relatively small number of revolver shooters that compete on a regular basis, shoot DA only and purchase a Performance Center revolver and don't want to live with the 14 pound trigger S&W ships with the thing and want to take the trigger down below 8 pounds then you absolutely must use Federal SPP and you must seat those federals below flush.

It so happens that over the last 2 years Federal SPP have been in short supply. I personally was down to about 4000 of them and starting to worry when I found 10,000 which I purchased without hesitation. I say this as an individual that has 21,000 CCI SPP, 8,000 S&B SPP and 5,000 Winchester SSP, if I ran out of Federals then I have two choices, take my triggers up (from about 6.5 pounds) to 8 pounds or I could stop shooting revolvers until I find more Federals. Believe me I have no great love of the Federal brand and they are the most expensive and difficult to locate but having a 6 pound DA revolver trigger means federal primers period.


It's not because I'm lazy or dumb or a Federal fan boy. All of the top competitive revolver shooters and second/third tier competitors like me have one thing in common. They shoot their revolvers in Double Action only, handload their ammo and use federal SPP, seated below flush. It is my understanding that some competitive shooters that shoot auto-loaders with very light actions also must use federal SPP but that is not a argument I wish to have.

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NRA Pistol & Reloading Instr.