Winchester Primer Questions

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Barmcd

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First, what's the difference between the Winchester primers in the red box vs the blue box? I had some failure to fire issues with Winchester SPP in the red box and ended up sending over 1400 of them back to Winchester.

Second, how does Winchester make these LPP suitable for both standard and magnum loads? I've been having problems finding Magnum LPP so I ordered some of these. I'm guessing it just a magnum primer and it doesn't hurt to use them where magnum primers aren't really required? I experimented with magnum SRP in my 6.5 CM and I got better ES and SD numbers, but didn't see any measurable increase in accuracy so I went back to regular SRPs. Is this a similar situation?

master1_110831133424_main
 
Personally, I don't trust Winchester much, anymore... sorry to say. I would buy just about anyone else's primers before Winchester.

As far as the WLP's... yes, they are 'hotter' than a standard primer, but not quite a Magnum primer. I did a little chrono work comparing them with CCI standard, and CCI Magnum primers, and they fell right in between the two... as I expected.

As far as the red box vs blue box... the blue is older, the red is their new packaging.
 
Charlie98 said:
Personally, I don't trust Winchester much, anymore... sorry to say. I would buy just about anyone else's primers before Winchester.

As far as the WLP's... yes, they are 'hotter' than a standard primer, but not quite a Magnum primer. I did a little chrono work comparing them with CCI standard, and CCI Magnum primers, and they fell right in between the two... as I expected.

As far as the red box vs blue box... the blue is older, the red is their new packaging.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I won't buy Winchester primers if I can buy CCI, but in this case, I can't. Thanks for the info about the box colors, maybe the older blue boxes will be more reliable than the new red ones. The red boxes don't say they are for standard and magnum rounds, just WLP.
 
Frulk said:
I was unaware that there were problems with Winchester primers. What are they? I’ve been using them for almost 2 decades without any issues whatsoever.
Click to expand...

Issues with Winchester SPP

I've used a lot of Winchester SPP over the last year as Bass Pro Shop and Academy both have had them in stock at a reasonable price the last 6-12 months. They've performed without issue until very recently. The last week or so, about 10 percent of them, all 38 special, haven't fired and wouldn't...
www.thehighroad.org
 
Been using their pistol primers for years with no problems. Blue pack is the older packaging. My rifles get Federal Match...
 
Frulk said:
I was unaware that there were problems with Winchester primers. What are they? I’ve been using them for almost 2 decades without any issues whatsoever.
Click to expand...
It’s the new post-covid production. Evidently there are some QC problems.

I was told back around 1990 that Winchester priming compound had a higher glass content as a cost savings and it turned out to improve brisance. Enough to ignite W296 reliably but at lower pressure than other magnum LP primers. Gunshop rumor from a Winchester representative.
If they changed it is probably because the cost went up.
 
JDeere said:
Been using their pistol primers for years with no problems. Blue pack is the older packaging. My rifles get Federal Match...
Click to expand...
Was just getting around to cleaning some 7-08 brass from 20 years ago and all were Win primed, half from the old brass colored primers and the rest the shiny ones. Looked at the chrono and test info in my log book and didn't see any difference between the ancient white box primers (brass colored) verses the blue box ones. Since these are metallic silhouette loads I wasn't interested in bench rest accuracy, but all were 3/4 MOA 5 shot groups. Whether the post '93 primers suck, I don't know.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
It’s the new post-covid production. Evidently there are some QC problems.
Click to expand...

Oh, there were problems before that... with a run of the WLP's.


Frulk said:
I was unaware that there were problems with Winchester primers. What are they? I’ve been using them for almost 2 decades without any issues whatsoever.
Click to expand...

There is never a problem... until there is.

I've posted about it before, but this is the greatest hits. Pierced primers at the radius, both in some mid- and upper-range .41's, and my standard .45ACP load...

MpcLFZfl.jpg


FcwOcvdl.jpg


Bolt face of my Marlin 1894...

e1H3bDwl.jpg


Bolt face of my S&W 58...

5AFNDu8l.jpg


I bought those primers in the mid teens, as a case of 5000. The 4th brick started doing that. I still have the 5th brick left, stashed away for That Day. Again, never had a problem with them... until I did.
 
I've seen people post negatively about Winchester primers quite a bit. I do believe in bad lots and bad QC but I think there is an internet thing about Winchesters. I've be exclusively using WLR primers in everything I load to include BP and I've tried some other primers (but not CCI) and WLRs have been the most reliable and consistent. Maybe CCI is more consistent. I still need to try them but I am on 4 different lots of WLRs and all work great and have outperfromed everything else I have used.
 
Winchester did have a whole bunch of lots WLR & WLRM primers that were bad and were burning through the edge of the primer cup. I believe most of the bad primers were made about 8-10 years ago.

There's a whole bunch of Reloaders that had their bolt faces torched from these bad primers. It's well documented.
 
Yarddog said:
I have some primers from 10 years ago, 3000 win. small pistol primers left and not a single problem
Click to expand...

I've never had a problem with Winchester SPP's... or for that matter, LRP's... I'm using what I have now with no ill effects. However, having 5 bolt faces wasted doesn't instill me with confidence, and I don't think Winchester is the company it was 10 years ago, let alone 20 or more.
 
Hmm. I have, uhh, a lot of Win LPP's. Use them in my .45 acp's and .45 Colt loads. Haven't noticed any issues with them, but, will keep an eye on things. Have CCI's in case things go sideways. Hoping that doesn't happen!
 
FLIGHT762 said:
Winchester did have a whole bunch of lots WLR & WLRM primers that were bad and were burning through the edge of the primer cup. I believe most of the bad primers were made about 8-10 years ago.

There's a whole bunch of Reloaders that had their bolt faces torched from these bad primers. It's well documented.
Click to expand...
I'm one of those. It's why I don't buy Winchester primers anymore.
 
I've never used WInchester primers, I have had some factory ammo pierced primers that was said to be loaded with Winchester primers so I avoid them.

TBH I really wish that Tula and Wolf primers would come back...most consistent primers I have ever used.
 
Charlie98 said:
Oh, there were problems before that... with a run of the WLP's.




There is never a problem... until there is.

I've posted about it before, but this is the greatest hits. Pierced primers at the radius, both in some mid- and upper-range .41's, and my standard .45ACP load...

MpcLFZfl.jpg


FcwOcvdl.jpg


Bolt face of my Marlin 1894...

e1H3bDwl.jpg


Bolt face of my S&W 58...

5AFNDu8l.jpg


I bought those primers in the mid teens, as a case of 5000. The 4th brick started doing that. I still have the 5th brick left, stashed away for That Day. Again, never had a problem with them... until I did.
Click to expand...
Are there other possible causes for this? The primer pockets for instance?
 
CQB45ACP said:
Are there other possible causes for this? The primer pockets for instance?
Click to expand...
While that can cause the issue if the primer pockets are loose, it wasn't the cause with mine. I experienced it multiple times before I stopped using the brick. So it wasn't a single failure either. Nor have I had that issue with any other primers.
 
Frulk said:
I’ve been using them for almost 2 decades without any issues whatsoever.
Click to expand...
Me too. And I've used a bunch from red boxes too (SRP). I've had great luck with them. I have Win, CCI, Fed and Fiocchi primers right now. They all work great for me.

But anyone can have a bad batch, I guess. Seems when you read about issues with primers, it's often Winchester.
 
Last edited:
slowr1der said:
While that can cause the issue if the primer pockets are loose, it wasn't the cause with mine. I experienced it multiple times before I stopped using the brick. So it wasn't a single failure either. Nor have I had that issue with any other primers.
Click to expand...
So how long or how many bad primers does it take to cause that degree of damage? Seems to be a progression not just one or two, right?

I want to know what to look for.
 
CQB45ACP said:
Are there other possible causes for this? The primer pockets for instance?
Click to expand...
Yes there can be other causes. When I had the problem (2013-2014) with WLP 90% of the brass was RP. RP uses less brass than any other mfg. The load that blew the primers was my light BE load using WST, below min starting. Their bases are smaller/rounded edges. The pockets have a large radius cut for easy insertion but this removes primer support in the pocket. The reason I gringe when people bevel the pocket vs swagging. The other 10% was a mix of Fed and Win. Now most of this happened when Win decided to make them more sensitive, they removed the Ni plating. Back then they replaced the primers 2 for 1 and paid to repair my NEW gun.
 
Defective primers- Win 2013, a record year for defects. 20200312_091403.jpg

Rem LR 9 1/2 in the 70s was my first defective primers. Blew out on the edge of the cups. Have 3 rifles with pock marked bolt faces.

My 2nd event, March 2022. Photos. WSPM had thin cups. The firing pin strike cased the center to blow out.

Wrong primer. Not for 223/5.56 M16A1_20090401_8.JPG 20240122_101017.jpg
 
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