Winchester primers - yea or nay?

[emptybrass]

Our Academy Sports Store had Winchester primers tonight and say they are going to start carrying reloading supplies. I have no experience with Winchester primers but would be using SP and LP. Anything bad or questionable I should know about them?

 

[Echocrewchief]

I haven't used a ton of them but have reloaded about 2,000 and haven't had any issues.

 

[Average Joe]

Winchester primers are OK, most prefer CCI or Federal.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

The only 2 brands of primers I buy when possible are CCI and Winchester. I have never had a failure from either company's primers. You can buy them without worries IMO. I personally feel they are much more than just OK.

 

[Elkins45]

For the sake of simplicity I standardized on Winchester primers as my only brand about 20 years ago. I have no complaints. One of the things to consider is that they spec the same primer for regular and magnum pistol loads. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not (probably a matter of perspective) but it does mean one less variety to have to stock.

 

[49willys]

Aint nothing wrong with Win.primers.Ive loaded thousands and thousands of them with no trouble.they have been loading them in thier factory ammo for a long time.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

For the sake of simplicity I standardized on Winchester primers as my only brand about 20 years ago. I have no complaints. One of the things to consider is that they spec the same primer for regular and magnum pistol loads. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not (probably a matter of perspective) but it does mean one less variety to have to stock.

That's true for their large pistol primers but not their SPP.

 

[newfalguy101]

pert near all I use

 

[kcofohio]

Have used the WSP and WSPM with no issues.

As ArchAngel said, only the large pistol primers covers both regular and magnum.

 

[Dudedog]

All of the Win SP I have used (2000) went bang fisrt time.
Normally use CCI for pistol and Large mag rifle, Tula for the 5.56.
Would buy the Win again if the price was right or I could not find CCI

 

[Potatohead]

Put me in the "much more than ok" group with ArchAngel

 

[243winxb]

http://s338.photobucket.com/user/jo... and Reloading/Primer Gas Leak?sort=3&page=1. There have been some problems. Mostly LR. I stil use WLP with no problems.

 

[kcofohio]

As long as we are the subject of Winchester primers....
I read/heard that Winchester pistol primers are softer and good for firing pins with light strikes. Any truth to that?

 

[oldillini]

No issues here with Win primers. But only used about 500 so far.

 

[Cheesemaker]

Primed around 225 .308 with WLR(Winchester Large Rifle) last night.
I have shot around 500 .308 WLR with no issues. Also shot >1K 44 Mag (WLP), ~500 45 Colt(WLP) and close to 1K 460 S&W Mag (WLRM) - all worked fine.

I use CCI too - not sure if there is a material difference...aside from CCI looking "nicer" than the Winchester(silver(CCI) vs gold(Win)). Maybe the CCI BR(bench rest) range is better....I am yet to tell.

All good with me and Win primers. Never used the SP's though.

 

[BYJO4]

Winchester primers are excellent. I've used them regularly for years and never any problems.

 

[fields]

primers

My Academy has both CCI and Winchester. $3.99 per 100.

 

[Bexar]

Put me in the "much more than ok" group with ArchAngel

I'm in.

 

[HighExpert]

Loaded over 500k of them and have 40k in stock right now. Good stuff. A little softer than CCI or Federal.

 

[Bexar]

That's good news on Academy selling reloading components if they make a good effort. I'm 30+ miles from one seller and about 17 from another but Academy is a quick trip up the street.

 

[emptybrass]

Thanks for your speedy replies. My Academy is in Hiram. They said that a couple of stores near here already have reloading supplies so their's should start coming in soon.

 

[Crunchy Frog]

I've used them for many years. I shoot cowboy now and we tend to shoot guns with lightened springs. The widely held belief is that Federals are the "softest" and the best choice.

I consider Winchester to be my second choice for pistol and rifle. My gunsmith recommended Winchester primers for shotshells.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

Primers are primers. They all work as advertised.

Don't pay more than $30 a thousand.

 

[gamestalker]

I've used them from time to time, but not my usual choice. But my decision to purchase CCI's rather than Win. isn't because of a problem with reliability, as I've yet to ever experience a single misfire with any primer in more tha 30 yrs. of reloading.

My sole reason for using CCI's over any other primer is simply due to how they feel when I seat them. To elaborate, when I seat a CCI I can feel the cup making contact with the bottom of the pocket, thus assuring I get a good pre loaded of the anvil. With Win. primers, they don't have that tapered cup like the CCI. Neither bad nor good, it just makes seating them to the ideal depth more cumbersome, IMO.

So if I needed primers and couldn't find CCI's on the shelf, which has happened, I don't hesitate to use Winchester's.

One other property of Winchester primers is they seem to be a bit hotter than CCI's, which isn't necessarily a bad thing when working with ball powders and those which can be hard to light or finicky in cold weather too. One example of this, is when I'm loading with 296 I've had terrible results with standard CCI's rather than magnum's. But when I tried the same loads using Standard Winchester's the results were much better, nearly that of a magnum CCI. So the bottom line is, if you need a primer, Winchesters will get the job done, and just as well as any other brand.

GS

 

[1SOW]

1st choice: Fed SPP
2nd choice: Win SPP
Both should fire reliably in firearms with either light or heavy springs.
Federals are the only primers that still use use an old formula that contains nitroglycerin. (check the MSDS pages to confirm) They fire with the lightest strike.