What brand primers and why??

[rudyc]

Hello,

Just getting into reloading for pistol. .32 S&W Long / .45 colt / .45ACP / 9MM / .38

What brand primers do you like to use and why do you choose them?

I've been reloading for my shotguns for years and have had good luck with Winchester 209's

Thanks in advance

rudyc

 

[rudyc]

Hello,

Just getting into reloading for pistol. .32 S&W Long / .45 colt / .45ACP / 9MM / .38

What brand primers do you like to use and why do you choose them?

I've been reloading for my shotguns for years and have had good luck with Winchester 209's

Thanks in advance

rudyc

 

[lzhome]

Federal primers are the softest so I use these for all revolvers. Prevents light strikes.

 

[OKFC05]

With a stock gun, any of the major brands will work. Use the recommended primer for the cartridge, of course.

 

[jj2am44]

Remington--have always had good luck with them.

 

[Sgt Preston]

I use Winchester's exclusively. They are readily available (in Maryland), fairly priced & always go "boom". Sgt Preston USMC LLA

 

[Amici]

Another happy Winchester customer here. I USED to use CCI, but that stopped when I my getting trigger jobs started.

Besides, my store ALWAYS has them; Federals are unobtainable and I don't see any reason to change.

 

[Bassman]

I use Federal in all my revolvers the have had the double action trigger pull lightened. All stock revolvers and semi-autos get Winchester. Stopped using CCI about 10 years ago, when I got my Dillon, they would hang up in the primer tubes.

 

[Skip Sackett]

To answer the last part of your question first; it depends on what I am loading for as to which primers I use.

I have just one revolver that has had the trigger lightened. In it I have to use Federal's. Another firearm I have has to have them too for reliable ignition, my M625JM. The lightened triggers in each make them necessary.

In all of the others I am currently using Wolf primers. They are as consistent in their chronograph results as any others. I haven't had one misfire with any of them in any standard firearm.

Never have had much success with CCI.
I've used Remington too with good results.
Winchesters are reserved in my world for large pistol magnum loads and any powder that is hard to ignite. 2400 is one of those powders.

So now I have answered both of your questions.
What and why!

 

[Sprocket]

Shot shell primers are know to be "hotter" in the CCI & Federal flavors and less "hot" in the Win & Rem flavors. This has ramifications if you are loading close to SAMI pressures or attempting to substitute components in a given load..

Are pistol/rifle primers similar in that some mfgr's are "hotter" than others?

 

[walnutred]

Currently I only load 32S&W, 32 ACP, 32 Long, 32-20, 38 S&W, 38 Special, 9x18, 45 Colt and 45 ACP. In handgun ctgs at least. While I used to load exclusively CCI primers I now tend to load whatever brand primer I can find. If you are not pushing the envelope pressure wise I think you'll find little difference in standard primers for midrange cgs like these.

As I recall I started using CCI primers when I loaded a lot of 41 Mag and 45 Colt Ruger loads.

But as long as you stay with normal pressures you will not see much difference in primers. You'll see a lot of target shooters list their 38 and 45 loads and include the phrase: And any brand standard pistol primer.

 

[MrPhil]

Formerly used Winchester primers for everything. They have become scarce in the last couple years in the quantities I buy. Prices for smaller quantities have increased 75% in the last 3 years.

I'm currently using Wolf for standard loads. They are available in large quantities and at lower prices. A bonus is they are more sensitive than Winchester.

 

[AzShooter]

I've used Federal for about 30 years for my pistols. Since they all have had action work to them Federal would always ignite while other brands would not. When it was hard to find Federal I tried Remington and still had good luck.

Winchester work great in my rifles and in stock action pistols.

I tested some Wolf and they work in my 627 with a 4.5 lb trigger. I ordered 10K of the Wolfs.

 

[lev83]

Winchester primers for me. Why they are readily available, they always go boom, pricing is comparable to other brands, and packaging works well with my RCBS hand priming tool.

 

[Noah Zark]

Winchester and Federal for the past 20+ years.

From the early 70s until the mid 80s I used CCI, but in the late 70s and early 80s CCI primers were about 0.001" to 0.0015" too large in diameter and about 0.005" too long. I had no end of trouble with mashed primers, cocked primers, etc. I even went so far as to swage primer pockets in most of my brass, but still had issues.

Then I took some CCI, Federal, and Winchester primers to work and had a machinist take measurements. The CCI were larger than the Federals and Winchesters, the latter two were identical in dimensions. Although I understand that CCI fixed the problem back in the 80s, I've never gone back to them because Federals and Winchesters have given me good service.

Noah

 

[n4zov]

Remington almost exclusively! They provide a better fit in a wider variety of cases than any primers I have tried. Generally I use Remington cases, so their primers are a perfect fit. At one time, I was loading a lot of G.I. cases, and found that Remington primers would seat without undue pressure and without having to chamfer primer pockets.....a big advantage.

Noah Zark wrote:
"From the early 70s until the mid 80s I used CCI, but in the late 70s and early 80s CCI primers were about 0.001" to 0.0015" too large in diameter and about 0.005" too long. I had no end of trouble with mashed primers, cocked primers, etc."

I agree with that statement totally! There is/was a noticeable difference in the diameter of CCI primers and they required much more pressure to seat. That problem also contributed to my decision to stick with Remington primers. I am not saying that Remington primers are "better" than others just that they provide a better fit in the wide variety of cartridges that I load.

 

[Wayne M]

Winchester for all handgun loads.

 

[ACP230]

I started out with CCI primers.
Later I got a real deal on Remingtons so bought a lot and used them for years.
Now I am using Winchester primers.

I tend to use what I can find at a good price.
No problems with any of them except for one revolver that had a "too much of a good thing" trigger job done.

 

[dennis40x]

Originally posted by Sgt Preston:
I use Winchester's exclusively. They are readily available, fairly priced & always go "boom". Sgt Preston USMC LLA

+1

 

[TSQUARED]

My reloads forsemi auto pistols use either Remington or Winchester primers. For my revolvers which have been modified with a light DA rigger pull require the use of Federal primers.

Originally posted by rudyc:
Hello,

Just getting into reloading for pistol. .32 S&W Long / .45 colt / .45ACP / 9MM / .38

What brand primers do you like to use and why do you choose them?

I've been reloading for my shotguns for years and have had good luck with Winchester 209's

Thanks in advance

rudyc