Winchester small pistol primers?

[Cherokeewind]

Is anyone other than myself having trouble popping Winchester small pistol primers?  Using them in Glock 17 and 34, both with OEM striker springs.

And I do seat them to the bottom of the primer pocket.

Sometimes they pop on the second try, sometimes not at all:(

 

TIA,

Jim

Edited December 5, 2022 by Cherokeewind

[RudyVey]

no, never had an issue, they all what I use for years

[mscott]

Many thousands and never a problem, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the newer production stuff is lacking in quality control nowadays. My first guess is just Primers not being fully seated but you say they are. What press are you using?

[nkresho]

Just went through about 500 of them and no issues here either

 

Ran mine through a cz s2 with the cgw 11.5# hammer spring, which is pretty light.

 

Are you running the 1 1/2 ones or the usa ready ones?  I've never used the usa ready ones.

[Cherokeewind]

Winchester brand, red, black and light gray box.  Recent production, Lot No. SDLD484.

Seating with bench mounted RCBS Standard Primer Tool.  

[Rnlinebacker]

My buddy has had a batch of Winchester SPP primers give him trouble with an Infinity open gun this year. It was a 15# spring but still unexpected given they are labeled as an SPP

[Cherokeewind]

No problems with CCI, Remington or Federal, in factory or my hand loads.

Edited December 5, 2022 by Cherokeewind
added info.

[SteelCityShooter]

2 hours ago, RudyVey said:

no, never had an issue, they all what I use for years

+1 I've used 10's of thousands in 9mm and .38Sp and never had one fail to ignite.

[ysrracer]

I load them in 9mm for my PCC, and no issues.

[floater]

Blue box Win SPP is all I've used for years. Stock Glock striker and 4.5# striker spring.

[Cherokeewind]

Hmmmm....something does not compute, Will Robinson!!

 

I only have about 600 left, when they're gone maybe the next batch will be better. 

[ysrracer]

1 hour ago, Cherokeewind said:

Hmmmm....something does not compute, Will Robinson!!

 

I only have about 600 left, when they're gone maybe the next batch will be better. 

 

Maybe it's the gun?

[usmc1974]

I use Winchester small rifle primers in all my pistols,  and I never had to problem with anything.

[Guy Neill]

While you say you are seating them completely, the only time I have been able to document primers firing on a second firing pin strike is when they were not completely seated.  How far below flush with the case are they seated?

 

I would take a sample group of cases, uniform the primer pockets and seat the primers to 0.003 - 0.005" below flush with the case and try them., If they all fire, it may have been a seating problem.  If not, more suspicion on the primers.

[36873687]

Never one problem with old or new box

[VeilAndrew]

I won a box of really old white box-orange text Winchester SPPs at a local steel match a little while ago.

I had problems lighting them off with my Shadow 2 with a light hammer spring, but no problems in any other guns (2011, Glock, PCC, etc.)

[Cherokeewind]

I have no problems with any primers except the Winchesters. There have been several Win SPP that wouldn't fire no matter how many times I tried them, even trying the bad primer in different pistols.

 

I seat primers well below the case head, even until the cup is slightly flattened.  No issues with CCI, Remington or Federal...............

[OPENB]

Maybe seating them too deep, and breaking the priming pellet? Just a thought.

[Cherokeewind]

Seating them same as all the others..............

 

I've just about run out of possible causes.  Maybe I will dissect a some of them and check for priming compound or lack thereof.

[Cherokeewind]

After carefully removing a bad primer from the case it was in, I removed the anvil and the foil.  The foil has a small hole in the center where the tip of the anvil has impacted it.  The priming compound (olive green colored material) is present but is a powder, probably because of repeated blows from the striker.

 

Still no answer to the puzzle.

 

I will try a test batch with slightly less seating force and report any conclusions........

[Batmo]

Never had any problems with Winchester SPP in any of my pistols.

Just a thought....if the firing pin channel is dirty it could cause light strikes.

[Cherokeewind]

Striker channel is/was clean:)

Edited December 6, 2022 by Cherokeewind
added info.

[ebg3]

Has your oal changed?  Are your bullets touching the lands at all?  Sometimes that will cushion the hit from pin/striker.

[Cherokeewind]

No..........

 

I have checked all the obvious stuff:)

Edited December 6, 2022 by Cherokeewind
added info.

[Cherokeewind]

I tested a small batch (only 12 rounds) of "softly seated" Win SPP in my Gen 5 G34 using a 4# striker spring.  All 12 rounds fired on the first attempt.

 

Then checked the one round that I had left of the "hard seated" Win SPP with the 4# spring.....no joy.  Replaced the 4# spring with the OEM spring and that round fired on the first attempt.

 

It seems that I might have been seating the Win SPP too hard.  Strange that other brands of primers didn't refuse to pop even with "hard seating".

 

Don't know if all this helps anyone but maybe I've learned something.........