Bingo....$50 small pistol primers.

[glenwolde]

I did some cipherin' and figured that with inflation since the pandemic that primers should be about $50.

OK they're the Argentine brand but I've been using them. I've had a few ignition problems but only in one gun that may have had some spring "adjustment" for trigger pull. I've used about 1,000 and for the price I'd buy them again.

I'd prefer Winchesters. But hey, what ya gonna do?

 

[rockquarry]

One misfire is too many, unless you're 100% sure the gun has been tampered with. I'd try other primers to verify a gun problem.

 

[stansdds]

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

[Warren Sear]

I really doubt there is anything wrong with those primers.

 

[glenwolde]

One misfire is too many, unless you're 100% sure the gun has been tampered with. I'd try other primers to verify a gun problem.

Not for target ammo.

Initially I had a bunch of misfires and was blaming the primers, but they all fired in my Blackhawk. I discovered the mainspring strain screw was backed out on my other gun. I tightened it up and all was well. I fired a couple of hundred and then had two fail to fire. They fired on the second attempt.

I think they are a little harder than domestic primers. But not a lot. They fired in the only striker-fired gun I have. I had some trouble seating them with one method, but not with another. A little work but worth it for the savings.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I shot "em"...........No problems.

 

[minconrevo]

I've shot hundreds of the Argentine SP primers. If you try to run them in guns that have a lightened action you will get "some" FTF on the first hammer/striker impact. "Some" percentage will vary, depending on how light the action is reduced. On a competition revolver action I have lightened to be 100% with Federal, they are over 10% FTF. On non-lightened guns, even revolvers, they ignite 100% first hammer strike IF you seat them fully and HARD to the primer pocket bottom.

For economical practice range use, in the appropriate gun, they fill the bill.

 

[Narragansett]

They are probably Winchester, bought in bulk, packaged and relabeled and then sent back up here.

 

[.38SuperMan]

I bought 3000 and initially thought they'd be fine but shooting through several new guns that I bought new including three Pythons and two King Cobras as well as several Smiths I've had very inconsistent ignition. I'm guessing around 5-7% fail on first try. Looking at the cartridges that fail vs the ones that fire, the hardness varies considerably with the failures having a very shallow dent in the primer and the successful ignitions having a solid dent.

In forty plus years of reloading I don't think I ever had a failed primer until these. These are just for recreational shooting so no issue but if my life depended on them I'd pull out a box of CCI, Winchester, Federal or Remington to load.

 

[mikld]

Probably too late, but what vendor?

 

[Protocall_Design]

All fail to fire primers have a small dent compared to fired primers. On firing, the primer is jammed hard against the firing pin that is held forward by the hammer, thus making a bigger dent.

 

[.38SuperMan]

I bought them through Norma on line. They were $49.99/1000 with free shipping on a $150 purchase. They counted three $49.99 cartons as $150 so I got them shipped free.

I thought if I were buying again I'd stay clear of these but rethought and for recreational shooting / plinking it's no big deal if one fails occasionally.

Edit: I just checked Norma and they still have them for $49.99 with free shipping on $150. If they don't see three boxes as $150 then buy a $5 box of 22LR.

I've used small rifle primers in handgun cartridges and never experienced a failure to fire in any of my guns so all I can conclude from looking at the fired cartridges and ones that didn't fire is the cup is either too thick or too hard. Knowing that, I'd feel comfortable using them in magnum cartridges and even lower pressure rifle cartridges. I'm not saying anyone should do it, I'm saying I'd be comfortable.

Edit: Initially I thought the ones that failed hadn't seated properly but since, I've checked every round to make certain they're properly seated and still had the problem.

 

[rockquarry]

Target Sports has CCI SP for $80 a thousand. It might be worth the extra $30
not to have to deal with primers that may not fire with 100% reliability.

 

[JackM]

D&L Shooting Supplies in Warwick, RI, has Remington SP, LP, and SPM primers on sale for $59.99/1000. Add shipping and HazMat and it's still a good deal, especially if you're buying multiple Ks. The people there are great to deal with.

 

[irish132]

If you log into your Norma account then put them in your cart and let them sit there for a day Norma should email you a 5% discount. I ordered some a couple weeks ago and they came quickly without a signature required. I haven't shot any yet but hope to soon.

 

[6string]

Target Sports has CCI SP for $80 a thousand. It might be worth the extra $30
not to have to deal with primers that may not fire with 100% reliability.

yes.
More importantly, you're buying a proven quality product that is domestically produced.
We NEED to keep this industry in America!!
We're gutting our industrial base far too much and replacing it with inferior copies from third world countries.

Here's another thing.
What about accuracy?
Does anybody here care about accuracy?
Primers DO have an effect on group size.

If the cheapo import brand is having ignition reliability issues, you can bet it is also having shot to shot deviations as well.
Since we're talking about misfires, do you know what a hangfire is as well? Even a few milliseconds delay in ignition will have an effect on accuracy.

One final thought: A lot of Norma products are actually made by other companies such as their rimfire ammo made by RWS in Germany.
I have asked Norma USA the following question on several occasions and am still waiting for a reply:
"Since you are selling RWS rimfire ammo, why not offer us RWS primers? They are of exceptional quality."

 

[Well Armed]

For cheap range and plinking ammo, I'd buy in bulk. I'm not too concerned if a small few don't fire the first time around. That will make for a perfect unanticipated malfunction clearing training. It's not self-defense ammo, so the obsession about being 100% reliable is a moot issue for me (nothing man made is ever 100% reliable, by the way). I also don't care about being able to have all rounds go through one hole with range ammo.

The extra $30 for the $80 CCI is the equivalent to 600 primers of the Argetine primers.... That's a huge difference. Actually, Target Sports charges a $30 Hazmat fee, shipping, and "Shipping Insurance," so actually, the price for the CCI is approximately $125, not including tax, and not $80. Buying 4000 Norma costs me $211.96 shipped without a bunch of hidden fee upcharges. Buying 4000 CCI from Target Sport cost me $390.22! That's an almost $200 price difference.


Other than that, I don't typically care where my ammo comes from. My primary concern is being able to afford to shoot as many rounds as possible. It all depends on what you're reloading for. If you're reloading for recreational target shooting, hunting, or defensive purposes, then get the CCI. If it's for range plinking at the range, training, and the like, then get the cheaper alternative.

 

[rwsmith]

I could use some....

....Large Rifle Primers.

 

[Racer X]

slightly harder than standard spp would make them perfect subs for srp destined for an AR with its floating firing pin. They spec a harder primer than a standard srp.

 

[glenwolde]

Probably too late, but what vendor?

I guess that wasn't clear.... Norma USA. Still there. They are in the "Blowout" section.

Small Pistol Primers | Norma USA

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