Small Pistol Primer Selection

[Graham Smith]

When I first started reloading 9mm about two years ago, I had a Lee Pro press. They recommended either CCI or Winchester primers - I chose CCI because they were readily available. While I never had an serious problems with them, I kept reading about them being too hard. I still think that may have been outdated information, but I later tried both Remington and Winchester with good results.

For the past year, I've been using Winchester for both 9mm and .40S&W, but they are always difficult to find. Going back to information I had from a couple years ago, I see that Federal used to be THE most popular primer for competition shooting. How, when, and why did that shift to Winchester?

[Flatland Shooter]

When I first started reloading 9mm about two years ago, I had a Lee Pro press. They recommended either CCI or Winchester primers - I chose CCI because they were readily available. While I never had an serious problems with them, I kept reading about them being too hard. I still think that may have been outdated information, but I later tried both Remington and Winchester with good results.

For the past year, I've been using Winchester for both 9mm and .40S&W, but they are always difficult to find. Going back to information I had from a couple years ago, I see that Federal used to be THE most popular primer for competition shooting. How, when, and why did that shift to Winchester?

My information is more outdated than yours. When I got a 550 in 1985 I was first using CCI primers. Has a few problems with them feeding with the Dillon primer system and switched to Winchester. Now 24 years later, I've not used a single primer that was not Winchester.

The recent primer shortage left me low on small rifle primers and out of small pistol primers. I found small pistol magnum primers at Powder Valley and about to see how they work in both 9 Major and Minor.

Bill

[larry cazes]

When I first started reloading in 1999 I started with CCIs in 45acp. I made the mistake of loading light minor loads of Clays with the harder CCI primers and ruined a breachface from gas cutting. On the advice of my smith, I changed to Winchesters and bumped the loads a bit and have never looked back. I now load 45, 40, and 38super all major and minor loads using Winchesters. Since they were getting hard to find I made a bulk buy this last October and I should be good to go for a while but I am sure I could work up loads for almost any of the other brands out there with probably no difference in performance or function in my 1050. Let us know how the magnums work out.

[AlamoShooter]

I use Federal for my Revolver loads SP the old thing was the Fed primer was the softest primer not suited for Major loads even with y +p 38 loads I got flat primers with the Fed, BUT they always went Bang on the first hit.

even this past year when I had my supply of Win at a high for my IPSC gun and tried them in our revolver , My wife was not happy having 1 out of 30 not work in her Rev on the first hit.

If I use the Fed in my 38 Super comp gun the primer will flow back into the firing pin hole and shave of small pieces of brass to jamb up the firring pin. even with my Steel Challenge loads. I put a over size Firing pin from Dawson and that seems to be a way for me to shoot reg pistole primers. but I will do what ever I can to even shoot a club match with Federal primers in my Auto.

the Older CCI spp cut my breach face too with a light load in 38 super

The more the brass is used the less it will expand as fast so try your test with newer brass. Us steel shooters can keep from lousing brass as we know ware it falls.

[MemphisMechanic]

Those Wolf primers are working great for me.

Right now, it's a 'buy what you can find' market. Screw brand preference.

I have to admit I'm glad I left the flyweight striker spring in the spare parts box for my Glock. The trigger pull was nice, but a trigger that will detonate CCI's 100% is worth it to me. All our local wheelgunners that NEED federal primers so their super-light DA triggers will fire consistently, are really anxious about the shortage.

[jwrig]

Will WSR used in a standard pistol load (9mm) create the same breechface problem as the CCIs?

I've been using Win small rifle for 40, 9, 223 and 38 super (steel and major loads).

My thought was to keep from buying two types of primers. Did I outsmart myself?

[lugnut]

I made the mistake of loading light minor loads of Clays with the harder CCI primers and ruined a breachface from gas cutting.

You know that is very interesting. When I first started reloading I know I used some CCI primers. The breachface of my Sig229 .40 I had bad gas cutting as well... I though I just had some lose primer pockets. Now that I think of it I don't recall this happening to my guns now- and I do use WSP or Federals.... hmmm.

[keyser]

Is this still the case with CCI small pistol primers? I've been using them for about a month now. Not to be dumb, but how will I know if I have breech face cutting? I'd assume it would be a permanent ring?

Edited March 15, 2009 by keyser

[duct tape]

Is this still the case with CCI small pistol primers? I've been using them for about a month now. Not to be dumb, but how will I know if I have breech face cutting? I'd assume it would be a permanent ring?

Ditto here. Inquiring minds want to know....

[lugnut]

Is this still the case with CCI small pistol primers? I've been using them for about a month now. Not to be dumb, but how will I know if I have breech face cutting? I'd assume it would be a permanent ring?

Ditto here. Inquiring minds want to know....

Yeah... it's when the hot gases of a cartridge escape around the primer pocket. The gases can actually cut into the breach face. My Sig 229 .40 breach face had an almost perfect circle due to these cuts. Doesn't impact my functioning of the gun but it sure looks like crap. I have a couple of small nicks/cuts on some other breach faces as well.