Federal's Primer Packaging

[Jack Suber]

For years, I have used Winchester Primers. Very easy to put in a primer tray and load into Dillon tubes or to load with the Franklin Arsenal Auto primer tube loader. When my local supplier was out of Winchester, I bought Federal from him. I was a little taken back when I saw the size of the packaging for 5K and then by the thickness of the plastic packing tray . Then I realized why it was that way when I slid 100 out of the out of packaging. The primers are sideways! OK, no big deal. I put my Dillon primer flip tray on top and flipped them over. Then put the top on the primer tray and start shaking it to have them all flip over, right? Wrong. I can never get all of the to flip over the same way and many remain on the side.

I know its not a big deal but I had a system with the Winchesters. Slide the Winchester primer tray out, flip in to my Franklin Aresnal tube loader, and buzz the primers right into the tube. Now I have to go back to pecking through the tray to get the primers right. Maybe I am just getting cranky now that I am 40.

OK. I feel better now.

P/S Anyone with a trick to getting Federal Primers to flip right please let me know, because no matter how hard I try, I can never get them all to flip the right way. Thanks.

Edited August 21, 2006 by Jack Suber

[boo radley]

Jack -- that's actually one of the reasons I don't use 'em; cost and availablity being the others.

I load primers manually, and with the Winchester trays, I'm able to stack an empty tray on the full one, flip it, and then flip it again on a book, or something, where all the primers are perfectly aligned and spaced -- makes extremely short work of filling the tube(s).

[n2ipsc]

...I put my Dillon primer flip tray on top and flipped them over. Then put the top on the primer tray and start shaking it to have them all flip over, right? Wrong. I can never get all of the to flip over the same way and many remain on the side...

P/S Anyone with a trick to getting Federal Primers to flip right please let me know, because no matter how hard I try, I can never get them all to flip the right way. Thanks.

Federals are all I use. Here's how I do it...YMMV...

1) Put the ridged/bottom part of the Dillon tray atop the plastic Federal box and invert

2) Gently shake the bottom part of the Dillon tray WITHOUT THE LID - a few shakes and (almost) all of the primers will flip anvil-side up (if you're patient, you can get them all to flip anvil-side up, but it's not worth the time - see #4 following)

3) Put the lid on, invert, remove the bottom, and pick up all the primers that are oriented anvil-side down

4) Put the bottom back on, invert, remove the lid, and pick up the few remaining primers that are oriented anvil-side down

[Jack Suber]

Believe it or not, I have tried that. I guess I need to have a little more patience........Thanks for the reply..

Edited August 21, 2006 by Jack Suber

[vluc]

I flip them on the tray, shake a few times, use the primer pickup for those who don't turn over, cover with the lid, flip, pick the rest.

I only use federal now, but the packaging is odd.

[JFD]

I just dump them in the tray of my vibraprime and shake it in a couple of different directions until all are anvil up (always 1 will be a pain). I do see a lot of Federal primers not want to make the trip down the tubes compared to Winchester.

More expensive and the packaging takes up twice the space.

Of course I've found I've got to have them for the G35 my wife will be using in Limited, so I'll have to get over it. I use Winchester for my Para.

[scooterj]

rumor has it that the packaging has to do with a law suit following some primers getting loose in the back af a delivery truck and ignition occuring.

[Nemo]

Revo shooters are prisoners of Federal primers. I feel your pain Jack, the packaging is definitely awkward.

[R112mercer]

As a revolver shooter I, too, am prisoner to Federal Primers. I usually dump the plastic tray onto the ridged portion of the flip tray, give it a few shakes to turn over the majority, and then either flip the rest by hand or use the technique described by others above.

The trays do make nice faux plates, though. And no minimum engagement distance!

[LPatterson]

I bought a 1000 to use in a Glock with a trigger job & I had to get up & see what you were talking about. I do all my priming with a RCBS hand primer so I guess I will have to see how much more work the Federals are.

Edited August 22, 2006 by LPatterson

[shred]

RF100! RF100!

Somebody had to say it

Place primer box on top, slide off sleeve, lift off tray, slap start button, done.

[3GunF1Guy]

rumor has it that the packaging has to do with a law suit following some primers getting loose in the back af a delivery truck and ignition occuring.

This is 100% rumor, But I heard that they changed the packaging because it burned the UPS truck to the ground.

Scott

[Jack Suber]

That would have been cool to watch!

rumor has it that the packaging has to do with a law suit following some primers getting loose in the back af a delivery truck and ignition occuring.

This is 100% rumor, But I heard that they changed the packaging because it burned the UPS truck to the ground.

Scott

Nemo,

Why are revolver shooters hostage to Federal primers? I don't get it?

Edited August 22, 2006 by Jack Suber

[Cuz]

Nemo,

Why are revolver shooters hostage to Federal primers? I don't get it?

Federal primers are much softer than the rest which allows for a nice light trigger pull in a Revo. When you lighten the trigger pull you also lessen the force with which the hammer will fall and strike the primer. That means with non-Federal primers you may get light strikes and failures to ignite if the springs are too light.

-Cuz.

[Trisha Lowry]

RF100! RF100!

Somebody had to say it

Place primer box on top, slide off sleeve, lift off tray, slap start button, done.

I'm glad you said it...I LOVE my Dillon primer filler :-) makes reloading so much quicker.

[Scout454]

I was told that Federal is the only US Primer manufacturer that ships to Europe and that the packaging is an international requirement.

I use them for rifle and I also use Winchester and Remington. I can store 5000 remington's in about the same space that I can store 1000 Federals.

[Nemo]

Jack,

What Cuz said.

[Guy Neill]

The packaging has to due with shipping regulations.

As part of the process to obtain a shipping status designation, products such as primers must undergo testing. Part of the testing includes a drop test. The old packaging met the DOT tests. More recently (at the time you saw everyones primer package size increase), the US agreed to international shipping standards that were more rigorous. Thus the need to enlarge the packaging to meet the international shipping standards.

There are also burn tests to pass.

The Federal primers, because of the lead styphnate used, are more sensitive, requiring the larger packaging to pass the drop test.

This is a principal reason the CCI pistol competition primer never went to market. They elected to not spend the money on getting through the tests. The same for a super magnum rifle primer CCI designed.

Guy

[Mapzter]

I was told that Federal is the only US Primer manufacturer that ships to Europe and that the packaging is an international requirement.

I use them for rifle and I also use Winchester and Remington. I can store 5000 remington's in about the same space that I can store 1000 Federals.

We can buy Winchester primers over here in Europe, and there's the same huge difference in packaging size between Federal and Winchester. I don't know if the Winchester primers are shipped here from the U.S., though.

[Mistral404]

Shred---got to love it--leave to a windsurfer to be lazy.

I used to rig up several sails so I would not have to change sails once the wind came up.

I got my RF100 so I would not have to stop to pick up primers. I am probably the most lazy reloader around. I would not know how to use a flip tray and pick up tubes!

I just open the package, dump em, and hit the button. By the time it is done, I have loaded 100 rounds on my 1050 and am ready for my next set of primers.

[George]

The way I deal with the SP-100's I use for my Glock is to invert the box and hold it's edge about a half inch over the center of a large Dillon flip tray. I slowly and smoothly push the plastic insert through with my forefinger and let the primers gently fall into the flip tray.

The small drop into the tray seems to turn most of them off their sides and when I shake the flip tray in a figure eight motion while flat on the bench they all flip quite nicely. I have always used a little herky-jerky in the figure eight motion I shake the flip tray with and that seems to do the trick for any that are still on their sides.

I don't feel the package is that awkward when the insert is slid out slowly this way. I put WW primers into my flip tray the same way, I use my pinky because of the thinner box and they slide easier, otherwise not much difference IMHO.