winchester vs. cci primers

[WhiskeyMike]

I really haven't been reloading that long but what I do reload (45acp and 38 special) has worked out real well for me. I have only used winchester large and small primers with WW231 powder. My problem is winchester primers aren't readily available locally (not really interested mail ordering them). They seem to get bought out as soon as they hit the shelves. My question is this. What difference, if any, is there between Winchester and CCI primers. I can find CCI easily and they are 3 dollars cheaper per 1000.

Thanks for any info....

WM

 

[scotty]

I've used both CCI and Winchester primers with zero problems.

As always, if you change any component of a load, back off the powder charge and work back up. Other than that, there should be no problems.

 

[frankt]

I have loaded many thousands of rounds using CCI primers. I loaded mainly for .38.,357, 9mm. 41 and 44 magnum. I never had a minutes problem with the CCI primers.

A few months ago I bought a S&W revolver that had been buffed and fluffed for target-competition use. I had some misfires with the CCI's with it and had to switch to Federals for that particular gun.

For any normal gun you will be fine with the CCIs.

 

[Matthew748]

Count me in the Winchester crowd. I like how they make large pistol primers that are suitable for magnum or regular loads.

I had a run of bad luck with CCI primers last winter. I loaded up 100 or so .357 rounds for my S&W 686 and had several failure to fires. The first thing I did was blame myself. I am honest, most problems in life seem to be "operator error" in nature and I do not exempt myself from this judgement. I loaded up another 50 using brand new brass and paid extra attention to every step of the loading process. Same problem. I talked to another reloader and he was having the exact same issues. I switched to Federal and Winchester primers and everything has been fine since.

 

[Lennyjoe]

95% of my reloads are with Winchester primers. The other 5% (223) are CCI mag primers.

As for your question, use the CCI's if that's all you can get. As always start near the low end and work your way up with powder charges.

 

[HSMITH]

I go well out of my way to avoid CCI primers anymore. The last couple times I have bought them the cup sizes were inconsistent and made priming a PITA, they even tied up the primer feed tubes on my machines. I used to use them and recommend them but I won't anymore.

Federal, Winchester and Remington have been more consistent. I hear now that Winchester isn't making their own primers anymore, but it will be a while before I need more so I don't know if they are still good or not.

 

[The Bushmaster]

CCI Primers??? Try'em...You'll like'em...They are just a little harder to set off. So if you have weaken your hammer spring for any reason you may experience failures to fire, but if you still have a stock spring and in good condition...No problem. I use them and Winchester and have had NO problem with either. CCI tend to be not as hot as Winchester and you may experience about 25 to 50 fps slower speeds with CCI. However, as said above. Start out low and work up. W-231 is a good choice for powder for those calibres also...

 

[trickyasafox]

i might be the exception, but when it comes to pistol loads i've used remington winchester cci and federal primers all without any ill effects. remington primers do seem to seat the easiest for me though. other than that i really can't tell a difference. (i dont shoot ultra long range though either)

 

[WhiskeyMike]

Thanks

Thanks everyone for you replies. I think I will purchase 100 of them, see if I like them and then go from there.

Thanks again....

WM

 

[Grump]

I'm with Bushmaster--use them both with ZERO problems. The only difference has been that the velocity is 20-40fps slower with CCIs. No change in accuracy or reliability, etc.

On the local indoor range a few years ago, the guy next to me was having misfires--at least 1 in 10 while I was there. Said he'd bought this nice "combat-tuned" Colt revolver a short while back and it had this really "nice" trigger.

I offered to look at it and the hammer spring was so light, checking it with the trigger held back felt like bending a feather! Tried a few of my reloads, and sure enough, the CCI-primed ones misfired about one every cylinder or two, and the Winchester-primed ones misfired only once in about 20 rounds.

That, my friends, is not a primer problem, but a gun problem. "Combat" "tuning" like that can gitcha killt!:banghead:

IME, by the time you reduce your hammer impact to the point that CCI primers misfire, your velocity spreads on Winchester-primed ammo go up to about 100 fps. There's a problem there, folks!

A good shooter can drive a bad trigger just fine.

 

[Steve C]

I use both brands though Winchesters are easier to find at a better price so they're loaded more often. I've found that I get better velocity with Winchesters than the CCI primers by about 5%. I like to use CCI primers in my Hornady LNL progressive as the nickle primers seem to feed thorugh the primer tube better than Winchesters.

 

[GunAdmirer]

I have had no problems with CCI primers at all. I haven't had a problem with any brand of primers. I have heard people say that they have had problems with Winchester primers and have switched to CCI. It's like whether or not you should eat butter or margarine. Opinions shift from time to time.

I keep my pistols pretty much stock. I've been reloading and shooting IDPA matches for almost a year now and had no misfires of any kind.

It's a widely held thought that Federal primers are easier to ignite with specially tuned pistols.

I actually look for CCI primers instead of the other brands. To each his own.