Honestly are wolf primers any good?
- Thread starter K_Dubbya
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counterclockwise
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If "any good" includes available when you need them, recommended by David Tubb, and shoots OK, I'd say they were good.
uf-engineer
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I've been have a problem seating them. Federal Primers seem to be easier to seat.
I understand that PMC and Wolf are the same primers produced in Russia in a modern factory built with assistance from one of the large reputable West European ammunition giants.
I have used about 10K of the SP in a progressive press. Seat easily and not a single problem in lighting up a load.
Currently evaluating a new Steyr in 22-250. Still playing with loads, seating depth etc and my last trial was different primers. In early tests the PMC LRM beat out CCI BR2 and Fed 210M for accuracy. Seating pressure and depth is very consistent.
Trialed them because of positive reports on 6mmBR.com.
Damn it, hate supporting the Russian economy.
I have used about 10K of the SP in a progressive press. Seat easily and not a single problem in lighting up a load.
Currently evaluating a new Steyr in 22-250. Still playing with loads, seating depth etc and my last trial was different primers. In early tests the PMC LRM beat out CCI BR2 and Fed 210M for accuracy. Seating pressure and depth is very consistent.
Trialed them because of positive reports on 6mmBR.com.
Damn it, hate supporting the Russian economy.
D. Manley
Member
If you're intended use is in stock guns, I'd say they're fine. There can be ignition issues in guns running lightened, tuned, trigger setups (including, my guns) and some people find them a little harder to seat. I personally experienced no particular issues with seating but they do take a bit more "whap" to light than Federal or Winchester...as I said, a "non-issue" in stock guns.
Nate1778
Member
I have been using them and gone though a thousand of them in my G19 and GP100 and all have gone bang but 2. They are target loads though and other than that they have preformed very well. I have noticed they do feed well in my equipment.
Complaints on the NM forum about SR - way too soft. Excellent reviews on SRM and so far, only a guess that the new 223 will also be fine. LRM also excellent.
BEnos forum has had a few threads re the newer lot of SP - hard to ignite with lightened springs - but those guys tend to *really* lighten them.
/Bryan
BEnos forum has had a few threads re the newer lot of SP - hard to ignite with lightened springs - but those guys tend to *really* lighten them.
/Bryan
possum
Member
i ordered 5,000 wolf small pistol primers, i have loaded and shot 4,300 of those without a single issue, they were at a great price and if i can get them again i will.
USSR
Member
The current Wolf primers are some of the best primers available. The Russian factory that produces them started out packaging them with simply the factory designation on the boxes (KVB-7 for LR primers), and they were initially imported into this country and sold by a man in Arizona. Then, the Russian factory produced them under the PMC brand. Finally, a couple years ago, they started producing them under the Wolf brand. David Tubbs thought so highly of these primers, that he bought 700,000 of them. I still have about 3500 of them saved for competition loads. They produce very low ES and SD numbers.
Don
Don
Yes.
If you have a miocrometer (not caliper) you will find that they are .001 to .002 inch larger than Win. That's why they feel tight. If you have brass that has been shot a lot, and the primer pocket is starting to get a little larger, Wolf will still seat very snuggly. For an old brass rat like me, that's important.
Never had a misfire. Going on 10,000 fired in the last 12 months.
If you have a miocrometer (not caliper) you will find that they are .001 to .002 inch larger than Win. That's why they feel tight. If you have brass that has been shot a lot, and the primer pocket is starting to get a little larger, Wolf will still seat very snuggly. For an old brass rat like me, that's important.
Never had a misfire. Going on 10,000 fired in the last 12 months.
Shrinkmd
Member
Definitely harder to seat the first time around, although I was reloading some which I previously shot (both with Wolf or Federal) in Large Pistol and they went in a bit easier. I guess they fit better once the primer pocket has been primed and reprimed a few times.
My question is, once you use Wolf primers, can you reload the brass with other brands, or will they be too loose? I have some nice Starline 45 auto rim cases which I don't plan on sticking any Wolf primers in for precisely that reason.
But as far as working well, they seem to go bang every time. No chrony for me yet, so I can't comment on the numbers.
My question is, once you use Wolf primers, can you reload the brass with other brands, or will they be too loose? I have some nice Starline 45 auto rim cases which I don't plan on sticking any Wolf primers in for precisely that reason.
But as far as working well, they seem to go bang every time. No chrony for me yet, so I can't comment on the numbers.
According to one of the resident experts on 6mmBR, the difference between the standard small and large rifle primers and the magnum versions is the hardness of the cup rather than the primer composition itself. Would explain some of the problems reported above.
Just need to match the primer cup hardness to the firearm.
Just need to match the primer cup hardness to the firearm.
The latest batch of SPP from wolf seem to have issues. The old SPP were brass colored, the new ones are silver. Lots of people reporting problems with them. The old brass colored ones seemed to be really nice.
The new copper colored SRP seem to be ok, and seem to work in pistols with less troubles than the SPP.
The new copper colored SRP seem to be ok, and seem to work in pistols with less troubles than the SPP.
Deavis
Member
Magtech and Wolf are one of the few primers that I've seen coming in regularly. They all go bang and to me, the Wolf feel a little more CCI like and the Magtech like Winchester while seating. Fired them through a number of stock guns and some with lightened triggers. Not a FTF in thousands of rounds. Anyone having FTF probably has a gun issue or loading issue.
The brass is far harder and more rigid than the primer, you won't hurt the brass by putting in a Wolf primer. Anyone who has crushed primers in a pocket knows that already. You'd have to do something, no offense, very stupid to ruin your brass seating a tight primer. S&B is a great example, they stay tight until you swage them, no matter what primer you shove in there.
The brass is far harder and more rigid than the primer, you won't hurt the brass by putting in a Wolf primer. Anyone who has crushed primers in a pocket knows that already. You'd have to do something, no offense, very stupid to ruin your brass seating a tight primer. S&B is a great example, they stay tight until you swage them, no matter what primer you shove in there.
jjohnson
Member
They're Just Fine.
I've gone through maybe 15,000 Wolf and 5000 Magtech primers in the last couple years, and no problems of any kind with any of them. They pop when they're stuck, and I haven't experienced any seating problems, either. Those are two of my "suitability" criteria. My #1 criteria is "in stock."
I've gone through maybe 15,000 Wolf and 5000 Magtech primers in the last couple years, and no problems of any kind with any of them. They pop when they're stuck, and I haven't experienced any seating problems, either. Those are two of my "suitability" criteria. My #1 criteria is "in stock."
I've gone through a bunch of wolf primers too. The problem is they were purchased a more than a year ago.
The current batch just arriving (i.e. the last big shipment that has recently ended the wolf primer dry spell), they have changed the primers. And at least the spp are having issues in guns that set off old wolf spp and winchester spp. To a much lesser extent with guns that were happy setting off CCI spp.
Which is a shame, because the wolf spp were really quite good before that. Used plenty myself and wish I had more of them.
brass colored spp from wolf = good. silver colored spp form wolf = kind of sketchy and definitely keep them away from revolvers with any kind of significant trigger work done to them.
The current batch just arriving (i.e. the last big shipment that has recently ended the wolf primer dry spell), they have changed the primers. And at least the spp are having issues in guns that set off old wolf spp and winchester spp. To a much lesser extent with guns that were happy setting off CCI spp.
Which is a shame, because the wolf spp were really quite good before that. Used plenty myself and wish I had more of them.
brass colored spp from wolf = good. silver colored spp form wolf = kind of sketchy and definitely keep them away from revolvers with any kind of significant trigger work done to them.
putteral
Member
I just recently got a new shipment of wolf from PV and have not had any issues with them. They all go bang for me. New shippment or Old. Both small pistol and large pistol.
Gadzooks Mike
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At this point in time, who cares? I'd use a leprechaun with a steel and flint if it would work!
billybob44
Contributing Member
Great stuff, Mike. And OH how so true!!!!!!!!!!At this point in time, who cares? I'd use a leprechaun with a steel and flint if it would work!
Nate1778
Member
I just had 11 FTF's in 200 9mm rounds today. Before you go running to the hills, the primer was not seated in all of them, really at all, hardly the primers fault. It may be what caused my previous FTF's as well, but I no longer have the rounds to figure it out. I do know I need to get used to this new press.............:banghead:
Ants, I know and fully understand the difference between standard and magnum primers in the context of US primers and for that matter most of the rest of the world. But these are Russian primers and according to "German Salazar" on 6mmBR the difference between standard and magnum in the Wolf/PMC primers is the cup hardness not the primer composition. I'm not sure how to add a link but go to 6mmBR.com and enter "Russian Primers" into the search engine in the reloading section and discussion will come up. There is a lot of discussion regarding these primers on that board. This guy (posts under "GermanS1" ) also has an informative website of his own that you are probably familiar with because of the photographs of primer flashes circulating on the web. "Riflemansjournal.blogspot.com". The primer tests are in the June 09 section. I am wary about web board "experts" but this guy seems the real deal.
I'm using the old copper colored PMC labelled LRM in a 22-250 and am very happy with them to date.
I'm using the old copper colored PMC labelled LRM in a 22-250 and am very happy with them to date.
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Shrinkmd
Member
Are they "hotter"
I've been loading Wolf Large Pistol primers, and unless I'm doing something weird or wrong, my loads seem "hotter" than they should be. For example, I made up some 45acp 230 LRN at 4.7 gr Bullseye, and they seemed too much. 4.6 was better, and 4.4 was a milder load.
I thought that you could safely go up to 5 gr Bullseye with 230 LRN. Obviously I need a chronograph, but until then, have other people noticed that Wolf primers require you to lower your loads a bit?
I've been loading Wolf Large Pistol primers, and unless I'm doing something weird or wrong, my loads seem "hotter" than they should be. For example, I made up some 45acp 230 LRN at 4.7 gr Bullseye, and they seemed too much. 4.6 was better, and 4.4 was a milder load.
I thought that you could safely go up to 5 gr Bullseye with 230 LRN. Obviously I need a chronograph, but until then, have other people noticed that Wolf primers require you to lower your loads a bit?
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