Small pistol primers - softness ranking

[JusticeOfToren]

Is there consensus on the softness of various brands commonly available?

 

As far as my own observations, here is the ranking of softest to hardest:

 

1. Federal (regular or match)
2. Winchester
3. S&B
4. Remington
5. CCI

 

Does anyone have different experience?

 

[aandabooks]

Looks about right in my experience.  I've run some Tula and they seem to be up between Rem and CCI.

[bigbob21]

Wow!
I've noticed Winchester and cci being interchangeable...
where as s&b are so hard, in my experience, I have to use stock or extra power hammer/firing pin springs to get them to go.
I currently have several thousand s&bs that I'm unable to use in my open and production guns.


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[zombywoof]

How about Fiocchi's? Where do they fall?

Edited September 20, 2017 by zombywoof

[Out of Ammo]

I've heard that the Fiocchi's are very close to the WSP and have thought about trying some.  I've used the S&B and they are definitely harder and wouldn't buy them again unless I is used them for my revolver loads.

[BASE772]

I'm running Fiocchi SPP now.  I'd also say they seem to be the same as Winchester SPP's.  I'm almost finished with my second case of 12,000.  I'd for sure buy them again. 

[JusticeOfToren]

Same gun (Stock 2), I have had 12 light strikes out of about 5000 S&B primers, and 21 light strikes out of about 8000 WSP.   All these light strikes were on DA.  SA was 100% with both.

 

My personal experience is that S&B and WSP are very very close in terms of hardness.

 

Never used Fiocchi and will try based on other's comments.

Edited September 20, 2017 by JusticeOfToren

[MemphisMechanic]

11 minutes ago, JusticeOfToren said:

My personal l experience is that S&B and WSP are very very close in terms of hardness.

 

Agreed. Revived two months ago so definitely curent production, S&B were liked by my Tanfo roughly as much as Winchester, and didn't require a heavy hammer spring like CCI to be 100%

[BASE772]

Humm, I wonder if S&B made a change? I used S&B about two years ago and they were harder than CCI small pistol magnum primers. 

[Bwilmot]

I'm using S&B for all my glocks now. The wolf 4lb spring with a lite striker works very well. The zev 2lb spring not so much. A 4.5lb spring with a stock striker is 100%. Not being able to find fed primers forced me to try the S&B and I'm very happy with them.  

[Service Desk]

14 hours ago, JusticeOfToren said:

Is there consensus on the softness of various brands commonly available?

 

As far as my own observations, here is the ranking of softest to hardest:

 

1. Federal (regular or match)
2. Winchester
3. S&B
4. Remington
5. CCI

 

Does anyone have different experience?

 

The search function will reveal all.....

[191138sc]

I run Federal SRP in my Trubor when shooting major matches. Otherwise, have had great luck with Winchester and CCI. Federal is the softest and have the reputation of going bang each and every time.

[Banacek]

So what is the main conclusion here?  Will harder primers flow less when pushed?  I have not had many failure to fires due to primers and I have been running winchester and CCI most of the time, ran 5000 Tula when it was hard to find primers, no problems with any of them.  

[JRM83]

I think the conclusion is that nobody has empirical data on primer hardness. 

[mikeinctown]

Federals do indeed squish easier as I can tell on my 650 when I check the brass after I found a difficult primer pocket. I have smashed 4-5 Federals in the last 500+ vs no Winchesters in the 2,000 I loaded previous to loading with the Federals. If the pocket is tight and the federals fit, they have a habit of flattening out, but still always pop. CCI primers just push in and don't even flatten a little.

[Beastly]

Federals are also handy for the dark art of checking for pressure signs via primer 'flow' - they flow much easier under pressure than other brands. 

 

Old Fiocchi's were silver.  Newer ones are gold and seem a little harder - from memory not from testing.

[4n2t0]

I only load Fiocchi now and they seem to be the second softest primer I've ever used.

[Service Desk]

6 hours ago, 4n2t0 said:

I only load Fiocchi now and they seem to be the second softest primer I've ever used.

+1

 

[frankge]

Federal Magnums are as soft as the regular SPPs also. 

[Khaot1c]

I was given info that Remington primers were a decent #2 to Federal when soft primers were needed. 

 

A Glock I have with ZEV internals chokes with S&B primers (4 out of 10 will light strike) but will show 100% reliability with 1 1/2 Remington Primers.

 

[johnbu]

I've found

 

Federal match

winchester

wolf

s&b  -- CCI

 

The size of dimple is one aspect, the reactivity of the compound is another.

 

Oddly, right now I'd use Winchester over federal if i had both.  the federals flip more during prime.

[phm14]

This thread still comes in at the top of search results on this site. I'd say that since manufacturers change the materials they use  at their leisure, and without notice,  testing of new batches of primers or ammo is prudent, especially where light trigger pull weights are involved...and more so if the weapon sees potentially serious duty.

[CSEMARTIN]

I learned the hard way that Federal primers are very soft.  Over time one of my Les Baer Premier II pistols developed breechface erosion (~50,000 rounds).  Les was quick to remedy the problem.  If my memory is correct, he drilled the firing pin hole to accept a 45 firing pin and that saved the slide.  I wouldn't use Federal primers with Les Baer pistols.

 

CCI primers have been the hardest in my experience.  I've always considered Winchester primers to be intermediate in hardness, but I do not have any data on this.

[zzt]

I started reloading with Federal primers, because that's what the load data I used said.  They are soft.  A buddy uses them, because he runs all light springs and only the Federals will go bang.  Several other shooters at the club do the same, for the exact same reason.

 

WSP vs. CCI 500:  CCIs are definitely harder.  I bought a used Open pistol that came with 2500 rounds of loaded ammo.  WSP was used.  The gun ran a 15 lb mainspring and used a Ti firing pin.  It fired all the premade ammo, but would not fire my reloads using CCI 500 primers.  A change to a 17 lb mainspring and a SS firing pin solved that.

 

Winchester primers are not smooth and sometimes out of round.  That makes auto loading primer tubes a hassle, because of jams.  CCIs, large and small load great. I have had zero failures to fire after about 40,000 CCI primers (large and small).  In the same number of Winchester, I've had three.  I've also had a couple of Winchesters with no anvil in them.

[USMC56]

Where does Magtech fall in here?