why are S&B primers so cheap ?

[StratRider]

I am curious if you guys were also noting the headstamps on any of the brass that may have cause trouble with loading the S&B primers.

Every single time I feel difficulty with pushing in a primer, I check the headstamp and usually it comes down to a NATO case that didn't get swaged properly.

I also have a little trouble with HRTRS or S&B brass that didn't get swaged at all and just within this last month I've come across some new brass with the headstamp "RG" which is really tight even after swaging.

Based on everything I have read here since first asking the question - I am confident in the S&B primers now with the only real issue being a seating problem that may actually be in the brass and not due to the primers.

Thanks for any input on this.

[MemphisMechanic]

31 minutes ago, B_RAD said:

SB do go thru the vibra prime easier. They load almost as good as win but they are harder. Im gonna guess you'll  have some light strikes on the DA pulls. 

Fine. I'll leave the 15.5 in it since it shoots the damn same unless you're slow-firing with a digital scale in your hand...

 

I was basing that off the "softer than Winchester!" test someone did early in this thread

[B_RAD]

20 minutes ago, MemphisMechanic said:

Fine. I'll leave the 15.5 in it since it shoots the damn same unless you're slow-firing with a digital scale in your hand...

 

I was basing that off the "softer than Winchester!" test someone did early in this thread

Well, i have light strikes in my glocks and CZ with them and don't with Win primers. For me they're harder than WSP. I've loaded a lot of each.   

[Flatland Shooter]

1 hour ago, StratRider said:

I am curious if you guys were also noting the headstamps on any of the brass that may have cause trouble with loading the S&B primers.

 

 All of my cases that had high primers were Winchester brass.  

[MemphisMechanic]

1 hour ago, B_RAD said:

Well, i have light strikes in my glocks and CZ with them and don't with Win primers. For me they're harder than WSP. I've loaded a lot of each.   

 

I'll take your advice gladly - a gun that runs 100% is worth more than a gun with a featherweight trigger that might go bang.

 

Laziness also appeals:  the 15.5 is already in the gun.

[morpheus]

Just picked up 10000 make sure to get the Cabela's gc's from ebay

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Li02liberty]

I bought 5k worth the last time I was at cabelas in PA. I thought great price they were 1k@17.99. Well I finally was burned thru my stash of cci and went to go use the s&B. They were no good for my ppq q5. Atleast 2 or three would not go bang out of each mag. They did work fine in my 9mm revolver and ar 9. The outside box is marked small pistol/small rifle but the inside boxes are all marked small rifle. I will just use them for the revolver and ar from now on. 

[chevrofreak]

2 hours ago, Li02liberty said:

I bought 5k worth the last time I was at cabelas in PA. I thought great price they were 1k@17.99. Well I finally was burned thru my stash of cci and went to go use the s&B. They were no good for my ppq q5. Atleast 2 or three would not go bang out of each mag. They did work fine in my 9mm revolver and ar 9. The outside box is marked small pistol/small rifle but the inside boxes are all marked small rifle. I will just use them for the revolver and ar from now on. 

Have you got a picture you could post of the brick packaging?

[Li02liberty]

1 hour ago, chevrofreak said:

Have you got a picture you could post of the brick packaging?

I'm at work right now. When I get home later I will. 

[bubba04]

I have run approximately 5k through my beretta 92 without issues. If they get to 18 bucks again I will buy more.

[Bkreutz]

5 hours ago, Li02liberty said:

I bought 5k worth the last time I was at cabelas in PA. I thought great price they were 1k@17.99. Well I finally was burned thru my stash of cci and went to go use the s&B. They were no good for my ppq q5. Atleast 2 or three would not go bang out of each mag. They did work fine in my 9mm revolver and ar 9. The outside box is marked small pistol/small rifle but the inside boxes are all marked small rifle. I will just use them for the revolver and ar from now on. 

 

S&B small rifle are very hard, equal to CCI#41, I have a couple of rounds with 3 primer strikes on them.(and no bang) I use the S&B small pistol primers all the time with no problems.

[Li02liberty]

3 hours ago, chevrofreak said:

Have you got a picture you could post of the brick packaging?

It won't let me upload picture. Keeps says file to large. I don't know how to make it smaller. 

[StratRider]

Do a search for Microsoft Image Resizer - one of my favorite programs. 

It will shrink a pic to 10% of it's size with no quality loss and do batches at a time.

You may find it as one of their "powertoys" also.  OFC, I am still on Win7 - not sure if they have one yet for Win-10

[MemphisMechanic]

10 hours ago, Li02liberty said:

Well I finally was burned thru my stash of cci and went to go use the s&B. They were no good for my ppq q5. Atleast 2 or three would not go bang out of each mag.

 

My Q5 has eaten 600 of them without any issues whatsoever. Are all of yours seated below flush?

[Li02liberty]

21 hours ago, MemphisMechanic said:

 

My Q5 has eaten 600 of them without any issues whatsoever. Are all of yours seated below flush?

They were seated even with the brass. The ones with the dented primer that didn't shoot in the Q5 I shot in my little Taurus 9mm revolver and my ar 9 and all went bang then. 

[MemphisMechanic]

Flush primers are high primers, contrary to what those who have only ever shot 1911s or striker guns would have you beleive.

 

Beleive me, when you mess around with a DA/SA gun fitted with a light hammer spring (CZ or Tanfo) you learn this very quickly. I was a hard sell on this point, but eventually came around.

 

Depending on headstamp, an S&B small pistol primer will consistently seat at least .003-.005” below flush in a 9mm case. And if you fully seat them, your Walther will eat them like candy.

 

Those who load on a Dillon 650 - like myself - have the hardest job of consistently seating primers out of all the major progressives, by the way.

Edited October 11, 2017 by MemphisMechanic

[jhgtyre]

12 hours ago, Li02liberty said:

They were seated even with the brass. The ones with the dented primer that didn't shoot in the Q5 I shot in my little Taurus 9mm revolver and my ar 9 and all went bang then. 

 

12 hours ago, MemphisMechanic said:

Flush primers are high primers, contrary to what those who have only ever shot 1911s or striker guns would have you beleive.

This article, from Hodgdon's site, covers this topic pretty nicely http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-education/reloading-beginners/primer-seating-depth 

Quote

PRIMER SEATING DEPTH

Primer seating depth – how far the primer is inserted into the shell case – is carefully controlled in factory ammunition. You also need to be aware of primer seating depth when reloading. Seating the primer too deep below flush can damage the internal components, leading to misfires and inconsistent ignition. Seating the primer too high (above flush) can cause the cylinder to not rotate in revolvers, and can cause problems when the bolt slams home in semi-autos. Seating above flush can also result in misfires.

Unless you are reloading on a progressive machine (each pull of the handle yields a loaded cartridge), the primer seating depth is controlled by feel as the primer is inserted. This is especially true if you are using a handheld priming tool. The primer seating depth is best checked with your finger tip. Sliding the index finger across the bottom of the primed shell case will quickly determine if the primer is above or below flush.

The ideal seating depth is just below flush. As you gain experience in loading, the feel to accomplish this will become familiar. It is best to use your finger to test every primed shell case. If the primer is above flush it can be run through the seating operation again to push it below flush.

 

[R1_Demon]

On 10/11/2017 at 10:20 AM, jhgtyre said:

PRIMER SEATING DEPTH

Primer seating depth – how far the primer is inserted into the shell case – is carefully controlled in factory ammunition. You also need to be aware of primer seating depth when reloading. Seating the primer too deep below flush can damage the internal components, leading to misfires and inconsistent ignition. Seating the primer too high (above flush) can cause the cylinder to not rotate in revolvers, and can cause problems when the bolt slams home in semi-autos. Seating above flush can also result in misfires.

Unless you are reloading on a progressive machine (each pull of the handle yields a loaded cartridge), the primer seating depth is controlled by feel as the primer is inserted. This is especially true if you are using a handheld priming tool. The primer seating depth is best checked with your finger tip. Sliding the index finger across the bottom of the primed shell case will quickly determine if the primer is above or below flush.

The ideal seating depth is just below flush. As you gain experience in loading, the feel to accomplish this will become familiar. It is best to use your finger to test every primed shell case. If the primer is above flush it can be run through the seating operation again to push it below flush.

 

Nice!  Thank you.    That was a good lil tidbit of info.

[jaep1911]

I have switched my primer supplier from CCI to S&B and it has been running great with my Tanfo and PPQ Q5. Got to love $19/1000. That said, I have a seating problem with S&B (!) and Harter brass. I just toss them in my scrap bin.