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Thread: Alcan primers

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by AZ-Stew View Post
    Huntducks: What species of duck is that in your avatar? I've never seen an antlered duck. Is that a Jack-a-Duck? Big sumb!tc#.

    Regards,

    Stew
    I wouldn't want to shoot one of them and it fall into the blind with me!!! Yikes!!!!!!
    If a man has nothing greater to believe in than himself, he is a very lonely man.

  2. #22
    Boolit Buddy Huntducks's Avatar
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    No that is what is known as a BULLDUCK very rare

    Guys Tule Elk 10x harder to draw the tag then the hunt + I had to use a big gun
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails punt_standing.jpg  

  3. #23
    Boolit Buddy acemedic13's Avatar
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    You were'nt kiddin' about backing off the load with these.....I had to drop the load on the LP and SP for these things. They still hit like a hammer. The cups are pretty soft, and the charge seems high..... Hell....... I like em'! If I could get a few more thousand worth, I would.Well worth the dollar a box I paid for them... Thanks for the help. Joel
    Last edited by acemedic13; 07-18-2009 at 04:15 PM. Reason: typo

  4. #24
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by acemedic13 View Post
    You were'nt kiddin' about backing off the load with these.....I had to drop the load on the LR and SP for these things. They still hit like a hammer. The cups are pretty soft, and the charge seems high..... Hell....... I like em'! If I could get a few more thousand worth, I would.Well worth the dollar a box I paid for them... Thanks for the help. Joel
    If you ever run across any again count yourself as very lucky.
    If a man has nothing greater to believe in than himself, he is a very lonely man.

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
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    Alcan must have been discontinued c. 1970. I bought a pile of both primers and powder as unwanted old stock in '74. Still have a hundred or so SP primers left. Every few years, I load up six to try. No misfires yet.
    Sometimes you gotta wonder if democracy is such a good idea.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master Rocky Raab's Avatar
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    That timing is about right; 1970 or so for their closing. But I have primers even older than that, and they work just fine.

    How many of you remember when primers came not just in large and small, but with a choice of flat or domed cups? You had to have priming stems for each, in both sizes! The oldest primers on my shelf are a box of 1,000 Western Cartridge Company 1 1/2 small pistol domed primers.

    Edit to add: Western Cartridge Company acquired Winchester Repeating Arms Co in 1931, after which the name became Winchester-Western. My box of primers is labeled non-mercuric and non-corrosive, though. But they could still be from the late 40s.
    Last edited by Rocky Raab; 07-18-2009 at 06:44 PM.

  7. #27
    Boolit Buddy acemedic13's Avatar
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    Loaded a hundred 38 specials with Alcan primers, 3.7gr. of international clays, and a 158 gr. swc boolit. Great shooting round with not one misfire. Mild accurate load as well. Shot just at 1 inch from a bench off a bag at 50 feet out my old,ugly Mod-15 S&W. They opened up a little more from the same spot with the same round out of a snubby smith. All in all, they are great primers. The best part about them is that, I got a really cool history lesson in the process. Thanks for the posts guys. Take care. Joel

  8. #28
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rocky Raab View Post
    That timing is about right; 1970 or so for their closing. But I have primers even older than that, and they work just fine.

    How many of you remember when primers came not just in large and small, but with a choice of flat or domed cups? You had to have priming stems for each, in both sizes! The oldest primers on my shelf are a box of 1,000 Western Cartridge Company 1 1/2 small pistol domed primers.

    Edit to add: Western Cartridge Company acquired Winchester Repeating Arms Co in 1931, after which the name became Winchester-Western. My box of primers is labeled non-mercuric and non-corrosive, though. But they could still be from the late 40s.
    Well Rocky you got me there. I have not been handloading long enough to remember primers in flat or domed cups. You are and "Old Coot" ain't ya'?

    I have a lot of cases in 223 with WCC headstamps and crimped primers. That is military, no?
    If a man has nothing greater to believe in than himself, he is a very lonely man.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master Rocky Raab's Avatar
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    I prefer "geezer" but I sure am! You might be interested to know that Herters was still offering domed primers and priming tools to fit them as late as the early 70s - but there probably are folks here who are too young to remember Herters!

    Yes, the WCC headstamp is a carryover from the old days but other than company nostalgia, I don't know why.

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rocky Raab View Post
    but there probably are folks here who are too young to remember Herters!

    I've been told that I cut teeth on some of their shotshells. I don't remember that, but I do remember a trip to their store in Waseca (sp?) MN many years ago when I was a youngin. They had a big stuffed polar bear just inside the door as I recall that I was pretty impressed with at the time.

  11. #31
    Boolit Master HORNET's Avatar
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    Rocky doesn't have to be all that old. I'm still working my way through some domed Win. 6-1/2 primers that I got at an estate sale and have most of a brick (700 left) of Herter's 6-1/2 Model Perfect primers that my uncle gave me a LONG time ago...Got a '72 Herters catalog, too, that I dig out when I want to do an inflation check.
    Rick
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  12. #32
    Boolit Master Rocky Raab's Avatar
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    Those would be Rem 6 1/2s, right? I don't remember offhand what number Win gave to their small rifle primers (5 1/2?) I do know that their large rifle size was 8 1/2 - 120, because I have some of those, too.

    I pulled the handle on my first reloaded round in 1957. I was 10. Put new meaning to the term "boomer baby."

  13. #33
    Boolit Master HORNET's Avatar
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    Actually, the domed 6-1/2's are Winchester- Western K4002P Staynless Small Rifle Primers No. 6-1/2-116 (Lot# TL1L30) with the primers sitting on edge in the wooden trays. The box they were in also had some Winchester #120, Western #8-1/2, & Western #7 primers. I believe the only 5-1/2's I've seen were Remington Small Pistol magnum. Had a heck of a time trying to find my old domed primer seating punches.....
    Rick
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  14. #34
    Boolit Mold
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    Still have the ALCAN Primers?
    Wish to part with them?
    Could use them in my Collection.
    Thanks,
    Rick

  15. #35
    Boolit Mold
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    Still have the ALCAN Primers?

  16. #36
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by R. Brower View Post
    Still have the ALCAN Primers?
    Wish to part with them?
    Could use them in my Collection.
    Thanks,
    Rick

    In the future, you may want to check the dates of the last post, in this case it was 12 years ago and I don't think most of the guys who posted in this thread have been on here in years.

    I had some large rifle Alcans and some 209's that I loaded up during the house arrest last year. The rifle were labeled S&W, the 209's just Alcan.

    Haven't shot all of them yet, but haven't had any failure to fire yet.

    Only recent failure to fire I've had has been some large pistol magnum primers I deprimed and recycled into 30-06 cast loads ~ 1 out of a 100 doesn't go off.

    I've got 700+ of the recycled primers, 7 duds out of 700 for plinking loads with primers I got for basically free is great shooting in these days of primers being made of unobtanium.

    And for all the hand wringing about depriming live primers, until you've actual done it and figured out that your NOT going to blow up the shop or cause Earth's magnetic poles to flip, it's easy and no more dangerous than shoving them into the case in the first case.

  17. #37
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    I just loaded 1000 rds of 9mm using Alcan Primers. Good Stuff
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
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  18. #38
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    I'm still using Alcan Primers ( and powder) bought during the 1970's .
    The local gun shop was having a closeout and the primers and Alcan #5 powder was 1970 dirt cheap , I bought all I could carry and still have primers and powder that I use when a panic is on and nothing else is avaiable or I just want to hang on to my recent stuff .
    All the primers go bang and the powder is still fresh smelling and good looking ... got my 1970's manuals for Data ...The 1970 Speer Manual has a lot of Alcan Data ...I've used it since 1970 so I just keep on keeping on .
    Gary
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    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  19. #39
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by R. Brower View Post
    Still have the ALCAN Primers?
    Wish to part with them?
    Could use them in my Collection.
    Thanks,
    Rick
    I can send you an empty Alcan primer box for your collection ... when I'm done using up the primers, but I'm not parting with the primers .
    Gary
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

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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