Loose primers

[Dieselhorses]

This is going to be "old news" for a lot of you. I did about 30 minutes of scouring CB's for something close to what I've discovered about Winchester LRP's going into "CBC .500 S&W" brass. Started bench priming some CBC brass with Lee turret press using Win. LRP's and they dropped in way too easy. Anyway I only primed about 5 or 6 and decided to get the CCI-200's. Lo and behold, that familiar resistance was back so I used those after decapping the few I primed with the Winchester.

So then I measured both the Winchester and the CCI and sure enough there was a .001 difference in diameter. I DID test the Winchester with a Star-Line case and it fit snug. I seemed to remember somewhere I was reading that "CBC" brass in general have slightly bigger pockets. I don't take any chances with "anything" coming loose with the 500.


Winchester LRP


CCI-200

[lightman]

CCI has always been my favorite primer. I just have fewer issues with them than any other.

[JBinMN]

Thanks for sharing the pics of your measurements & showing what you found.


I have done the same thing in switching primers, due to the ease in seating for some types of primers, vs. some types of cases before.
I do not use a lot of "new" un-used brass, but I do start out with what should be "once fired" brass & still find pockets in that brass of all types of mnfrs, to sometimes have a bit of leeway in size. Some being tighter than others, I have found a change up in primers often does the trick if I feel it necessary.

Seems to me that in one batch of S&B 45ACP cases, IIRC, that brass had tighter primer pockets for the primers I started out with, & so I changed primers to suit & for the primers to fit easier, but not loose. I do not recall what I changed to for primer mnfr, but I did find a difference in one type of SP primer to another, and the different primers fit better than the previous ones.

I did not measure the primers, but since I use CCI, Win., Federal, & S&B primers for the most part, (I try to buy on sale & currently do not use the different types for any other reasons, while trying to use what is in the load data when I can) using oldest lots first as I use them. The primer mnfr. I choose, if it is not in the load data, is just what I have pulled out of the storage grenade box, and if one was to fit differently, I would once again try to find a better match between case & primer.



Maybe sometime, if I get the chance & remember to do it, I will try to do the same measuring with all the different types of primers I use in all sizes & compare to what you have found so far. Just for knowing...

[Hick]

That's interesting. I use almost nothing but Win primers and haven't noticed. I just pulled a box and tested several with my micrometer and they were all 0.210. Interestingly, though, I also noticed that some were not perfectly round, and the narrowest dimension on a couple was 0.2096. I don't have any with that "New" label though. Could it be that the "new" primers are smaller than the old ones??

[JBinMN]

Hmmm,earlier, I did not notice that, "New" up in the corner, until ya pointed it out.

Mine are not "New" like that either, but I have not measured them yet either though...

[sigep1764]

I use CCI about 99% of the time unless there is a really good sale on Winchester. I don't use Federal, im not wild on their sideways packaging.

[Dieselhorses]

That's interesting. I use almost nothing but Win primers and haven't noticed. I just pulled a box and tested several with my micrometer and they were all 0.210. Interestingly, though, I also noticed that some were not perfectly round, and the narrowest dimension on a couple was 0.2096. I don't have any with that "New" label though. Could it be that the "new" primers are smaller than the old ones??

Good question but if my memory serves me right I didn't buy these "new", I always purchase my primers from a fellow who bought up a surplus years ago. I get 1000 for 20.00 a pop. Bought much powder also from him and never had any issues. Some of the powder dates back to the mid-90's. I've come to the conclusion that either a pocket can wore out, or it's just a minuscule bigger than another manufacturer. As I've said, the Winchester primer fit "snug" in a Star Line. Thanks for the input fellows!