Experience with Wolf primers -- large pistol especially?

[mobocracy]

I made what I thought would be a futile trip for large pistol primers and was surprised to walk way with a couple thousand.

I mostly buy Federal but occasionally pick up Winchesters for my .50AE and will use them up in other calibers, too, from time to time.

Today I came home with 1k Remingtons and 1k Wolf. I suspect the Remingtons will be fine, although perhaps not as soft as the Federals.

What about the Wolfs? My reloading guy says that the Wolfs are more like the Federals. But will they be as reliable? Run as smooth in a Dillon 650 primer feed?

I'll probably load them in .44 Mag & .41 Mag.

 

[S&WPete]

Just tried some wolf small pistol primers today. Ignited fine in my S&W 1911 9mm but had problem igniting them with my Glock 19.

 

[Rule3]

I have been using nothing but Wolf primers for some time now. Large and Small. I can not compare them to Federals as I never used them. Before the"Great Primer Shortage of 2009" I used Winchester and CCI.

The Wolf work just fine, go bang every time and I have not had any problems. I would say they are closer to CCI as far as inserting and firing pin striking. I do not think they are a "soft" primer but that is just anecdotal or JMO.

 

[Davwingman]

Have used about 5000 Wolf small pistol primers through my Dillon 550 without a hitch. They were loaded in 38 & 357. Haven't used any Large Wolf primers yet.

 

[Scrapper]

Sounds promising. When I finally try the Wolf small pistol primers I got I'll Chime in.

 

[dg101win]

I have been using Wolf Primers for about a year now. I load them in 44spl,44mag,45colt and 45acp. They work great and go through my Dillon 550 with ease.
In my 624 I cannot tell the difference between them and winchester primers.
Just starting to try their small ones in 38's.

 

[Skip Sackett]

I have used Wolf primers in Large Pistol, Large Pistol Magnum, Small Pistol and Small Rifle configurations with only one failure to fire. It was a Small Rifle one.

I have 10,000 of them on the shelf now along with 10,000 Federals. They are just a tad harder to ignite than a Federal but not much. They are between Federal and Winchester for harness, or so it would seem.

I have a M625JM that has to have Federals for reliable firing. With Winchesters, I had about a 50% firing rate. With Federals, 100% firing. With Wolf, 98% firing rate. I made a small adjustment to the strain screw and now enjoy 100% firing rate in it with Wolf.

As for brisance, they are much more like the Federals, a little "wimpy". Winchester Large Pistol are made for either standard or magnum loads. The Wolf Magnum primers are needed if you want magnum performance. I proved this with a chronograph and hard to ignite ball powders in 44Mag. I got 100fps more velocity with the Winchesters over the Federals and standard Wolf primers. Same loads with Wolf Magnum primers and I ran right with the Winchesters.

p.s. I don't want to get thought of as a hoarder. I bought those primers in 2008 long before there was any threat of a shortage. There was a threat of a liberal getting in the White House and I read the handwriting on the wall, so to speak. If anything good comes out of what has transpired with the component shortage it will be for us to pay more attention, sooner, to things that may affect it.

 

[Missionary]

Good morning
I bought a bunch of WOLF last October and used only those my last time up in 2009. All work as should. I did have a few get turned sideways working through my Dillion550 (1987 vintage) .
I would buy them again but I do not think that will be necessary for a lot more shooting when I return in a few years.

 

[Wee Hooker]

good stuff cheap

 

[jj2am44]

I made what I thought would be a futile trip for large pistol primers and was surprised to walk way with a couple thousand.

I mostly buy Federal but occasionally pick up Winchesters for my .50AE and will use them up in other calibers, too, from time to time.

Today I came home with 1k Remingtons and 1k Wolf. I suspect the Remingtons will be fine, although perhaps not as soft as the Federals.

What about the Wolfs? My reloading guy says that the Wolfs are more like the Federals. But will they be as reliable? Run as smooth in a Dillon 650 primer feed?

I'll probably load them in .44 Mag & .41 Mag.

Where did you find the Remington primers?

 

[Rule3]

p.s. I don't want to get thought of as a hoarder. I bought those primers in 2008 long before there was any threat of a shortage. There was a threat of a liberal getting in the White House and I read the handwriting on the wall, so to speak. If anything good comes out of what has transpired with the component shortage it will be for us to pay more attention, sooner, to things that may affect it.

So in other words you pre hoarded. Is that like pre boarding?

 

[5906fan]

I've loaded some 100's of Wolf sp's and fired just maybe a couple dozen 9mm. can't tell any diff from CCI and they load good and snug, I use a Lee hand prime myself though. wish I had bought some LR's too for my 'practice' loads.
I'll still use CCI or Winny if the price ever gets real again.

 

[bluetopper]

I've shot a bunch of Wolf primers both large and small. I actually think I shoot my best groups with Wolf primers. I'm sold on them.
I just wish they weren't made in Russia.

 

[mobocracy]

Thanks for the feedback.

I sort of feel like I should have asked about the Remingtons now. I've never used them, but somehow they seem like a known quantity.

I still have about 7000 Federals left, but I've run down my ammo supply quite a bit waiting for bullets and hoping to come across more Federal primers.

I'll probably cut that number in half over the next couple of months restocking loaded ammo so its nice to know there are some alternative primers out there.

 

[buckshotshorty]

I have recently had some trouble with Wolf SP primers. I have noticed that I get more reliable ignition with my 9mm guns that are hammer fired as opposed to striker fired. I have been experiencing light hits at a rate of about 10% from my striker fired guns, and they will not fire on a second hit. Hammer fired guns have a lower percentage, and every one of them have fired on the second hit.

Every one of these guns function 100% using factory ammo or non-Wolf reloads.

 

[justanotherjim]

I've got a case of LP but haven't loaded or shot any yet. Sorry I can't be of any help there.

I have loaded and shot many thousands of the SP in both .38 Spl. and 9mm. I've found them to be on the hard end of the spectrum. In 9mm they work flawlessly in my Hi-Powers and CZ85 but misfire like crazy in a KelTec PF9. In 38 Spl. I get the occasional misfire, especially in guns where the action has been lightened (nothing extreme- I don't own any "Federal only" 38s - every one is 100% reliable with Winchester SPs).

 

[dla]

I've been using Wolf large pistol in bulk loading of 45acp on my Dillon SDB. The primers Chrony very consistent velocities - never had a failure to go BOOM. The cup is a little harder than Winchester LP and I feel a little more resistance when seating. I have had one or two sideways primers as a result of burrs or cup hardness - something I also have with CCI but never with WLP. Overall I'm very satisfied with Wolf LP in my application.

 

[Scrapper]

They all went bang.....

Well I went out and shot 50 of my 45 Colt Cowboy loads.....which would be 255 grain Hornady lead bullets over 7.3 grains of Unique with Wolf Large Pistol primers in Winchester Cases. I had no problems at all. Accuracy was very good. I shot them out of a 460 XVR 8 3/8". I shot both Double Action and Single no problems at all. I also loaded 10, 250 XTP's over 10.5 grains of Unique, Also no problems.

Granted It's only 60 rounds total so far but it's 100% so far, I just hope the rest of the lot is the same.

 

[VonFatman]

I've been using Wolf LP and SP with no ill effects. Great primers.

Bob

 

[fredj338]

I boughgt 1K LP to try. Put some loads up in 45acp & 44mag using Unique. Accuracy was unchanged BUT, I the Wolf primers are giving my upto 50fps higher vel w/ the same loads. So they appear to be running just a bit hotter than say RP or CCI. I got sim results swappign out for CCI350 in the Unique loads.