Winchester primers inconsistency.

[Bazoo]

With both large rifle and large pistol I've noticed this. Ill seat the primers and it'll have little to no resistance compared to the others in the batch. If I remove that primer and seat another it feels as normal. So it's got to be a primer inconsistency. I've also shot several of them that felt that way in pistol calibers and haven't found any detriment.

Should I not fire those?

Will it make any difference in rifle cartridges of a lower pressure like 30-30 vs those of higher pressure like 30-06?

I'm more leery of it in rifle calibers because of the pressures. But should it be the other way around ?

Next time I load I'll try to measure some until I can find one that measures differently. How much of a difference will cause that loose feeling?

When I load the same batch of cases with CCI primers there is no major differences in feel.

Thanks for taking the time to ponder my query.

Bazoo

[303Guy]

I was thinking I had primer pocket expansion or wear. I was ignoring it but now I need to check the primers themselves.

[Cast_outlaw]

The difference will only be a couple tho if any more than 2 and they would probably fall out

[farmbif]

I went out to shoot some 9mm last week and thought id use up some loads put together a few years ago. cast and jacketed loads with bullseye and Winchester small pistol primers, about 48 out of each box of 50 are duds. the primers are about 4 years old. all the loads put together with cci primers loaded at the same time fired with no problems

[JMax]

I have been using Win primers exclusively For decades and finished firing up a thousand 38 loads without any misfires. I use WLR, WSR, WSP and WLP Without incident.

[lawdog941]

I've found the Winchester primers more reliable than CCI. That being said, I've also noticed that some Win primers were very easy going into the pocket. But that was for 270 Win cases that were near the end of their cycle. I have both Win and CCI, but never gave it any hard thought about the primer itself. If it falls out or its questionable, I just junk the case and grab another. I think the higher pressure cartridges would cause a little more concern for primer setback and gases.

[Divil]

Reports like this will keep me buying CCI & Remington primers for the foreseeable future.

[Norske]

My experience has been the opposite. Winchester primers have always worked, but I've had misfires/handfires from the CCI primers with their harder cups and lighter flame. Western Powders new reloading manual specs WLR primers for many of their double-base powders.

[Texas by God]

I've never had a problem with Winchester primers. Good enough for NASA, good enough for me.

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[Dapaki]

I have has issues with all of the manufacturers from time to time, metal temper, thickness, OD all play a role. I have had more issues with Federal than any other.

[MT Gianni]

A micrometer should show you if a few of the primers are undersized.

[Wag]

I don't use Winchester or Remington primers any more. Too many duds. Only a couple in every thousand but that's too many. The CCI primers don't give me any issues.

--Wag--

[rintinglen]

My money ison loose primer cups, not odd primers. I can never recall a Winchester primer that did not go bang in a properly functioning firearm; not SP, LP, LR, MLR OR MSP. That is in the course of 47 years use and two hundred thousand plus primers . Murphy's alive and well, but the only primer problems I have had were failures to ignite due to light primer hits with my old PPC revolver due to the excessively lightened mainspring. A spent primer cup over the end of the mainspring strain screw fixed that problem.







i

[Walks]

I gave up on Win primers when they stopped the nickel coat on the cup. Had misfires that I had never experienced with Win Center-Fire primers before.
Complained to Win, they blew me off. Haven't used them since. Had it happen to A LOT OF OTHER COWBOY SHOOTERS AT THAT TIME TOO.

Never had a Misfire with REM or FED since. No problem with the few CCI that I've tried.

[dale2242]

I have said this on this forum a number of times.
My FTFs have always been the fault of the gun not the primer.
I have had very few and I have been loading a lot each year for 50+ years.
Your results may vary.

[303Guy]

I use Federal small rifle in my hornet because the firing pin strike is very mild and those primers fire reliably. Small pistol primers also fire reliably. I did find one primer with the anvil seated sideways. That was the only defective Fed primer I've come across.

[car16]

I guess I must be lucky I have used winchester,CCI, federal, Remington and the only problems I had were Russian heavy metal free primers that were duds

[poppy42]

Well I have a brick of cci 500 spp that failed to go bang! In 2 different guns! Both guns function fine with Remington and Winchester. I called cci and they want me to send all the rounds to them so they can test it! I was told by there tech that it can’t be there primers because there primers are never bad! They have never had a complaint about there primers! Talk about having smoke blown up a certain bodily orifice! I’ll never buy another cci product! I guess I’ll use this 1000 rounds for sling shot ammo! Sure am glad I didn’t need it to defend my life!

[ddixie884]

You better be careful. That guy will give you cancer.................

[RKJ]

The only issues I've had with any primers were some Bosnian ones (that I was warned about before buying) they seem a little larger than either Winchester or Remington but they have all gone bang when I pulled the trigger and no loss of accuracy. Could be a bad lot of Winchesters you got, it can happen.

[murf205]

I had the same issues with W-W primers being a bit undersized. I bought a brick and right from the start, I noticed they were falling into the pockets a bit too easy for my liking. I deprimed the live primers and substituted CCI's and Rem and the pockets were nice and tight. The mic showed that they were indeed smaller. I contacted Winchester and the lady I talked to sent me a shipping label and I returned them. In return, they sent me a voucher for a purchase of WW products. These were LR primers. I dont know if the other sizes had this problem but since that time I have pretty much been a CCI guy except when Obama was in office and then I found whatever I could. No misfires with any brand.

[Bazoo]

Thanks for telling your experience murf. This has happened with both large rifle and large pistol primers for me.

[Slugster]

I have never had a misfire or FTF with Winchester primers, and that means large/small standard & magnum, pistol and rifle. CCI on the other hand has not been as reliable.

[murf205]

Thanks for telling your experience murf. This has happened with both large rifle and large pistol primers for me.
On the other hand, I have had some cases that were pretty tired with primer pockets getting on the not so snug side, but not loose. When I used CCI in those, they gave the snug seating pressure that the mic indicated it would. Probably a combination of a touch larger and a tougher cup material.

[toallmy]

I have only had 2 bricks of bad primers in 40 years both were CCI the first was SPP in the 1980s the second time it was LR mag primers around 2020 , both times I was very disappointed with the company's response .
I still use CCI primers but I use I lot more Winchester and Federal than I use to . Not all primers are perfect , but all primers should fire .

[Skippy303]

The reason I do not buy or use Federal primers any more. Now I only use CCI and Winchester.

[Texas by God]

The reason I do not buy or use Federal primers any more. Now I only use CCI and Winchester.I imagine the bolt face has ring-around-the-the-firing pin hole. I had that happen with Remington 9-1/2 primers in the 70s and just a few rounds each scarred a Sako and a Remington for life.

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[GhostHawk]

Well my first choice for primers has been and remains CCI. Don't know why, just never had a problem with them.

If I can not get CCI, Winchester LR primers have been my second option for some years now. Just about finished working through a brick of 1000 with no issues.

Remington I stay away from, I used to be a Rem Fan Boi but they screwed the pooch and sent me elsewhere. Started with .22lr ammo and moved from there.

Federal I trust, but I suspect they are a bit softer. Now some guns that is a plus. They need a Fed primer to avoid FTF issues. Maybe I've been lucky, don't know.

I know I trust their loaded ammo. Sitting on 1k of 9mm FMJ that has been very good.

I do tend to stay away from the cheaper off brand primers. S&B, Wolf, etc. I don't need to save a penny that bad.

CCI has been good for me going way back, as yet nothing has happened to make me rethink that. So they retain their #1 position.