Easiest to Seat: Winchester or Remington Primers?

[Blind Bat]

My question: Which is easier to seat using a Hornady LNL, Remington or Winchester primers?

For the longest time I've been loading with my LNL using CCI primers. I've always used two up strokes and a good deal of force on the press handle to make sure the primers were seated. Recently, the only small pistol primers I could find were Wolfs (the new silver colored ones). The Wolf primers would lock up the press from not seating completely, caused a huge amount of frustration and I couldn't get more than 100 rounds per hour out of the press. I was even starting to think something was wrong with the LNL so I tried "shimming" the primer punch and some other recommendations I'd found online. Then magically I was able to get a box of Federal small pistol primers. The difference was like night and day. The press has never operated soooo smoothly. It's like the press was designed specifically to be used with those primers. They'd seat reliably on the first up stroke of the press handle and I didn't need use much force at all. (The primer pockets aren't loose. Most of the brass is once fired and I tested a couple hundred rounds today. The primers on the test rounds looked fine.)

My local toy store now has a small stock of Winchester and Remington primers in stock and I'm wondering which are the most similar to Federals in dimension and metal softness. I know Federals are the "softest" sensitivity wise but I'm not concerned with that characteristic as all my guns will pop off CCI's just fine. It's the ease of seating on the LNL that is my primary focus.

 

[loadedround]

I load on two Dillon 550B's(one set up for large, the other for small primers) and have never noticed any difference between the two makes of primers.

 

[medalguy]

I have used quite a few of both Remington and Winchester this year, and I have noticed in my RCBS Autoprime that the Remington seem to seat easier. I had a problem with one particular lot of Winchester which must have been out of spec, because when trying to use them in my Dillon, the Winchester LR primers became stuck in the primer tube, and this happened several times in each pack of 1,000. I had 10,000 to run through, and it caused a lot of wasted time for me.

I was concerned at first that the tubes were dirty so I cleaned them and the problem continued. Finally I considered the primers might be out of round, and switched over to Remington. Those fed just fine, and when I went back to the Winchesters, they stuck again. By then I was nearly through the whole lot so I just continued to use them up. Then I started loading 7.62 and went to Wolf primers, and they do seem a little harder to seat but at least they don't get stuck in the drop tubes.

 

[Blind Bat]

Thanks guys. It turns out the Winchesters were actually magnums. I know I can use magnums if I recalibrate my load for the hotter primer but that's too much work since the Remington's are available.

 

[loadedround]

Medalguy: Never had that happen to me and the majority of my primers these days are Winchester. Color me lucky.

 

[bugs100]

I have more problems on my Hornady with Winchester primers than Wolf.

 

[TonyAngel]

Yeah, Federal primers have the softest cups. I was loading .45 last night and was using a mix of primers. CCI, Winchester and Remington. The CCIs were the hardest. Remington and Winchester about the same. I'd just get what's cheapest. My local Cabelas sells (or was selling) Remingtons for $30 a thousand, so I stocked up on those.

 

[Ol` Joe]

The primers are not out of spec but likely at the large end of it.
Add a batch of brass with the primer pockets at the small end of spec and you get tight seating. I`ve had this with a few brands primers in the past and changing brass usually cured it, as did a new lot of primers or brand.
The next lot of brass you buy might be on the large side and the primers will fit as smooth as any

BTW Federal primers don`t have a "softer" cup they use a more sensitive compound then the other brands. The cup hardness thing is an old wife's tale.

 

[1SOW]

I agree with Ol' Joe, the brass makes as much or more difference than the primer; AND he's right about the Fed primers--older, more sensitive mix-thankfully.

 

[josephbw]

I've used Federal, Winchester, CCI, and Remington primers, and the Remington were by far the easiest to seat. Almost to the point of wondering if they will stay in the primer pocket. I didn't see what you were reloading for, but if you pick up a box of Remington primers, look for the fine print and make sure you are not loading for any of the "high pressure" rounds. This applies to small pistol primers, but I don't know if they have similar warnings for other primer sizes.

 

[Blind Bat]

Ol'Joe and 1SOW - If you are ever in NH you are more than welcome to stop by my house and try out the LNL. If you give me a days notice I'll even tidy up my bench for you.

I ASSURE YOU there is a huge difference seating the new Wolf (silver colored, never tried the gold) primers when compared to the Federal. I'd bet the Feds have a slightly smaller diameter than than Wolfs.

 

[TonyT]

I use a Dillon 550 and have not seen any difference in terms of reloading ease between Federal, Remington, Winchester or CCI primers. At one time CCI primers did not enjoy a reputation for dimensional uniformity but that was a long time aqgo.

 

[ReloaderEd]

what you guys are saying makes alot of sense. Also, it brings back some of the primer problems I have had past years.
Norma cases have tight LMC primer pockets, I like swaged military pockets at the swager sizes all the pockets the same.
My favorite primers are Winchester stainless and use standard primers in all cases except in the 44 magnum I use magnum Federal primers. The Federal seem to be MMC (larger) and are harder to seat.
One thing I do know for maximum accuracey, primers cannot be flattened or deformed in anyway during seating in the primer pocket.
I have found the best is the lyman 310 tongs with primer seater die for perfect results, my second choice is the RCBS hand auto prime. I can feel the primers going into the case and when they just touch the bottom of the primer pocket.
Variables include: primer pocket size, depth, size of primer etc.. the above tools negate any problems.