Primers

[Leadlum]

I posted a month ago the subject "Favorite primers". I got alot of good replies; I want to thank everyone. I have a report today!. I was using CCI`s. I grown up using them, and never saw a reason to change. Curiosity got the better of me; and I just wanted to see if changing primers would make a difference. After reading all the replies, I choose to buy some win WLP. Blue box. Said for "std or mag loads". I probably shot 300 rounds of them with no difference in group size, BUT today I had TWO misfires with my Smith-Wesson 629 classic. The primers were hit good, nice deep imprint from the firing pin, but no bang! I continued shooting the rest of the box[50] with no problem. Went back and put the two back in the cyl, and tried them again. This time they touched off. I went back to the shop, and traded them in for CCI`s. Anyone else had problems with winchester primers?
Ray

[Rick N Bama]

I posted a month ago the subject "Favorite primers". I got alot of good replies; I want to thank everyone. I have a report today!. I was using CCI`s. I grown up using them, and never saw a reason to change. Curiosity got the better of me; and I just wanted to see if changing primers would make a difference. After reading all the replies, I choose to buy some win WLP. Blue box. Said for "std or mag loads". I probably shot 300 rounds of them with no difference in group size, BUT today I had TWO misfires with my Smith-Wesson 629 classic. The primers were hit good, nice deep imprint from the firing pin, but no bang! I continued shooting the rest of the box[50] with no problem. Went back and put the two back in the cyl, and tried them again. This time they touched off. I went back to the shop, and traded them in for CCI`s. Anyone else had problems with winchester primers?
Ray

I've never had a Winchester primer fail to go off in any gun I've used them in. I have, however, had problems with CCI primers in my S&W M686 357mag. Go figure!

Rick

[johniv]

Years ago when I lived in Pa. the shooters at a club where I shot, had a lot of misfires with CCI primers . Story went that a local jobber had his warehouse damaged by water and hence a lot of damage to this batch of primers(I only heard of this happining to CCI .) Years later I have noted primers for sale at gunshows, unloaded in the rain, displayed outside in the sun, etc,etc. Point is any of this stuff depends on treatment and storage between us and the manufacturer. I dont think ya can tell much from one batch of primers . a misfire may only mean the local gunshop dident have a good storage system at that time or mebby his supplier, and so forth.
In short I think highly of all the domestic primers I have used. the only missfires I can remember were my fault(kapoc stored in a damp basement got a whole batch of my early cast loads).
FWIW
John

[LAH]

I've used nothing in handguns but Winchester primers for the last ten years. I've had a mis-fire or two in that time frame but I can't lay it to the primers for certain.

I hear accounts of bad batches of primers but I've had none in my lifetime. The owner of Flattop Arms gave me primers because the boxes were wet. Said he wouldn't sell them. I've used them with no ill effects. Guess there's bad primers out there but I'm blessed not to have found them.

[fecmech]

I think but am not sure that when primers are made the priming compound is a water wetted slurry when it is put into the cups. Otherwise it is too dangerous to handle due to static electricity etc. I would not think water to be a problem for smokeless powder or primers once they dry out. Nick

[StarMetal]

I've had misfires with all brands of primers. CCI were my worse offenders. Currently I use Winchesters as they are easy for me to get and the price is right. Primer compound is a slurry mixture when they are being made. I believe it was Federal that showed a movie of how they make primers. Very interesting to watch. Once you watch that, like Buckshot and I both say, we can't figure how they can sell them so cheap as compared to gaschecks. There is no reason gaschecks cost as much as they do compared to primers.

Joe