Primers, just asking

ceb · Post by **ceb** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 6:17 pm

What is your favorite brand of primer and why?

ollogger · Post by **ollogger** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 9:41 pm

For nearly 40 years my choice was Remington, I think mostly because I got started on them & I got a bad batch of CCI one time, after the big shortage I bought any thing that would go bang, most of my shooting now is with cast bullets & plinking so it really don't matter any more

Brad

JerryB · Post by **JerryB** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 10:07 pm

Reckon I would have to say I have used more CCI than anything else.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 10:42 pm

Never heard of a bad brand. I choose Federal because that's what my dealers always seem to have on hand. I buy them by the case. (5,000)

Different brands of primers all have their own characteristics. CCI's are harder and sometimes are hard to seat.Winchester seems to be stronger (in spark), Federal have huge packaging.((dunno if that's a characteristic) Remington L.R is copper colored. Wolf brand is usually drunk and smell of cheap vodka as they come from Russia........------6

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Sat Apr 09, 2016 11:08 pm

CCI , but I have and use all US made brands. In fifty years, I can only remember two fail to fire primers that I can be sure was from the primer and not some other problem like maybe being seated upside down.

earlmck · Post by **earlmck** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 12:08 am

I like 'em all, with Remington my current favorite because of their compact packaging. My only failures to fire that were definitely the primer were a couple of CCI's made during the current craziness with all factories running full out.

I have liked Federals but will never buy another because of their stooopid packaging that consumes at least 5x the space they should (I keep primers in an old defunct freezer and so storage space is not infinite).

Remingtons do take a distinctly harder blow from the firing pin to set off, so if you have a gun with a light firing pin strike you should look to other primers. Light strike is a rare thing: I don't currently own a gun where it is an issue.

6pt-sika · Post by **6pt-sika** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 1:07 am

For a small rifle primer my preference is the Remington 7 1/2 but I use CCI and WIN as well . For the large rifle primer my preference is the CCI200 but I also use others . For a magnum rifle primer I use the Federal 215 and rarely deviate from it although I have a small stockpile of CCI and REM LRM primers .

For shotguns I like Remington STS , but will use WIN 209 or CCI209 just as easily . I like to keep a thousand CCI209M's on hand as well for my buckshot/slug handloads as well as for use in my inline ML's !

Pistols I use whatever I can get or have on hand as I load little for handguns anylonger .

claybob86 · Post by **claybob86** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 1:11 am

I use all the major American brands, whatever is available. In 25+ years of handloading, never had trouble with any of them. I do try to avoid Federal because of the packaging.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:43 am

My "favorite" is Winchester. I use more of them than all the other brands combined.
However I've found that for my style of shooting primers make little if any difference.
Were I to get into bench rest or long range BPCR or CAS then I'd probably do a lot of research on them.

Early on in my reloading career I had trouble with some CCI primers. They were duds. I was told it was because I handled them with my fingers and my body chemicals killed them. I can't say this is true or not, but when I quit handling them the problem stopped.

Since then I've used all the American brands and a few imports. The only ones I really didn't like were the Fiocchi LP primers I got some years back. They split around the edges and scared several of my gun breach faces.

Joe

M. M. Wright · Post by **M. M. Wright** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 8:56 am

Like most of us I buy whatever is available. Currently loading both some very old CCI for rifle and Winchester for large pistol.

Sometime in the late 70s or early 80s Winchester turned out a bad batch of Large Pistol and I was a victim of a case of those. Only about 1 or 2 in a hundred wouldn't fire the first strike.

About the same time I had a Smith 25 tuned for IPSC that absolutely had to have Federals. Don't even mention CCI around it. Part of the problem may have been the full moon clips flexing under the hammer strike. I've had a problem with light strikes that went away when I quit using some plastic full moons I have. Not the fault of the primers.

ceb · Post by **ceb** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 9:03 am

To weigh in on my own thread, while I have used federal, CCI, and Winchester, I use far more Winchester so I guess that makes them my favorite. Never used imported stuff so am curious of your experiences with them. Shortages could come back around. I still can't find Bullseye powder.

jhrosier · Post by **jhrosier** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 9:19 am

Since the shortages started I have been reduced to using whatever is available for sale.
Before that, I stayed mostly with CCI and Federal.
I never had problems with misfires untill the last few years. When Winchester went from the nickle plated primers to the dull brass colored ones, I started getting more misfires. I'm pretty well convinced that the current Win. primers are imported from overseas and are not the quality that we grew to expect back in the 60's.
I don't like it one bit, but if there is no other choice I sometimes have to buy Winchester primers.

Jack

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 9:24 am

I've only used CCI and lately some Wolf. I've used tens of thousands of CCI and no failures. My understanding on the touching primers problem is that it was due to the Mercury used in older primers but it's no longer used. The military uses CCI. I haven't used enough of the Wolf to give them the trust I have for CCI so I only use them for plinking ammo. I have a few boxes of Win, Rem and Fed primers I bought when things dried up but I haven't used them.

mikld · Post by **mikld** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 10:12 am

I haven't worked up any "Primer Specific" loads for most of my guns, yet. I have kept "runs/evaluations" with one primer, but not compared a good load with one primer to the same load with another primer. Some guns I have stuck with one make, but over all I have had no radical difference with a load by primer brand. One difference I have found, mechanically, is Wolf primers take a hair more pressure to seat.

On hand; CCI, Remington, Winchester, and Wolf...

veeman · Post by **veeman** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 10:42 am

Winchester regulars, CCI magnums for BP.

765x53 · Post by **765x53** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 12:30 pm

As far as I can tell boxer primers are indistinguishable from brand to brand.
I like the Federal packaging. It's the only one that doesn't require Scotch tape to secure.

There are slight size differences in shot shell primers.
Federal primers always seem a tight fit in Winchester or Remington hulls.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 1:42 pm

Winchester for everything I load on a progressive. Consistency of seating "feel". CCI for magnum rifle.

Canuck Bob · Post by **Canuck Bob** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 3:16 pm

I stocked up on Winchester in SR and LR because of availability. So far no complaints. I did stock up on 6 1/2 Remington SR because folks here and elsewhere recommended them for 32-20 and 22 Hornet.

JReed · Post by **JReed** » Sun Apr 10, 2016 7:45 pm

I use Winchester because that is what the local shop stocks. I have used CCI, Federal, Remington, and Wolf they all have worked well for me and I can't say that I have a favorite. I will say that I do prefer the CCI military small rifle primers in my .223 as the cups are harder and I have less cratering with my unbushed Savage bolt face. This thread just reminded me I need to go pick up more primers

Grandpa Ron · Post by **Grandpa Ron** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 6:59 pm

I use whatever primers are available. Usually CCI. Cowboy loads do not seem to be fussy.

Dan 444 · Post by **Dan 444** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 9:30 am

I use Remington primers for all of my Marlin lever actions; no particular reason other than I started using them a long time ago and have not had any problems. I use Winchester LR primers for my Winchester M70 338WM, because the loading manual designated them.

Dan

jcw · Post by **jcw** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 4:31 pm

CCI mostly. Have some Tula's to try out.

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