PRIMERS - FEDERAL GOLD MEDAL MATCH SP VS FEDERAL SMALL PISTOL

[TheGoatMumbler]

As we all know primers are in short supply. I've always used Fed Gold Medal Match Small Pistol Primers (Orange box) with zero problems.  I'm loading 9mm 147gn Blue Bullets with 3.2gn of Alliant Sport Pistol.  A buddy sold me some Federal Small Pistol primers (Blue box) without gouging me and said these will work fine. Does anyone know the difference?

 

Also in the "take what you can get" primer derby what about using Federal Small Rifles primers or any other primers? i.e CCI. I know revolvers are a bit more finicky about primers and if I run out of 9mm I'll be shooting the .38 spl.

[hiflyer51]

I have used small pistol, small pistol match, small pistol magnum, and small rifle with no problems and no appreciable differences out of X5 Legion. I load 125/135 Blue Bullets w/Sport Pistol.

[rowdyb]

39 minutes ago, TheGoatMumbler said:

As we all know primers are in short supply. I've always used Fed Gold Medal Match Small Pistol Primers (Orange box) with zero problems.  I'm loading 9mm 147gn Blue Bullets with 3.2gn of Alliant Sport Pistol.  A buddy sold me some Federal Small Pistol primers (Blue box) without gouging me and said these will work fine. Does anyone know the difference?

 

Also in the "take what you can get" primer derby what about using Federal Small Rifles primers or any other primers? i.e CCI. I know revolvers are a bit more finicky about primers and if I run out of 9mm I'll be shooting the .38 spl.

What I've heard/read is that the Fed match primers are made on one machine by employees with more experience. I use them interchangeably with regular Fed small pistol. I have been Fed small rifle recently and the only change I made was to seating depth, having to adjust the seating depth on my 1050 to get small rifle to where small pistol was seating depth wise.

[lll Otto lll]

4 hours ago, TheGoatMumbler said:

Does anyone know the difference?

Yeah. they're more expensive.
And that's all we know with certainty.
 

[4n2t0]

5 minutes ago, lll Otto lll said:

Yeah. they're more expensive.
And that's all we know with certainty.
 

 

And that's likely the only difference. If I call something gold, match, premium it must be better, right?

 

[Intheshaw1]

15 minutes ago, 4n2t0 said:

 

And that's likely the only difference. If I call something gold, match, premium it must be better, right?

 

I would think they are incrementally better but that 99% of people probably can't tell.

 

I did buy match small rifle primers this past week as it was all I could grab on PV. They don't look any different and I'm sure they will all go bang and that's all I'm looking for.

[IHAVEGAS]

"I toured the Federal factory a few years ago, and part of the time was spent looking at their primer-making facility, with a lengthy explanation of how their primers are made. The Federal Match primers are made by employees who've shown a greater ability consistently apply the priming compound, so each primer is as close as possible to the others. Otherwise the Match primers are identical to the standard primers."

 

That is the way I have heard the story told. 

 

I think it is sort of like Smith and Wesson "Performance center" although they probably do have a different sign on the door. 
 

[4n2t0]

2 hours ago, IHAVEGAS said:

"I toured the Federal factory a few years ago, and part of the time was spent looking at their primer-making facility, with a lengthy explanation of how their primers are made. The Federal Match primers are made by employees who've shown a greater ability consistently apply the priming compound, so each primer is as close as possible to the others. Otherwise the Match primers are identical to the standard primers."

 

That is the way I have heard the story told. 

 

I think it is sort of like Smith and Wesson "Performance center" although they probably do have a different sign on the door. 
 

 

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/9429707/re-federal-match-primers-vs-federal-standard-primers#Post9429707

[MikeyScuba]

For $2.00 extra per thousand I use them in my match ammo.  

[Farmer]

I’ve done tests with them and all the others at the bench and can say they are more consistent. With some powders velocity is higher and ES is lower all across the board by a considerable amount. Now this was with rifle rounds out of my TC pistol. Haven’t done extensive auto pistol testing but just by off hand target groups there seems to be an improvement. 

[hiflyer51]

On 8/21/2020 at 7:41 AM, hiflyer51 said:

I have used small pistol, small pistol match, small pistol magnum, and small rifle with no problems and no appreciable differences out of X5 Legion. I load 125/135 Blue Bullets w/Sport Pistol.

Just to add to this. I have recently gotten some CCI small rifle magnum primers. I loaded up 100 of them and shot them at the range today. I had 7 light strikes out of the 100 in both of my X5 Legions. They all fired the 2nd time. Looks like they are only good as training ammo - to induce random malfunction practice.

[George16]

56 minutes ago, hiflyer51 said:

Just to add to this. I have recently gotten some CCI small rifle magnum primers. I loaded up 100 of them and shot them at the range today. I had 7 light strikes out of the 100 in both of my X5 Legions. They all fired the 2nd time. Looks like they are only good as training ammo - to induce random malfunction practice.

If they fired on the second strike, then you have high primers. The first strike seats it into the proper depth and the second strike sets it off. I have used CCI small rifle magnum primers on my X5 and shadow 2 with a 11.5# main spring without any problems.

 

What realoder are you using?

[hiflyer51]

4 hours ago, George16 said:

If they fired on the second strike, then you have high primers. The first strike seats it into the proper depth and the second strike sets it off. I have used CCI small rifle magnum primers on my X5 and shadow 2 with a 11.5# main spring without any problems.

 

What realoder are you using?

That's interesting, I didn't think about that. I assumed that the magnum rifle primers were just harder.  I am using a Dillon 750.

[George16]

1 hour ago, hiflyer51 said:

That's interesting, I didn't think about that. I assumed that the magnum rifle primers were just harder.  I am using a Dillon 750.

You can adjust the primer punch so it’ll seat the primers deeper into the case. The ideal seating depth is .002-.006” below the case head according to Dillon. 

Edited August 26, 2020 by George16

[hiflyer51]

I don't think there is a adjustment for primer depth on the 750.

 

Dillon says: "Push down on the edge of the shellplate at station 4. If it feels springy, then the shellplate bolt needs to be slightly tighter."

 

I can check that.

 

[George16]

11 minutes ago, hiflyer51 said:

I don't think there is a adjustment for primer depth on the 750.

 

Dillon says: "Push down on the edge of the shellplate at station 4. If it feels springy, then the shellplate bolt needs to be slightly tighter."

 

I can check that.

 

For your 750, the settings are on pages 49 and 59 of your manual. You can adjust the height by fully compressing the punch, cup and spring until they stop moving and fully retightening the set screw. Then measure the height and ensure it’s 1.385” +/- .005”
 

Make sure the shellplate is tightened properly because a loose shellplate can also result in high primers.

[hiflyer51]

Thanks I’ll try that

21 hours ago, George16 said:

For your 750, the settings are on pages 49 and 59 of your manual. You can adjust the height by fully compressing the punch, cup and spring until they stop moving and fully retightening the set screw. Then measure the height and ensure it’s 1.385” +/- .005”
 

Make sure the shellplate is tightened properly because a loose shellplate can also result in high primers.

 

[mjmagee67]

I've used both in 9mm & .40SW and haven't noticed any difference in loading, reliability, accuracy, SD, and/or PF. I use them interchangeably. Personally I think they are snake oil, but at one time Match Primers were all I could find, so I bought a butt ton or them.  

[IHAVEGAS]

50 minutes ago, mjmagee67 said:

Personally I think they are snake oil,

 

The precision distance shooting guys that carefully weigh each charge and insure each piece of brass is as near identical as possible and make match day load adjustments based on the weather, I could see those folks wanting match primers, just in case it might matter on a shot or two. 

[Joe4d]

On 8/21/2020 at 1:14 PM, 4n2t0 said:

 

And that's likely the only difference. If I call something gold, match, premium it must be better, right?

 

for awhile you also had to add "Tactical" to everything. Whats the latest cool word now ?

[mjmagee67]

On 8/27/2020 at 11:48 AM, IHAVEGAS said:

 

The precision distance shooting guys that carefully weigh each charge and insure each piece of brass is as near identical as possible and make match day load adjustments based on the weather, I could see those folks wanting match primers, just in case it might matter on a shot or two. 

 

But I'm a lowly USPSA shooter

[AzShooter]

I use them interchangeably depending on what I can find.  In my kind of shooting they really make no difference.  Mostly I shoot ICORE or Steel Challenge where pin point accuracy is not important.  

 

I do push the envelope when it comes to power factor but I haven't noticed a big enough difference to worry about.