Primer choices

[Armednfree]

Some 15 years ago I purchased a large quantity of Winchester SR primers. I'm down to my last 3000 now, though I have an equal number of CCI 400's. Generally I like the Winchesters for my accuracy loads.

Now I'm looking to do it again. But things may be different. It seems that Winchester QC has gone to pot. That at least with some of the brass I've bought. I'm hearing, but don't know, that many of these components are now made in former soviet block countries. The same people who make wolf primers I've heard, others say Privi.

I'm not sure what to get. I don't use Federal because they tend to show pressure too soon and many will be fired in AR's. The question is, has QC on Winchester primers gone the way of the brass?

 

[peels]

If given he choice of Winchester or CCI, I would pick CCI400. I have had Winchester SRP pierce at moderate loads randomly (brass colored ones). CCI 400 pierce also, but only if loaded hot.

Actually if I can do over from the start, I would have standardized on CCI 450

 

[Okcafe86]

CCI all the way. I've seen pierced primers in pistol and rifle using winchester, never using cci.

 

[whughett]

These days it seems availability drives my primer choice. Managed to get 2000 each of LP and SP. 1000 CCI LP and the rest Federal.

 

[Nature Boy]

CCI400s and WSRs can have issues when used in high pressure cartridges (over 40,000 psi). That obviously includes .223

https://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/primers-and-pressure-analysis/

My experience here

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/blanked-my-first-primer.854168/

My suggestion is to use one of these

 

[Jesse Heywood]

I am working my way through a couple of cases of Tula. Bought them just before BO Plenty banned their import. Seem to have a thicker skin than most. No complaints.

 

[Nature Boy]

Wish I would have gotten some of Tula or Wolf when they were available. By all accounts they are equivalent in quality and consistency to domestic match primers

 

[frankmako]

i use what i can find for all my match loads. i don't see much different in the different brands for the type of matches i shoot. years ago i got a bunch of wolf and tula primers. they were some of the best primers i have used.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

I buy Winchester because they are the cheapest at the store I buy from.

Can't remember having a problem with them of any sort.

Shot WSRP in AR's by the 10's of thousands. Never an issue.

 

[FROGO207]

I am one that buys first on price then on availability. The only ones I don't use often are Federal as they are more sensitive and at this point have no need for sensitive.
On the other hand using foreign (metric sized) primers I find they are a smidge bigger around. This allows me to get an extra reload or two out of brass that has developed loose primer pockets. It's fine for blasting ammo but for precision loads I stick to one primer that I worked up the load for. It may not make a difference but that's just how I do it.

 

[whughett]

Shooters that can notice a difference on target are shooters indeed. Way above this old mans skills and I’m no slouch with a pistol.

 

[Texas10mm]

Winchester, CCI, Federal, and Remington primers are made in the US.

 

[sequins]

CCI makes the superior primer IMO. I exclusively use CCI and highly recommend anyone else do the same. Federal might also be worth consideration but compared to CCI I'd never choose winchester or Remington unless pricing were a substantial factor.

 

[AJC1]

CCI makes the superior primer IMO. I exclusively use CCI and highly recommend anyone else do the same. Federal might also be worth consideration but compared to CCI I'd never choose winchester or Remington unless pricing were a substantial factor.

I also would choose cci every time and they are the cheapest local option

 

[Nature Boy]

Primer brand and type matters and it’s different between different cartridges and rifles.

 

[TBL65]

I tend to pick up whatever is a good deal or on sale and available. Right now I’ve got a mix of CCI, Winchester and Remington for small pistol. And a mix of CCI, Winchester, Remington 7 1/2, and federal match for small rifle.

I’d say I’m partial to CCI. But having a mix let’s me experiment with what combination gives me the most accurate load or cheapest cost per round. All depends what I’m loading for I guess!

 

[Average Joe]

I get whatever is the cheapest at the time, but, if they were all the same price, I go with CCI.

 

[Austin Albright]

Back in the days when dirt was new and I shot Combat Pistol I reloaded a lot of 45 ACP on a Star Reloader. Found that CCI were a little too large for feeding smoothly thru Star. Went to Winchester for. all small and large pistols until about 2000. At some point in that time CCI reduced the size of their primers a little and now I use CCI the most for all my primer needs except for Remington 7 1/2 on some of the smaller rifle calibre's. I especially like the Remington's in 223, 221 Fireball and 20 Vartarg.

 

[Charlie98]

It seems that Winchester QC has gone to pot.

This was my award for using Winchester LP primers in .45ACP loads last weekend...





I'm down to my last 2000 WLP's and I'll be done with them, I'm going back to CCI.

 

[Nature Boy]

It looks like they leaked. Did it etch the bolt face?

 

[Charlie98]

I haven't had time to tear the pistols down and examine them. I had pierced primers with my .41 Magnum cartridges as well, same lot.

 

[Blue68f100]

I ran into the same problem years ago. All happening on RP brass. This brass has a very generous radius which does not fully support the primers. One of the reason I sort out all RP brass. Federal and Win brass never showed a problem.

 

[Charlie98]

I ran into the same problem years ago. All happening on RP brass. This brass has a very generous radius which does not fully support the primers. One of the reason I sort out all RP brass. Federal and Win brass never showed a problem.

In 35 years of reloading, not only with RP brass, I've never had a pierced primer. I bought about 15K of these WLP primers, and have run them hotter than the loads I was shooting last, so something is amiss. The .41 cases are from the same lot of 1000 I bought in the early '90's, and so is some of that RP .45 brass as well (although to judge by the headstamp, not those particular cases.)

 

[Blue68f100]

I contacted Olin (Win) on the primer problem. I had to send the brass with blow primers in to them. Gave them my load data for my 45acp BE load with WST, 4.1gr. Which is below most all starting min. They sent a pickup label to return the 10k primers of that lot, and replaced them 2 for 1. So I ended up with 20k during a time where all primers were hard to come by. They also paid to do repairs on my NEW custom built BE gun. This was around 2014.

 

[Dudedog]

Blu68f100
a happy ending, I like happy endings.

Nature Boy,
do you think the group differences are due to the primer alone or due to the fact that the different primers (most likely) are giving you a different velocity?