CCI #400 for AR or trade - what would you do?

[CMV]

I have ALWAYS used SRM for 223 & 300BLK since 99.9% goes thru an AR. CCI #41, Wolf SRM, Fiocchi SRM. Always looked at it like added safety since I have so many ARs and some people reach their hands into my ammo cans for their ARs. In all my .223 could easily go thru any of 30 different ARs between mine, my boy's, a few close friends, etc. Could all be in my head/interwebs myth, but have just always done it that way.

In that situation, if it were you, and you just got a case of of SRP, would you use them and not think twice about it or trade them for SPP or something else?

I'm not desperate for SRM or any primers right now and at current use rates will be out of SRM, LPP, and SPP in maybe 18 months with what I have - not incl this 5k of SRP. I don't load anything with a SRP currently and I use so few CCI #550 it wouldn't make sense to keep them to use in place of SPM

 

[Cheesemaker]

trade em

.... I don't load anything with a SRP currently .....

 

[vongh]

I use small rifle primers in my ar15s and my mini 14. And a few family members and friends have used my ammo in their rifles with no issues. If you could trade them for what you want its good. But if you can't. I'd go ahead and use them.

 

[Bazoo]

I have a brick of cci41s I'm looking to trade for pistol primers right now. My buddy got them when he was looking for me and.... I don't load small rifle primed nothin. Maybe if I don't swap them I'll eventually get a mini14.

 

[CMV]

If you were close to me I’d do that in a heartbeat. Should be an easy swap anywhere

 

[berettaprofessor]

I used 400's in three different AR's for years; no slamfires. I'd use them.

 

[MFInc]

I have 1k CCI SRP's I plan on using in my AR300blk. I also have 1k SRM's that i traded 1K of SPM's for straight across. I haven't loaded any rounds for the 300 yet. but will def check for slamifire as I have read and heard about it. I would run them from what I have read.

 

[P Flados]

I started reloading for ARs using the same old standard SRPs I always used for everything else. I also did function and accuracy testing with manual feeding of rounds one at a time into the chamber. I did confirm early one that the firing pin mark on my primers was minimal when I hit the bolt holdback release.

Only later did I dig into what prompted the warnings about ARs needing special primers.

When the M16 was first being tested by actual soldiers, they had a problem with occasional slam fires. Turns out the slam fires were occurring when they were shooting for accuracy and were manually placing a round in the chamber and the hitting the bolt holdback release. In this mode, the bolt was moving faster than normal as it went into battery.

Two changes were made in response to the above. The gun designer quickly implemented a design change to lighten the firing pin. He thought that this would take care of the problem. However, the military decided to also make the cups thicker.

If you use regular primers but you do not manually feed rounds into the chamber on a very clean well oiled gun, your chances of a slam fire should be pretty low. I would however be reluctant hit the bolt holdback release with ammo in the magazine unless I was at the range in a position where going off would be no big deal.

If you do manually feed rounds into the chamber with regular primers (I have a bunch with not one slam fire), you should not only do it in a safe setting but you should should be even more ready for the possibility of a slam fire.

 

[reddog81]

I’ve used CCI 400’s in light 9mm loads before. I tried them in a couple different guns to see if they’d function and they worked undistinguishable from other SP primers. Magnum small rifle primers were a no go in all guns tested except an old Luger. Supposedly the 400’s used to be the same as the small pistol magnums.

I’m sure some will balk at using rifle primers in 9mm loads but I figured a starting to medium charge of powder couldn’t hurt anything.

 

[MakBaba]

Agreed. No way am I letting primers go. The OP didn’t say which SRPs he has, but I’m guessing they will run fine in all those ARs and probably in all his pistols.
My initial test has CCI400 and Fed 205 running 100% in my Glock 17. No change in velocity. REM 7 1/2 ran about 50% needed a second hit

 

[outdoorman63]

We haven't had an issue using standard rifle primers in our Ar's in the 20 years we have been loading for them.

 

[Bazoo]

That's how I ended up with the cci41s. My buddy that was looking, I told him I could use small rifle primers for plinking loads in 38special. This is all he could find, and didn't ask about them before he bought them. I don't load anything small rifle.... And they surely wouldn't work on a handgun.