Primer Brand for next bulk order

Cabela's has a sale on Winchester SPP now @ $26.34 per 1K.
My last order had HAZ-MAT fee of $20.00.

MagTech primers are inexpensive and work well

I picked up some MagTech small pistol primers from LG Outdoors for $119 for 5000. I have loaded around a thousand so far. No issues at all, all when bang and seemed very consistent. I have used them in .40 S&W, .38 spec and .380 ACP. At this price I like them and will continue to use as long as they are available.

I have used CCI almost exclusively for over 30 years, and have never had a single mis-fire. Now and then I've used Winchester, and they've been 100% also, but I'm not as fond of them, they feel different when I seat them, and I'm not a fan of having to do things different.

Plus, RC makes a great point, keep the money in the USA when ever possible.

GS

I have been very happy with CCI/Winchester primers for the majority of my reloading years but during the last two component shortages, had to buy MagTech/Wolf/PMC/Tula/Fiocchi primers.

While I hand prime rifle cases (I like to inspect/clean rifle primer pockets), bulk of my pistol loads are loaded on multiple dedicated Pro 1000 presses and CCI/Winchester/MagTech SP/LP primers feed the best, especially for once-fired cases with tighter primer pockets. On mixed range brass that have been reloaded multiple times with slightly enlarged primer pockets, Wolf/PMC/Tula/Fiocchi primers with slightly larger diameter primer cups work OK on Pro 1000 but troublesome with once-fired cases with tighter primer pockets. Since I do bulk of my reloading on 4 Pro 1000 presses, I will keep buying CCI/Winchester/MagTech primers.

As to performance, I have found them to be comparable. When I conduct load development, I always use Winchester primers (as I found them cheaper than CCI over the years) but my recent 9mm/40S&W testing were done unintentionally with Fiocchi primers and results were consistent - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=9924922#post9924922

As rc posted, if you want to support USA workers/economy, buy domestic brand primers. If you want smooth primer feeding in Pro 1000, buy CCI/Winchester/MagTech. If you want to reduce reloading costs, buy the cheapest primers you can find on sale.

I have loaded a few thousand LR with S&B and have not had any issues at all.

I use S&B primers for SP and SR. I have loaded thousands in both configurations and have never had a problem getting them into a case or a single misfire.

Nuther vote for American.

First choice CCI in APS strips....obviously....having an APS press, hand primer, and bench primer.

Second choice CCI in regular boxes

Third.......Winchester.

Have never had to choose #4.

I have to admit that I got SUCKED in when cabelas has S&B primers on sale for 19.99 a thousand. I got my fair share of them and a fer more just in case. You know 19.99 for S&B vs 27.99 for CCI primers. Then I did the math to find out how little I actually saved per round. S&B 19.99 per 1,000 equals .01999 each and CCI at 27.99 per 1,000 equals .02799 each. So I save .008 cents a round. WOW what a big savings.

CCI first, Winchester second, Federal third....nuff said

Been reloading since the early 80s - never had an issue with CCI

Glad to hear S&B primers get a "thumbs up", as I just bought 5k of them. Hey, the Czech's are getting my beer business, so they might as well get my primer business.

Don

[email protected] said:

I have to admit that I got SUCKED in when cabelas has S&B primers on sale for 19.99 a thousand. I got my fair share of them and a fer more just in case. You know 19.99 for S&B vs 27.99 for CCI primers. Then I did the math to find out how little I actually saved per round. S&B 19.99 per 1,000 equals .01999 each and CCI at 27.99 per 1,000 equals .02799 each. So I save .008 cents a round. WOW what a big savings.

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You saved $8 per 1k or $40 per case and tax, if any. 20k would save $160? and tax, if any? You could buy 28k for the price of the 20k CCI. I would think you made a good financial decision. Not sure about the quality but seems okay based on this forum.

I likely have enough primers to last a lifetime but if I were to be looking to do an order I generally shoot CCI, I also have several thousand other assorted makes. That said before I would do a large order of maybe 20K plus I would likely start with maybe 1K and see how a brand worked out for me and my loads. I have several thousand S&B I picked up at Cabela's I want to try. I would not buy for example 20K or more in bulk of a primer I had not tried in smaller quantities. See what works for you then buy a small mountain of them.

Ron

I only try to buy CCI only. I try to buy 20,000 at a time.

Shot about another 1500 S+B SPs over the last couple weeks no issues.
Cabelas normal price is $24.99 a K their hazmat is only $20. But be aware that powder and primers from Cabelas ship from two different places (or at least they used to) so if you order both you can end up with two hazmats.

They seem to have been having the S+Bs on sale on and of for $20 a K recently.

The last lot of WLR & WLRM primers I got fit loose in new brass and measure undersize.

These are the ones that they did not plate. They must have forgotten that plating adds thickness!

These primers are brass colored and not nickel or whatever the plating was.

I bought 10k cheap Tula primers in SP. In my gun I get about 2/100 misfires. And they don't go off 2nd/3rd time. Complete duds. I use CCI for match loads and use Tula for practice/plinking. It's actually kind of good practice to clear malfunctions

I've shot thousands and thousands of CCI, Winchester and S&B. I can't tell much difference between any of them other than the S&B are just a tad harder to seat. All went bang. One huge difference is price, the S&B's are much less.

A few weeks ago when Cabela's had their sale and free shipping I ordered both some primers and powder. Fortunately for me both were in stock at the same warehouse, so I only paid one $20 hazmat fee. Some of the other items I ordered came from another location, but free shipping paid off.

S&B LR & SP, shot thousands, loaded on a PRO1000 & other presses. Zero issues.

LP, CCI, because that what my loads are built on

I'm all CCI for rifle and pistol unless I can't get them. For shotgun, I'm primarily Winchester.

I think the Russian primers have dried up. But the good news is all the other brands seem to be returning to the market place. I just got some RWS/RUAG sr primers, I know, I know, but sometimes you just try to shrink groups and a primer might do it. Also got a bunch of CCI primers.

I have been using CCI with 10,000 Winchester sitting on the shelf. My next buy will be S&B though, the price difference is just too great to ignore

Widener's had Wolf SR primers on sale for $16/1000 a few months ago and I bought 20,000. I've used about 1,500 so far with no issues. I sold one case of 5,000 to a friend that shoots a lot more than I do and he has gone about 4,000 so far with no issues.

I've used about every brand of primer made and the only one I try to avoid is Federal. That is because I had one detonate on me while reloading. It didn't cause any damage and I was not injured, but I did have to change underwear. Since then I don't use them unless I'm out and nothing else is available.

Hey guys, not trying to hijack this thread. However, I have been using Winchester Small Primers for about 20 years. Just finished reloading last 800 of the WSP.

I have been reading that Winchester has changed their primers over the years. There was a thread about this a few years back. Some posted WSP quality has gone down. I have been using the older nickel primers. My loads have been with AA#5 for 9mm and .40. I have never had a misfire with the older WSP.

So, with the above in mind, if you had to choose between WSP and CCI, which would you recommend?

I've been relaoding for only 5 years so I've had to deal with all kinds of shortages.
I'm also in Canada so the exchange rate wreaks havoc on us from time to time.
2 years ago I bought CCI SP for $135.00/5,000 now they are selling for $225.00/5,000.
I can get S&B SP for $160.00/5,000 so I will.
I also had my first CCI SR primer failure this week.
A good strike with no ignition in an AR-15.

Primer Brand for next bulk order


So it's about time for me to make a bulk order of primers. I usually buy 10,000 each small pistol and small rifle.

I usually get CCI but low prices on other brands has me thinking.

If i went with another brand, what do you guys/gals think of S&B, Wolf or Tula. Out of those 3, which would you get? i can get S&B and Wolf for $20 per k. Thoughts?

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I think you buy at most 1000 of each or 1000 of just one. The Hazmat is the smaller risk.