IVC Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 It's been a while since I ran the press, first Covid shut down the shooting ranges and stopped local competitions, then the great component shortage started and I didn't feel like burning through my stash, developing new loads and generally having fun. Until recently. It seems that the market is still VERY tight, but at least I can find what I need from time to time and get it in decent quantities. Primers are still the biggest problem, the selection is limited and prices are almost triple what they used to be. Which brings me to the point of this thread. In the distant past (pre-Covid, about three years ago) I would normally use Winchester primers for everything except revolver loads, and I would use Federal and Federal GM for revolver. Fast forward to a few months back and I bought some thousands of WSPPs at a decent price - $83/1K, painful compared to $150/5K not so long ago, but also much better than $120-$200/1K that I've been seeing at the peak of the shortage and even at those prices it was hard to find any in stock. So, the new batch of WSPPs arrived and when I looked at it, the packaging was different on the outside, but inside it was still the Winchester-style small plastic trays. So far so good. What WAS different was that when I looked at the primers, they looked, how to say it, less uniform. As if some of them were flatter and others rounder on the "shiny side". Not a big deal, reloading will likely iron it out, but it suggested potential issues with the QC at the manufacturer, possibly pending issues with reloading. So I loaded a bunch of primer tubes, cleaned up the machine, recalibrated and lubed everything and started cranking out some .40s since that was the setup that was already on the press. After almost a thousand rounds, when I used up the tubes that sat on the bench for a few years, I got to the new primers. And also to the first malfunction. The press hit a hard wall on the down stroke. After looking around, removing everything from the shellplate and lowering the lever slowly, I could see that the indexing pin on the toolhead by the primer station was hitting the primer slide. The slide would move only partially forward, not enough to expose the indexing hole and get the primer in position. That meant, ugh, my favorite fix - removing the primer feeding system with a bunch of primers in it to get to the slide (also rotating the semi-circular block and removing the ratchet from the toolhead). By doing the "fast tilt with quick finger" maneuver, I was able to limit the number of spilled primers and after removing them, I got to the root of the problem. A squished primer in the slide, as expected. It didn't detonate which is neither here nor there. A detonation would've cleaned up the primer system and I wouldn't had have to mess with the loose primers, a silver lining of sorts. I'm including photos of what it looked like. Close-up of the primer. Ignore for the moment the powder grains stuck on the spring grease, I'm not too OCD about cleaning. I clean that area when I change toolheads. The powder by the shellplate is from messing around in that area, I blow it off with compressed air every so often. What I'm wondering is if any of you are using the NEW WSPs, whether you noticed the same thing, that the primers look less uniform than in the past, and whether you had issues with primers causing stoppages. This could've been just a random event where the primer didn't hit the hole in the slide flat, but it could also be an out of spec primer that was the cause, or at lest a contributing factor. Curious minds would like to know... As for the clean-up, alcohol and Q-tips took care of the dust. I made sure I cleaned up the magazine tube with alcohol too, something I actually do clean from time to time even if there are no issues with the primer system - a single kaboom is not too bad, but I'd rather not help it propagate into the magazine tube. I like to keep my ceilings (and my underpants) intact if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltdmstr Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 Winchester primers used to be top quality. Now they suck. First they did away with the plated cup. Now they are dirty and less uniform in size and shape. I went from having zero issues with them to having multiple problems with every single tube (in multiple 1050s). At this point, they are my last choice. I'm currently using CCI, Fiocchi, Magtech and Federal and have zero issues with any of them. The only brand I have a problem with is Winchester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IVC Posted January 12, 2023 Author Share Posted January 12, 2023 Good to hear that it's not just me, even if I'm not too happy I can expect more issues with these primers. At least they are available, for what it's worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motosapiens Posted January 12, 2023 Share Posted January 12, 2023 (edited) I'm loading on 550 and 650, and I've only run 100 of the new WSP's on my 550 (local hardware store has them for 72/k with senior discount on tuesday), but those 100 loaded just as smooth as the old ones I remembered. Hopefully your problem is an isolated qc issue. If not, I guess I'll find out eventually. They are MUCH easier to deal with than the ginex primers that the hardware store also sells (which were $90/k with the senior discount until recently. now they are also 72/k). btw, that sucks bout the covid thing out there. My local club canceled 1 month of matches (but left the range open of course). By the end of april when it became clear how tiny the risk was, everything went back to normal as far as shooting. We probably shot more than ever since activities controlled by idiots were curtailed (pro hockey season was cancelled, city-owned hockey rink shut down, etc....) Edited January 12, 2023 by motosapiens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerTrace Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 3 hours ago, motosapiens said: I'm loading on 550 and 650, and I've only run 100 of the new WSP's on my 550 (local hardware store has them for 72/k with senior discount on tuesday), but those 100 loaded just as smooth as the old ones I remembered. Hopefully your problem is an isolated qc issue. If not, I guess I'll find out eventually. They are MUCH easier to deal with than the ginex primers that the hardware store also sells (which were $90/k with the senior discount until recently. now they are also 72/k). btw, that sucks bout the covid thing out there. My local club canceled 1 month of matches (but left the range open of course). By the end of april when it became clear how tiny the risk was, everything went back to normal as far as shooting. We probably shot more than ever since activities controlled by idiots were curtailed (pro hockey season was cancelled, city-owned hockey rink shut down, etc....) You always use the term "hardware store" when it comes to gun stuff. Is that Idaho slang or do y'all really have nuts, bolts, guns and ammo in the same store? Not being confrontational, just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugbyrat Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 27 minutes ago, RangerTrace said: You always use the term "hardware store" when it comes to gun stuff. Is that Idaho slang or do y'all really have nuts, bolts, guns and ammo in the same store? Not being confrontational, just curious. In the late 90's and early 2000's I bought my shotgun reloading supplies at a True Value hardware store in south central PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 LOL! I bought my first .22lr rifle at a Western Auto hardware store. I was 14. Nolan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ltdmstr Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 2 hours ago, RangerTrace said: You always use the term "hardware store" when it comes to gun stuff. Is that Idaho slang or do y'all really have nuts, bolts, guns and ammo in the same store? Not being confrontational, just curious. The hardware store in Salmon Idaho I was at last summer had a good selection of guns, ammo and accessories. But no primers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IVC Posted January 13, 2023 Author Share Posted January 13, 2023 Hardware store is where you buy your hardware and software store is where you buy your brains to use the hardware. The 21st century definitions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 We used to buy our powder and primers from the local Payless Drugstore. Also Western Auto sold guns and ammo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motosapiens Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 14 hours ago, RangerTrace said: You always use the term "hardware store" when it comes to gun stuff. Is that Idaho slang or do y'all really have nuts, bolts, guns and ammo in the same store? Not being confrontational, just curious. it is the local family run hardware store and farm/ranch supply place. They sell western ware, pet food and supplies, power tools, grills and smokers, all manner of hardware, and of course guns, ammo and reloading stuff. That's different from the grocery store across the street, which sells asparagus, meat, milk, hardware, and a smaller selection of guns (they have large pistol primers currently, and a T/C precision rifle in 6.5 creed). That's even different from the bi-mart a block away (sort of like walmart used to be, but less trashy) which has been mostly out of primers, but they do have some powders in stock (i got some hs6 there last month), and guns and ammo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerTrace Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 4 hours ago, motosapiens said: it is the local family run hardware store and farm/ranch supply place. They sell western ware, pet food and supplies, power tools, grills and smokers, all manner of hardware, and of course guns, ammo and reloading stuff. That's different from the grocery store across the street, which sells asparagus, meat, milk, hardware, and a smaller selection of guns (they have large pistol primers currently, and a T/C precision rifle in 6.5 creed). That's even different from the bi-mart a block away (sort of like walmart used to be, but less trashy) which has been mostly out of primers, but they do have some powders in stock (i got some hs6 there last month), and guns and ammo. I like it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmer Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Bi-Mart was the store that had 250 packs of Fed 9mm 115g for $35 and 1100 packs of 22’s for $32 back in Dec of 2019. I got some but should have taken the truck to the store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clw42 Posted January 15, 2023 Share Posted January 15, 2023 On 1/12/2023 at 1:52 PM, ltdmstr said: Winchester primers used to be top quality. Now they suck. First they did away with the plated cup. Now they are dirty and less uniform in size and shape. I went from having zero issues with them to having multiple problems with every single tube (in multiple 1050s). At this point, they are my last choice. I'm currently using CCI, Fiocchi, Magtech and Federal and have zero issues with any of them. The only brand I have a problem with is Winchester. Crap! I just bought some after having press issues with the Servicios Aventuras. I was thinking Winchester has a good rep, I'll go with those. UGH!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plinker625 Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 I used to buy reloading components at Woolworth's in Kirkwood Mall in Bismarck ND in the mid to late 70's. Scheels was up by the North Dakota Capital. At the time ND had Blue Laws, and the one grocery store in Moorhead had reloading stuff nothing compared to Scheels in Moorhead, but they had primers, powder, and mainly Hornady bullets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plinker625 Posted January 16, 2023 Share Posted January 16, 2023 The quirkiest deal was... Northland Sporting Good out of Minot ND was part of holding company that owned all the the vices..... all wholesale companies Candy Tobacco Prescription Drug Paperbacks and Magazine Alcohol and Restaurant foods Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pmatte1 Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 Hope that was an isolated QC Issue. Just picked up 5k of the WSPP two days ago. Took out and compared about 600 from couple boxes. Looked pretty uniform to naked eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now