What LP primers do you use for competition?

[jcerillo70]

Im going to try some federal match. I have been having trouble with Winchester Large Pistol, not igniting. 4/10 failure's to ignite when i need them to work.

But what do you guys use?

 

[Master Blaster]

In tens of thousands of WLPs I have loaded I've had one dud.

Now what gun are you getting 4/10 failures with? Do they ignite on the second try?

Could be a seating problem, or a GUN problem, otherwise I would contact winchester and they will send for the defective primers and provide replacements.

 

[Blue68f100]

Sounds more like a primer seating problem or gun than primers. I have shot 10's of 1000's and never have had a bad primer from any of the majors. The only primer I have had a FTF with was a SP Wolf. And that one 1 in 10k.

 

[cfullgraf]

I hit a rash of failure to fires with small pistol primers a couple years ago. It turned out to be a firearm problem not a primer problem.

Like the others, if I have had any primer duds, it is very, very, very, very few in 30 years of loading using all domestic brands.

 

[TonyT]

For my revolvers with lightened DA triggers I use Federal primers. Fir my semi auto pistols I use Winchester primers. I have loaded more than 100,000 Winchester primers and and equal amount of Federal and Reminton without ever encountering a single failure to ignite. I would check you priming operation.

 

[jcerillo70]

Im shooting out of a factory Springfield 1911.

I mentioned to my father that day maybe i need a stronger firing pin spring. Because they have the firing pin dent in them. but just never went off.

Factory ammo runs flawless through it though. Maybe it is me. Ever since i switch to my hornady AP LNL , I have been having this problem. Maybe i need to press harder when seating the primers?

 

[MtnCreek]

Ever since i switch to my hornady AP LNL , I have been having this problem. Maybe i need to press harder when seating the primers?

That happen to me when I started using a progressive press. Take the ones that failed and hit them again. If they shoot, that's the problem.

If I'm not mistaken, I think Walkalong had issues with some bad Win primers recently. So I guess that is still a possibility.

 

[71Commander]

All S&W revo's get Federal. Bottom feeders get Wolf/Tula.

 

[243winxb]

WLP

 

[Walkalong]

I think Walkalong had issues with some bad Win primers recently.

WSP, not WLP. One sleeve of 100 had a problem. The rest of the brick was fine. (Yep, we discussed the proper terminology of primer packaging, but we never had closure) First primer problems in all my years. Primers are extremely dependable.

 

[FROGO207]

FWIW I use CCI primers when loading for any competition. I hand prime with a Lee hand primer and my firearms all produce good primer hits. When hits start to get weak the firearm is reconditioned as needed. The only reason to have poor results with primers is when using rimfire ammo IMHO.

 

[LiveLife]

Factory ammo runs flawless through it though. Maybe it is me. Ever since i switch to my hornady AP LNL , I have been having this problem. Maybe i need to press harder when seating the primers?

Ding Ding Ding! You nailed the root cause right there. If factory ammo runs fine in the same pistol and you started having problem with a new AP LNL, I would investigate the primer seating. The properly seated primer should be .004" below flush or "felt" below flush when you run your finger tip over them - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=7813399#post7813399

Primers seated at .004" and .008" below flush (I normally use .004" below flush and did .008" "crush depth" just for the above thread picture comparison).

What LP primers do you use for competition?

Winchester primers have been my designated match primers for pistol loads. 250,000+ rounds of reliable/consistent "bang" with no failure to ignite primers. 30,000+ Wolf/Tula LP (brass/bronze colored primer cup) have also worked consistently but because they are slightly larger in diameter, they require much more effort to seat even flush (especially in once-fire cases). FYI, I am still having occasional ignition issues with Tula SP silver colored primers.

I don't compete in rifle calibers (may consider doing 3-gun match in the future) but prefer Winchester LR/CCI BR2 for .308 and just about any harder cup "military" .223 SR primers for AR. Like LP, Wolf/Tula LR primers have been consistent for me also.

 

[jblackfish]

I use Wolf LP primers and I've never had one problem.

 

[RandyP]

Sounds like a primer seating problem.

FWIW, if my aging memory serves if you want a harder strike on a 1911 you'd need a stronger main spring, not firing pin spring. The FP spring keeps the firing pin from going forward until it is struck by the hammer. It is a safety feature to prevent an ND if the pistol were dropped.