[Corner Pocket]

In a recent trade, I ended up with 1,000 Small Pistol MAGNUM primers. I've since carefully worked up a load that works well with these primers and I plan to shoot 'em up over the course of the next few months...

Funny thing, though. When I primed 50 casings (.38 Special) a couple weeks ago, several of them gave me problems in seating them. I'm using my Lee Auto Prime for the task. Last night I was going to prime another 50, and had barely gotten started when one refused to go in properly. I could not get it to go completely in, and neither could I get it to come out. (Of course, I did not get too rough with it, lest I detonate the thing.) This morning, I utilized my vise and a punch and *finally* got it seated enough to where I could get the casing out of the shellholder. (The casing is a mangled mess!) :uhoh:

Anyway, I hope not to repeat that experience again. Just wondered whether anyone has an insight on what might need to be done differently when priming with these magnum primers? Thanks!

Corner Pocket

[243winxb]

Since the 1970's some lots of CCI 550 primers in the magmum small pistol run on the large side for there diameter and can require extra force to seat then fully in some brass.

[Corner Pocket]

I just now primed 50 casings. Many of these magnum primers do indeed require a good bit more force to seat them as deep as they need to go. Others slide right in with not nearly as much force...

I'll definitely never buy any SP magnum primers after these are all shot up. Here -- this one's for YOU, magnum primer! :neener:

CP

[The Bushmaster]

Aah...Go on and SEAT the dang things...If you are using the Lee Auto Prime II you will have no problems. If one does go off (and it's never happened to me) during the seating process and you make sure your fingers are not over the case mouth it will just cause a mess in your pants. I've been using CCI SPM for years and yes they do tend to be a bit firm when seating them in good primer pockets, but also will seat in looser pockets where other primers will just fall out. I, also, have a 20 year old Auto Prime II and no matter how hard they have been to seat I have never set one off. Wear safety glasses, keep your fingers away from the case mouth and seat them suckers...

[Ben Shepherd]

The bad:
CCI primers are known to vary quite a bit in diameter. Hence the trouble you are having.

The good:

They're hard, really hard. No worries if you use them in a gun with a floating firing pin(ar15, sks, etc).

If you want consistent seating pressure or your gun has had the action lightened up, switch over to federal primers, rework your loads a touch, and don't look back.