Allocating primers

[jjrr]

I have normally been prepping and priming brass and storing ready to load brass in zip lock bags and plastic containers from the kitchen. Since the primer situation has become what it is I have decided to prep brass and leave primers that I have on the shelf until needed so I don't have primers tied up in brass I may not load right away. I also had an interesting thing come up when seating small rifle primers in pistol brass, the primers were taking extra force to seat using my RCBS hand priming tool. I measured the primers and they were exactly the same as small pistol and primer pockets were in good shape so I got out the Sinclair hand priming tool and they seated like butter. Also I have two grandsons who are becoming interested in shooting center fire rifle so some of my primer supply has to go to making good little riflemen so small rifle primer supply is getting used also. That's a lot of rambling to explain my action to stretch the primer supply until hopefully prices become more reasonable.

 

[Rlg#17]

I feel the pain…. The wife and I shoot most every day. Usually 9mm, 45 gap, and 45 acp. We shoot a lot and compete every month or so. The price I've had to pay has sucked,and I'm thinking awhile before anything reasonable comes along. I'm thinking .08-.09 cents will be the new normal. I certainly hope I'm wrong, and you can say I told you so.

Kygunco did ship me 5,000 cci sp primers a week or two ago for $440 delivered. Tax, shipping, and hazmat included. They have a mailing list, and will notify if items in stock. I dunno if that's in your price range, but that is the cheapest I've found them!

Regards, Rick Gibbs

 

[fordson]

I pre-prime cases in my favorite calibers, then label and store them. I was bemoaning my prime inventory recently when I realized (dummy me) that I had several thousand pre-primed cases in storage. I inventoried those and I'm good for a while before it becomes necessary to dip into my primer stock. A good find.

 

[Krogen]

I am also allocating my primers. Some of my shooting isn't accuracy critical and I can use generic fodder. For example, plate matches with 9mm. While I'm tempted to use my $26-$30 bricks of primers, I go through a lot of rounds. So I consider replacement costs. Even though factory 9mm has gotten pricey, it's not as far out of whack as, say 38 Super. Buying low-end factory 9mm is on par with the costs of handloading components these days. So I'm allocating my components to other cartridges.

The old make or buy decision for 9mm or 5.56 is still somewhat of a wash; only the numbers are bigger. It still doesn't pay to buy factory fodder for less common, or oddball cartridges.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I rarely pre prime brass because you never know when you might need those primers for a different loading. I have a good supply of primers available to me but still, no pre priming for me.

 

[teletech]

I suspect the thicker cup of the small rifle primers can make them feel a bit harder to seat.
I used to pre-prime as a way to free up space but that mostly went by the wayside as I almost exclusively use a progressive machine these days. Still, finding a thousand primed cases from "the old days" was welcome in the current situation.
I'm also watching the price of bulk 9mm for my accuracy non-critical needs since like others have said, the primers might be more urgently needed for a less common round.

 

[serger]

One thing I found out was when/if you use small rifle
primers in pistol cases make sure you have a pistol
that will fire them. I've got a few hundred 9mm loaded
with S&B small primers and the only pistol I have
that reliably pops them is my argentine hipower.

And since I loaded some 38 special with them I have to
shoot single action because in double action none of
my guns consistently fire them.

 

[jjrr]

One thing I found out was when/if you use small rifle
primers in pistol cases make sure you have a pistol
that will fire them. I've got a few hundred 9mm loaded
with S&B small primers and the only pistol I have
that reliably pops them is my argentine hipower.

And since I loaded some 38 special with them I have to
shoot single action because in double action none of
my guns consistently fire them.

I did try a few in my pistol before I loaded any quantity, I have not tried them is a revolver.

 

[kamloops67]

I also prep and preprime my brass
I use a single stage so it's nice to be able to grab 1-200 of whatever and start dropping powder
I usually have between 1-3k 38 spl primed and ready
Normally less than 1000 each of 44 45 or 357
I will have to step up my game on 45acp since I was loading for a Brazilian before. now I'm feeding a 1911, they are much hungriera d eat faster than a 6 shooter with moon clips
I also keep several thousand primers of each in my cabinet Along with several pounds of powder
Bullets I may run short on , they are available just expensive

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

Never pre prime. When I need ammo for an upcoming shoot I completely reload them plus some practice ammo. I do preload .45 acp just because its my most used caliber, da's, sa's, semis and pccs. Recently I have traded spp and srp for lpp to stretch my lpp supply. Also bought small primer 45acp brass. I have started shooting a monthly .22 zsa match along with my monthly cas match, fun .22 shooting. Have plenty of bullets and powder, maybe 5 years worth of primers at this rate. Plenty of lead in the barn. Plenty of guns and ammo at the local shops here, just no reasonably priced primers.

 

[reddog81]

One thing I found out was when/if you use small rifle
primers in pistol cases make sure you have a pistol
that will fire them. I've got a few hundred 9mm loaded
with S&B small primers and the only pistol I have
that reliably pops them is my argentine hipower.

And since I loaded some 38 special with them I have to
shoot single action because in double action none of
my guns consistently fire them.

I've had good luck with CCI 400 Small Rifle Primers in half a dozen 9mms and a number of .357's. Small rifle magnum was another story. The only gun that could fire those off was an old Luger that must smack the primer really good.

 

[Stewdo]

Primers

I shoot a 222 rem a lot and found 500 preprimed brass for 70$. How lucky was that?!

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I shoot a 222 rem a lot and found 500 preprimed brass for 70$. How lucky was that?!

That's almost worth buying just for the primers alone lol.

 

[teletech]

One thing I found out was when/if you use small rifle
primers in pistol cases make sure you have a pistol
that will fire them. I've got a few hundred 9mm loaded
with S&B small primers and the only pistol I have
that reliably pops them is my argentine hipower.

And since I loaded some 38 special with them I have to
shoot single action because in double action none of
my guns consistently fire them.

I've have very few primers that didn't run fine in autopistols. Most guns they seem to run 100%, but I have a couple that had about a 1% failure rate with the Federal 7-1/2s, a re-strike usually set them off.
Revolvers are a lot more mixed. Some will not run the Federals at all, others will run them about 75%-85%. The 6-1/2 are clearly easier to set off than the 7-1/2 but some revolvers won't even run those.
Based on some additional testing in a revolver that isn't the lightest sprung, but not the heaviest either:
Remington 7-1/2 run 5/10
CCI BR-4 run 9/12
Federal #200 ran 10/10

 

[jjrr]

The small rifle primers that I referenced earlier were CCI 400 from when the boxes were labeled Cascade Cartridge,Inc and they were 100%. I also had some sp primers that we're piercing in my early vintage 32 regulation police, I returned those and they sent me a small check to cover the 700 primers that I returned and after I explained that even if I could find primers to buy the check they sent me wouldn't come close to covering the cost they replaced the primers so I won't name them. The old CCI primers were from one of my friends when I was getting my son started with the AR and I couldn't find primers to load ammo for him many years ago in a similar shortage. I am going to try some of the sr primers in a revolver.

 

[Rich/WIS]

Only pre-prime rounds I will load in a day or two. Not allocating yet as my stash of LP, LR and SP is sufficient for the next several years but at some point will probably have to start if the current madness continues.