primer id please help

[autofix4u]

I was given some some (ok 12k) small primers. the are some sort of surplus I think. packed in 100 ea bakelight trays inside a white cardboard sleeve marked "m42-c1 lot # wcc-1-130" in black rubber stamp ink. could someone please id these as pistol or rife primers. I wish I could post pics. to show you. thanks in advance.

[runfiverun]

well from the info you gave there my guess would be winchester large rifle.
if i had them i would ude them in a light loaded 308 7 mauser whatever cast type load and not sweat it.

[Gerry N.]

Small primers you say? I'd bet they'd be good in .30 Carbine, .22 Hornet, or most any rifle taking a small rifle primer. I'd be tempted to try a few in pistol or revolver loads taking a small primer, as well.

Maybe you could contact Winchester to see if they'd ID 'em for you.

Gerry N.

[HeavyMetal]

These are milatary primers but good luck on finding out anything about them!

Be aware they may be corrosive and clean your firearm accordingly.

I'm kinda in the same boat I made a deal yrs ago for some reloading stuff at a yard sale and got almost 4000 large rifle primers made by Frankfort arsenel.

I have no idea a manufacturing date or if they are corrosive. Figue I'd stash them for "lean" times. Guess what! I may have to shoot these!

[John Boy]

MIL-STD-1168 - Lot Numbering of Ammunition will identify the coding for the lot number of the primers. It is long and detailed reading though

[shotman]

Are the trays "bakelite" or plastic if it is the brittle bakelite could be from the war days. If so they would be corrosive . are they rounded or flat? If flat use them . small will interchange in rifle and pistol

[autofix4u]

MIL-STD-1168 - Lot Numbering of Ammunition will identify the coding for the lot number of the primers. It is long and detailed reading though

thank you very much for the idea of checking MIL-STD records. I still have friends at FT wood MO. I had him send me a PDF file of it & id these as "universal small primers sutiable for use in pistol and carbine rounds" along with lots of other interesting applications. SOO I loaded some up in 7.62x25 with .5gr less of H110 than my normal load. all 50 rds worked perfectly. not bad for 66 year old primers.

[Jim]

THEORETICALLY, Rifle primers, large & small, are SUPPOSED to be .013 higher than pistol primers. I've seen a few cases where that ain't the case, though. If you have a 0-1 mike or dial caliper, see can you get a reading on the height of the cup and compare that to a known primer.

[MtGun44]

Many primers that old are likely leave a corrosive residue that will require prompt water
cleanup, but I think I read that the .30 carbine gov't ammo was never
corrosive - so if these are carbine primers you may be in great shape.

You could fire a round with a bare steel plate right next to the muzzle and watch it to see if it
corrodes quickly, which would indicate the potassium salts that are in the corrosive
primers. If not corrosion on the test plate, you should be good to go.

Sounds like they were stored properly (low and consistent temps, mostly). Given the
current primer shortage, you got a find!

Bill

[madsenshooter]

Google found a MSDS for the primer type, made by Olin, non-corrosive. But you probably already knew that.

[yarro]

I believe that the M42C1 primer is small pistol. Small rifle are taller than small pistol so a micrometer should confirm that.

-yarro