Primers

[traveling1253]

Is there a big difference between brands of primers? Any poor quality junk to stay away from? Gun show coming up next weekend, going there looking for some good deals on loading supplies.

 

[jcvfdlurch]

I am new to reloading as well. Most of the information I have came up with has recomended Federal Gold Metal Match Primers.

 

[mbruce]

Big names = success.

I use federal on my pistols with very light triggers....I use Winchester for all my others.

Can't go wrong with cci, federal, Winchester, Remington

They say cci are the hardest and federal are the softest in terms of strikes igniting....that's why I use federal and Winchester. Why I don't use Remington.....well only bc my wholesaler doesn't carry them.

 

[Crashbox]

+1 with respect to name brands, IMO avoid ones not listed in popular reloading manuals. Reliable ignition is of absolute importance!

 

[Arkansas Paul]

All of the popular brand names are fine. I've only used Remington, Winchester and CCI myself but have never had a problem with any of them. I'm not a good enough shooter to tell a difference in group sizes either.

 

[Yarddog]

"[Can't go wrong with cci, federal, Winchester, Remington]"

Agree 100% As I prefer CCIs' ; )
Y/D

 

[oneounceload]

To add: in shotguns, Fiocchi and NobelSport are both quality along with Federal, Winchester, CCI, and Remington.

Some types and brands can have an effect on how a load performs, so follow the recipe

 

[traveling1253]

Thanks for all the replies, Figured that any of the "name brand" stuff should be ok but wanted to check. I have been using only CCI so far. Will be looking for a deal on supplies, but you never know what you'll find at a show. Got a "deal" on some 7.62x39 ammo a few years ago at a show that turned out to be crap. Don't recall the brand and had never heard of it before but it was very dirty and very inconsistent.

 

[Roadkill]

Last year's scarcity of primers led me to previously undiscovered brands. If it was a primer, I bought it. Some were over 50 years old and labeled with stock numbers in paper cartons that crumbled when opened. Some of my guns didn't like some of the primers, but I eventually found something that would ignite them. When everything else failed I'd use a Colt trooper for small pistol, a S&W 44 mag for large pistol, a Saiga .223 for small rifle, and a Mauser bolt action for large rifle. These guns would ignite any primer. My ARs, 9mms, 1911s, were picky.

 

[LiveLife]

I have used Winchester LP/SP primers for years with very good results. During the primer shortage, I have also used Wolf LP, Magtech/PMC SP primers with very good results. Recently, I have tested Tula LP/SP primers with good results also.

There has been reports of Wolf SP primers having harder cups and not reliably igniting, so if you have any concerns, buy another brand (BTW, Wolf is made in the same plant as Tula). If the price is right, I would pick them up for plinking/practice loads (last gun show I attended in December, Tula LP/SP were selling for $16.50/1K for new production lots).

 

[bluetopper]

Any recognizable name brand primer is plenty good......and in my opinion, Wolf is as good as any of them.

The cheapest is what I buy.

 

[RustyFN]

Any recognizable name brand primer is plenty good......and in my opinion, Wolf is as good as any of them.

The cheapest is what I buy.

That sounds like me. I have used CCI, Win, Magtech and Wolf and had no problems with any of them.

 

[RVenick]

Like what has been posted above I used to use Winchester. Then the great primer shortage occurred so I started using Wolf as they were the only ones I could find without have to pay double for. Since then that is pretty much what I have used never have had any problems.

 

[frankge]

I'm finishing up my PMCs which were made in Russia - they are "heavy metal free" but light off my reloads 100% after going through at least 5000. I go with whats cheapest now, tired of being gouged.

 

[onebigelf]

I used nothing but CCI when I started. Like so many others, during the shortages I used what I could get and shot Wolf and Tula. I have yet to have had a single primer failure with any of them, so now I use any of them!

John

 

[James2]

Over the years I have used CCI, federal, Winchester, Remington. Lately it seems the only thing I see stocked locally is CCI so I use them. I have had good luck with all of the brands named. No complaints.

 

[frankge]

just bought 10k of Tula .223 small rifle, have been using Wolf LR for my AK/AR 7.63 and they have worked as well as the Winchesters I have.

 

[Sin City Shootist]

Wolf/Tula work good for me. I actually think they're better then the Remington.

 

[altitude_19]

Depends on your gun. A rugged gun like Springfield, Glock, or Ruger won't notice any difference. Tuned guns with lightened triggers are the only ones likely to care about primers. Even my tuned S&W 327 with a Miculek kit lights CCI magnum primers, and they're relatively hard.

 

[jhansman]

When primers were hard (or nearly impossible) to find last year, I bought a brick of Wolf large pistol because that was all I could get. Finally loaded up a 100 rounds of .45ACP with them last weekend and they worked as well as the CCI or Winchester I usually opt for.

 

[scallop]

So are brands interchangeable? As long as it is the appropriate size, LP, SP, LR, SR manufacurer does not matter? I read in a few places that when using a load from a manual you should not deviate from the primer they used. Would certainly make it an easier process and not have to stock so many diff types.....

 

[winchester1886]

In my 223 loads every time I use a primer other than the primer I used to establish the load my groups grew in size.Changing primers can change pressures and velocity. I use CCI and Winchester.In a AR or Mini 14 I use CCI#41 And CCI Mag.Small Rifle in my bolt gun.

 

[cheygriz]

When I first started reloading, I used RWS (because that's what my dealer carried.) Perfect satisfaction. I switched to CCI after changing dealers. They had a quality control problem for a short way back when and I switched to Remington, and I've used them exclusively with perfect satisfaction for over 30 years.

But I would not hesitate for a moment to use CCI today, or Winchester, Federal, RWS, Tula, Wolf. They're all good.

 

[Hey_Allen]

The only problems I've had with any brand I've gotten my hands on was caused by the gun, not the primers.
That excessively headspaced revolver prompted me testing a good few odd brands of primers, as well, before finally tracking down what the issue was!

Wolf, CCI, Winchester, Federal, MagTech, maybe another brand or two in the stash now as well.

 

[Sin City Shootist]

I have to agree about other issues causing failure to fire. My Lee press trashed many a primers till I figured out the seating arm was miss-drilled and would cock the primer and smash it. Also when one don't go bang I will look to make sure the firing pin hole isn't really carbonized badly and restricting the firing pin.