Winchester Primers - New Finish?

[Uncle Grinch]

Just traded out for a brick of WLR primers in the blue box and I quickly noticed they are no longer silver looking. The box notes they have a new "Surface Finish". They look like copper, which is odd, because copper prices have gone up.

I assume it's something to do with their manufacturing process or supplier.

[felix]

CCI is/was the military primer contractor during and since WW2. It seems to me that all of these components are becoming more of a community commodity. Not more than a couple of months ago the CCI/Federal group told me via email that they are totally revamping the primer externals. They insisted they were not going to change the internals and will still use the same internal mix(es). I have no idea about the new differences between the rifle, pistol, and magnum externals, if any. It seems to me they would have to keep the cups on the softer side for the pistols, etc. ... felix

[monadnock#5]

IIRC, the silver primers are nickle plated brass. Your primers are lacking the nickle plate. And no, I don't remember why some primers are plated and some aren't.

Ken

[Duckiller]

Have been getting Win primers L&S pistol for quite some time 4-5 yrs. They have been copper the entire time.

[NVcurmudgeon]

Been buying brass-colored WW SP and LP primers in the dark blue box at the Big Reno gun show for about six years now. I may be fooling myself by buying CCI rifle primers downtown, but they still feel different from WW when seating, and are slivery plated.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

You are right fishhawk. Plus differnt ones take more squoosh to seat too. BvT

[Uncle Grinch]

Been buying brass-colored WW SP and LP primers in the dark blue box at the Big Reno gun show for about six years now. I may be fooling myself by buying CCI rifle primers downtown, but they still feel different from WW when seating, and are slivery plated.

Gosh... I didn't realize that it's been that long since I got any new primers. Most of my stock is the older off-white boxes, which have the nickel plated cups. Back then they were marked for STANDARD or MAGNUM rifles. The new brick is STANDARD only.

Somebody told me that the new cars run on unleaded gas too![smilie=1:

[rugerdude]

I remember a few years ago, I emailed Winchester to ask why their primers looked different. They replied that the primers were absolutely the same, but that they had stopped nickle plating them. Apparently, they had had some complaints that the plated primers were causing misfires due to their being too hard. I've got some of both and as far as I can tell, there is no difference as far as performance goes.

[USARO4]

Seems like its come full circle. The first Win primers I bought in the white box 15 years ago were brass colored. About 6-7 years ago they switched to a silver color but kept the white box. I still have a few of these in my stockpile. When they switched to the blue box they went back to the brass color.

[buck1]

I just bought two bricks( they were out of my Remingtons :( ) and mine are still silver looking and in a blue box.

[imashooter2]

The brass color has been out for a few years now. The white corner boxes and "new finish for for improved sensitivity" has just come out. You're the first person I've read about that has actually received some. The thought is they are trying to take some of Federal's market share amongst the light action IPSC and IDPA gamers. I've been looking for some to try myself, what with Federal primers almost impossible to find.

[TAWILDCATT]

I believe the nickle plated ones were to prevent corrosion,now no plate is probably to save time and money.I wonder if less choice of powders would benefit in price. It also might benefit by making it easier to choose.I to am using the last of 80,000 primers I bought at $5.per thou.and 200 lbs of powder at $6.per pound

[45r]

I have had misfires with win primers in my slicked up 45 redhawk.It has the best trigger on any redhawk I've seen but I use fed primers to make sure it goes bang.Hope win primers got better in the sensitivity because they are easier to get.After I use up my brick of fed primers I might try them out again.Hard cups on standard pistol primers are a waste of time.surprised it took them so long to figure that out.wish they would make a true mag primer for 296 also.