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Thread: Vintage Winchestr Primers

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
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    Vintage Winchestr Primers

    Un the estate i got stuck with theres a near case full of very old Winchester brand primers in various sizes in blue and yellow boxes with wood trays.. While i will try a few to see if they are still good the question remains if the whole box with wooden tray is worth more empty or full? Both the current primer shortage and the cost/hassle of haz mat shipping have me concerned.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master schutzen-jager's Avatar
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    old primers

    i believe these to be over 100 years old [ patent date 1878 ] - still go bang when hit with hammer - no idea what they are worth, but i would be curious to find out also -
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails DSCN2067.JPG  
    never pick a fight with an old man - if he is too old to fight he will just kill you -
    in this current crisis our government is not the solution , it is the problem ! -

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    as they say in latin

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy Tall's Avatar
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    I bought these at a flea market for $15 last year. Every one went bang.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails small rifle primers.jpg  

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    I would treat those as corrosive.

  5. #5
    Boolit Mold
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    This is what they look like. All are factory new. The quantity of these and several hundred pounds of bullets and other reloading supplies we signs of either an early hoarder or a shop that went out of business and nobody cared about the stock!!!! Think it as latter due to all the items found.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    you dont have to be stuck with them you can send them to me for proper disposal

  7. #7
    Boolit Master WRideout's Avatar
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    All of my empty boxes/cans from reloading go to local antique store for resale. I don't make much but who knew an empty plastic bottle for Unique would be worth anything?

    Wayne
    What doesn't kill you makes you stronger - or else it gives you a bad rash.
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  8. #8
    Boolit Master TurnipEaterDown's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Delkal View Post
    I would treat those as corrosive.
    I believe "staynless" are non corrosive - marketing gimick in the naming.
    Look them over, may well also say "Non-Mercuric Staynless Primers". It was their naming for "new" non-mercuric primers.

    Primers are like powder - stored properly: good for a Very long time.
    Always puzzles me: People happy to shoot WWII & Korea era surplus ammo, and queasy about using powder or primers from same era. Just make me say ... 'huh?'...

    Recently got 27 lbs of 1968 vintage H4831 for less than $4 a lb. I didn't walk away from that.
    It checks out as like new condition, and no, I don't just sniff it w/ my insensitive nose. (My nose is, as I tell my kids, like other parts of me: older, and unfeeling.)

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

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    I`ll tell you how long that I have been loading.
    Winchester primers came that same box with wooden trays.
    loading presses came with flat and rounded primer seating punches.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by dale2242 View Post
    I`ll tell you how long that I have been loading.
    Winchester primers came that same box with wooden trays.
    loading presses came with flat and rounded primer seating punches.
    I was just about to mention the need for a rounded primer punch for the really old ones. If you don’t have one, I wouldn’t try seating them.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    I'd bet they work fine but if it was me I'd be prone to keep most or all of them as collectibles. I didn't even know they ever packaged primers in wood boxes.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    Stuff like that, for someone like me, is a dream come true as I like old stuff - I particularly like Winchester and Marlin stuff!
    BulletMatch: Cataloging the World's Bullets

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  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    GONRA sez these are Collector Items.
    Pleeeeeze don't "Pop 'em off" just for the hell of it.....

  14. #14
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    dtknowles's Avatar
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    I have a box of those stainless non-mercuric Winchester primers with the wood tray. No way I would fire them (unless it was the end of the world) I collect old stuff, I think it is cool.

    Tim
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  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master

    Wayne Smith's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by schutzen-jager View Post
    i believe these to be over 100 years old [ patent date 1878 ] - still go bang when hit with hammer - no idea what they are worth, but i would be curious to find out also -
    First time I've seen a wooden primer box with a shortened groove.
    Wayne the Shrink

    There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!

  16. #16
    Boolit Master schutzen-jager's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wayne Smith View Post
    First time I've seen a wooden primer box with a shortened groove.
    this is the third one i had - sold the other two atmy collectors association meeting - the other two were filled - this one is half empty + has had no takers -
    never pick a fight with an old man - if he is too old to fight he will just kill you -
    in this current crisis our government is not the solution , it is the problem ! -

    ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM

    as they say in latin

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy
    2TM101's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WRideout View Post
    All of my empty boxes/cans from reloading go to local antique store for resale. I don't make much but who knew an empty plastic bottle for Unique would be worth anything? Wayne
    People like myself buy the 8 Lb jugs of powder but prefer to store it in the 1 Lb bottles if I can find them. I have bought a lot of empty powder containers on Ebay. I'm looking for empty 1 pound trail boss containers right now
    Currently casting and loading: .32 S&W Long, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, 10mm, 44 Special 44 Magnum. .223, 7.62x39, 7.62 x 54R, .30-06, 45-70, .32, .36, .44. .45. .50. .54. .58 and .60 round ball and various minies. And .375 heel crimped conical for those .36 conversions . KB6MRP on Discord

  18. #18
    Boolit Master schutzen-jager's Avatar
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    iirc trailboss was sold in smaller then 1 lb. containers - believe the containers to be 9 oz. + 2lbs. -_
    never pick a fight with an old man - if he is too old to fight he will just kill you -
    in this current crisis our government is not the solution , it is the problem ! -

    ILLEGITIMI NON CARBORUNDUM

    as they say in latin

  19. #19
    Boolit Master brassrat's Avatar
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    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	011.jpg 
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ID:	324809 here is some old ones, pretty full I believe

  20. #20
    Boolit Bub BoBSavage's Avatar
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    It is kind of like driving a 55 Chevy off of a cliff.

    Vintage Primer Dates

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check