Wolf primer report

[Patrick L]

From time to time people post with questions regarding Wolf primers, usually wanting to know if anyone has tried them in this or that...

On a whim, I bought 1000 large pistol at a gun show a few months back, just to try them. I've loaded them in .45 ACP and .44 Special target loads, nothing hot. They seem to work fine. I did notice they seated harder in the .44s, often leaving the primer a bit high, but nothing that can't be fixed with a trip through the Lee Auto Prime. Also, I did get a few (three out of about 400) unexplained misfires. Just a click, no bang. Since my ammo is all for fun shooting, that didn't bother me too much.

Last night I had the opportunity to reload some of those .44 specials that I had loaded with the Wolfs when I first got them. An interesting thing happened. Twice in about 300 rounds, the decapping pin broke the bottom of the primer cup off, leaving the side walls of the primer cup stuck in the primer pocket. This has never happened to me in over 20 years of reloading CCI, Federal, and Winchester primers. I was able to pry it out with a snug allen wrench, but it sure stopped my progressive cold until I got it sorted out.

I'm on the fence. Like I said, I used these in plinking ammo, so no harm was done. I liked paying $19 a K for them(although I think they cost more now, if you can find them.) With the current situation, sometimes you have to take what you can find. I just thought I'd pass this along, you guys can decide for yourselves.

[iron mule]

hey patrick i have been using the wolf primers for a couple years now both large pistol and small pistol i must have went thru prbly 10,000 of each maybe more and have not had any of the problems that you mentioned either i had good luck and got some good ones or you had bad luck and got some bad ones could go either way on that , i'll keep on using them and try to keep the crowd here updated on how they are doing
mule

[Japlmg]

My son and I have been using Wolf small pistol (9mm), large pistol (45 ACP) and small rifle (223) primers in our Dillion 650 for a year plus now with minimal problems (no worse than when using Winchester primers).
The Dillion is rough on primers, but we are not having any real problems.
Gregg

[shooterg]

Mine all go bang - I think maybe they're a tiny bit larger - seem to go in tighter than normal with once fired brass, but SEEMS to fell like less seating pressure in some 5X reloaded brass.

[Ken O]

I'm on my third sleeve of Wolf large rifle, and have had no problem. They are a hair larger, but the pressures I run for 1000 yard competition I welcome that because the pockets soon open up somewhat.

Maybe you got a bad batch, or maybe the QC is going down hill, I don't know. I get lower SDs out of them over any other primer I've used, and I've tried most.

[wistlepig1]

Me and another reloader splite a brick (5000) of Small rifle. I loaded test loads with Wolf, CCI and Win. for accuracy, everything for these 223 loads were the same except primers and shot at 100 yds form an AR15. smallest group ways the Win., Wolf next, and then CCI. All would have taken P.D."s. The Win and Wolf were very simlar and the CCI were opening.
I to noted the wolf were tight. FYI, Martin

[evan price]

I've loaded tens of thousands of Wolf primers in nearly every style. The only problem I have with them is that they are a thousandth or so larger in diameter compared t oWinchester or CCI that I also use. That makes them fit tight in the pocket, especially in Seller & Belloit brass, which has tight primer pockets to begin with. I also notice that Wolf does not start their anvils as deep in the cup as US primers which means if you do not get them all the way bottomed in the pocket you will get some duds because the anvil was not pressed into the cup. A second strike will ignite these. Also I have had anvils come out of the cup while putting them in the primer flipper. That said, Wolf primers have never failed to go bang when installed properly (and leaving them high is an operator error, not a primer failure). When they were less than $20 a thousand they were a deal; now with their most recent price increase you can buy CCI or Winchesters for the same price. Wolf are good primers but if all are the same price I will take CCI or Winchester.

[Depreacher]

I read something on David Tubb recently (his website??? can't remember) where he uses wolf primers exclusively. Said they were more consistent. I bought my first box of wolf lr at a gunshow last Sat. so will try them soon in my Sav. 10 ler-fp .308.

[Bad Water Bill]

Well I have used wolfe in my 204 and other small rifle cases. ALL have had their flash holes cleaned their primer pockets flushed with a K & M tool to make sure that all pockets are the same depth and still have a 10-20% fail to fire. Punch out the indented primer and install a WIN or CCI and they go BANG. All of the equipment has been used for over 40 years and I can not remember when I ever had a round fail to go BANG before. When the range is 50 miles from home and you work up loads to try out it is frustrating to fire 2 have a dud fire 1 and another dud. Yeah they are less expensive to buy but not knowing if the next round will fire is frustrating.

[bearcove]

Good way to check for a flinch.

[cajun shooter]

I have never loaded Wolf primers but have scored for shooters who are using them in cowboy action. My report is the same as above in that every one has some that fail to fire. Granted the guns for the most part all have worked over actions. The ones that I have inspected have a very nice firing pin hit that would have fired if Winchester or another like CCI. It seems that the Russians are not up to speed on how we shoot in America.The reason that David Tubb shoots them is the same as everyone else. With his skill level I would bet that he would like a truckload of benchrest primers from any American maker.

[44man]

The problem is the hard seating. It breaks the compound from under the anvil.
Modify seating punches with a hollow in the center so the punch only pushes the edges of the primer. That is how all old primer punches were made but today you find a lot of flat ones.

[870TC]

Patrick, I have had the bottom of the primer cup come off leaving the side walls in the primer pocket, but was using Federal Large pistol primers in 45 ACP. The problem stopped for Me when I learned not to use Brasso mixed in with my corn cob media.

[Bad Water Bill]

Thank you 44man.I have had my Lachmeier primer seater for 44 years and always wondered what the 2 hollow punches were for. Now I know. You are never to old to learn something new. And here is a great place to do it.

[truckmsl]

I am also having problems with the new wolf small pistol primers that are silver in color. I shot thousands of the older style that were brass colored with no problems, but the new silver ones are failing up to 5% of the time. Some won't even fire on the 2nd or 3rd attempt. I'm shooting a stock glock 23 in .40 and even installed a new striker spring. They are loaded on a Dillon square deal and are fully seated. I even double seated them afterwards on an All American turret to be sure. Definitely a quality control problem at wolf. As soon as U.S. primers are available it's good-bye wolf.