CCI vs. Winchester Primers

[alwslate]

I much prefer Winchester primers to CCIs in small or large pistol.
CCI primers are hard to seat in my experience.

 

[BruceM]

I personally don't see how a primer can do both ends of the power range well (light loads of fast powder with light bullets, to heavy loads of slow powder with heavy bullets) without doing one of them not as well (over do or under do) as the other. Wouldn't it have to compromise somewhere? I guess that's why we have other choices to best suit our particular combination.

Well, I've been using the WLP primers for both standard and magnum handgun loads since the late 1970's without issue so, I guess that there is no discernible tradeoff. On the high side, they reliably ignite charges such as 30.0 grains of W296 below a .44 cal. 180 grain Sierra in .44 magnum rounds. In the low side, generally all that needs to be done is roll back the charge weigh a couple of tenths of a grain as compared to loads with a "Standard" primer. However, you really should go back to the minimum charge and work up as directed in loading manuals.

I started using the Winchester primers because they were a little easier to seat that CCI's. I use a single stage press so primer feeding issues in a progressive were a non-issue.

Bruce

 

[FishingPilot]

I've been interchanging the two (CCI and Winchester Small Pistol Primers) without any issues in my 9mm Luger reloads. I haven't been able to tell any difference. This weekend, if the weather cooperates, I will take the chronograph out and see how a string of CCI reloads compares to those with Winchester. I have a few thousand rounds of 9mm reloaded exactly the same but some have CCI and some have Winchester primers. Should be interesting but I'm not expecting any significant differences.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I have tested cci and win small pistol primers in my 38 and 357 loads over the years and will say that they are very close to one another.

I did find a bigger differnce with the Magnum primers from both,though..........Velositys and groups changed with powders more so than with the standard primers. Some state that the wspm is the hotter of the mag primers but I have had higher fps with the cci550 at times,also.

If you find that the winchester primer works in a load ..........great.
I have yet to have a misfire from this primer and the w209 is all I use in my trap loads.

 

[wbraswell]

To me, primers is primers. That is, between CCI, Win, Rem, and Fed.

 

[johnjohn]

I have used almost all brands and have had good results with all i've tried. They all go bang.

 

[S&W HE]

I guess I'm one of the few that doesn't think the world of CCI Primers. I quit using them in the early 1980's because they were so difficult to seat without mashing the cup... unless the brass had been loaded many times.

Edit: I have not had a similar experience with Federal, Winchester, Remington primers. I just bought my first 1000 MagTec small pistol primers but have yet to try them.

 

[feelinlucky]

I've always used CCI primers, but all that was available the last time I bought primers was Winchester. First thing I noticed when I started using them was that they didn't seem to feed as easily through the Lee Safety Prime on my turret press as the CCI primers did. A good cleaning of all the involved parts cleared the problem up, something I should pay more attention to anyway, but it indicates that the Winchester primers are just a tiny bit larger than their CCI counterparts. I also noticed that the Winchester primers are not plated like the CCI's are.

I backed the powder charge weight on my loads off a few tenths when I switched to the Winchester primers, but that proved unnecessary. If there is any difference in their performance, I can't tell it.

 

[kennyb]

ok....i'll pile on go back and get the winchesters...they will do fine...around here its the winchesters that are hard to find...i just picked up 2k cci lpp,magnum

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I quit using them (CCI) in the early 1980's because they were so difficult to seat without mashing the cup... unless the brass had been loaded many times.

I personally can't related to this. I've used them almost exclusively since the 80's & it's a rare occasion that a cup gets squashed, no matter if it's SPP or LPP, even if it's in brand new brass. And if it does get squashed & I try to fire it unpowdered, it shoots fine. I don't have any complaints with CCI primers. We've had more issues (FTFs) using Remington SP primers recently that my son had gotten for his reloads.

 

[oberon]

I buy what is available. I haven't ever used any foriegn made, but most all of the domestic ones.
I can't say I've ever had a strictly primer related problem.
I have done some bonehead things that resuled in FTF(failed to seat primer properly), but never the fault of the primer.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I went to the Sportsmans Whse. yesterday and the only box of primers left, was a few cci 209..............

Nada,Zip,Zero !!
Buy em if you see um..............

 

[RIKMAN]

The difference is brisance...

 

[TAROMAN]

For my tuned S&W revolvers, the softer Federals are my choice.
For 9MM and 45 Auto, its usually Winchester as they are more available here, but CCIs perform just as well.
Last week, I purchased a (begging for everyone's pardon) a Colt SAA. Trying my favorite 357 loads in it resulted in several pierced primers.
So, I've loaded test batches with CCI 550s and Win SP and will test them tomorrow. I'll set up the chrono, too, so the truth will be told.

 

[Harrison]

At one time several years ago, CCI primers did not want to feed in my Dillon 550, and Dillon was recommending against using them. I have not used CCI since.I generally use either winchester or wolf/tula in my semi autos and try to use federal in revolver loads.

 

[chopperman]

Jim, if you needed the LPP I would a got them.
I do have question on different brands of the same size SP to SP, LP to LP primers. Does it affect the load such as:velocity or dangerous pressures ?
Thanks , Stan

 

[semperfi71]

In my expereince, when it comes to standard pistol primers (not magnum) any will do.

I have always preferred CCI but here lately I started using Federal in a Python that has a light spring. The CCIs would not ignite in 4 out of 50 or so.

 

[Skunkhome]

I have found no unadressable issues arising from the use of any American made primer. I prefer CCI but I am happy to load with any primer I can find. I just start over and work the loads up. There are differences but overall I think I can create equally effective ammo with any primer I am handed.

 

[Skunkhome]

Jim, if you needed the LPP I would a got them.
I do have question on different brands of the same size SP to SP, LP to LP primers. Does it affect the load such as:velocity or dangerous pressures ?
Thanks , Stan

Yes, that is why when starting reloading with a new primer you should go back to starting loads and work them back up again to full power loads. You may get by with not reducing loads when changing primers in straight sided pistol and rifle cases but you would most assuredly have issues with bottle necked cases.

 

[C.S.63]

I have used mostly Winchester primers, But 4 years ago only primer available was cci locally, I usually pick up what is available even ended up with some Wolf LPP 4 years ago