S&B Primers Any Good?

[retread]

I bought 4k when Cabelas had them on sale for 18 bucks a few months ago. I've only tried them in my Ruger SR9c so far, and that gun did not like them - many needed a 2nd strike to go off so I set the box I loaded up aside immediately. I put a heavier striker spring in and that seems to have done the trick for that box and another I've loaded since, but the sample size is too small to say for sure. It seems many people have similar light-primer strike issues with that gun, and not just with S&B primers. I've had exactly 1 light primer strike shooting thousands of CCI (the culprit) and Tula primers in that gun before trying S&B, and I'm ready to admit that I probably didn't seat far enough in that instance.

They don't give me trouble during the loading process.

I had a similar experience with my SR9. When I got back from the range with the suspect boxes of 9's, I checked for proper primer seating and found many that had not seated fully(primed on my 550). Checked all that I had loaded using S&B primers and noted that a good percentage were not seated to the full depth(used a Lee hand primer). That ended the problem, so now I check them all before boxing them up.

[Schrag4]

It's been about 5 months since I last posted. I've probably shot close to 1500 more of these through my SR9c, with the heavier striker spring, and have not had a single failure to ignite. It has been months since I've given any thought about these primers in my gun.

[DerekP Houston]

So it appears to be a seating issue? That would explain why those of us using hand/single/Turret press had success vs the progressive presses.

[Electric88]

I haven't tried any S&B primers in my SR9c yet, but I use the Lee hand prime tool. I wonder if that would be different.... perhaps I will prime a piece of brass tonight and see how it seats, maybe pick up some plated bullets and see how it goes. Good to know about the SR9c though, maybe I'll order the heavier striker spring anyways. Did you get it through Ruger?

[berksglh]

Thats all I purchase after trying the first 1000 a year ago. Local Cabelas had them on sale for $19.99/1000 and I couldn't pas on it to try them.

Not one issue. Have shot all but the large rifle type. Loaded with hand prime and progressive just fine.

[DerekP Houston]

I've been using the SP and LP since cabelas had that sale as well. I think I've had 1 total FTF but the 2nd strike fired so I assumed it was a seating issue. Granted I wouldn't use them for SD carry rounds but 99% of my time is just at the range shooting paper.

[sandman228]

ive been shooting them a few months now gone through 3k or so no issues other than they seem to be very soft .cabellas has them for 19.99 again I ordered another 6 k I should have ordered 10 k .

[Schrag4]

They weren't seating issues with my SR9c. The stock striker spring simply wouldn't set them off reliably, at least for me. I remember it well - I foolishly took some ammo I made with the new, untested primers to a local IDPA match. The first stage went like this: BEEP - BANG - BANG - click - rack - BANG - click - rack - click - rack - click - *give up*. I wasn't totally stupid - I brought some of my other ammo with CCI primers and finished the match (they let me re-shoot the first stage).

Mine were primed on a LCT, and I long ago learned to apply a good bit of pressure while seating. Again, same priming system but new striker spring, and now they're 100%.

Perhaps the stock striker spring was in need of replacement anyway. I bought this gun used, and I have no idea how many rounds I put through it before trying S&B Primers, let alone how many were put through it before I bought it.

[sandman228]

I had a light strike issue with the sr9c I used to own with just about any primers . I replaced striker spring with a stronger spring from galoway precision and still had issues . so I bought an rcbs bench mounted priming tool and stopped using a hand primer for 9mm and that solved the prob . from what I understand it was common on the sr9's along with trigger reset issues .

[Electric88]

ive been shooting them a few months now gone through 3k or so no issues other than they seem to be very soft .cabellas has them for 19.99 again I ordered another 6 k I should have ordered 10 k .

Thank you for pointing this out... I am thinking I might go get about 6k today as well.

[P Flados]

Sand,

Another thanks for the heads up. I ordered 15k small pistol primers.

Cabella hazmat is only $20.00 and they have a code that takes off $5.00 on their shipping. Final cost was under $0.024 per primer.

[Big Boomer]

When I could not obtain sp primers regular or magnum anywhere locally a while back (always used CCI or Winchester for the past 40 years or so), I saw an ad by one of the major suppliers (I believe it was Graff & Sons) and they had a special they were running on TulAmmo (sp.?) sp regular primers. I called and sure enough, they had a good supply and I purchased 10,000 sp regular primers and 10,000 sr regular primers. I used up 5,000 of the TulAmmo sp regular primers without a hitch in a Dillon XL 650. Then I came across a special offer locally on S&B sp regular primers and purchased 5,000 of them and have not had a problem so far. Some kick about S&B brass having tight primer pockets but I have found all S&B brass to be very serviceable so far. Same for PMC and all military (just have to iron out the primer crimp). I would prefer to use American made components but during the dry period I could not find American components anywhere at any price. In larger metropolitan areas things might be different but out here in the boonies it is sometimes get it any way you can. Big Boomer

[556shooter]

I have been using S&B app in my .40 cal limited. I have a 17 pound hammer spring it and have shot thousands of these primers with no problems. My friend who built the pistol for me recommended Federal or Winchester primers as they are the softest. I started using S&B primers when I could not any federal or Winchesters. I will continue to use them.

[Big Boomer]

Someone here on CB mentioned that Cabelas had a sale on primers. I called them on 2/23/16 and sure enough that was the last day of the sale. They had Sellier & Bellot on sale for $ 19.95 per thousand. I checked to make sure they had as many as I wanted, and was able to get 10,000. Total price including tax, shipping and Hazmat was $ 237.19. For these days, not bad. My first dealing with that outfit. They delivered the primers within about three days if I recall correctly, though they projected that they would be delivered 3/2. Big Boomer

[Handloader109]

II picked up a 4k Sr primers for my 22tcm. So far I've only shot a few and they worked out OK. The Small rifle are WAY softer than cci and I had some trouble with poor seating. I ran a few in some 9mm, (yes I know, mild loads, but not std practice) and about 4 or five out of a dozen either took two strikes or completely failed to fire. I'll not buy any more unless it is all I can obtain... CCI or Winchester are much better in my opinion. I've never had a fail to fire with cci. And I just bought 4k from local guy getting out of Reloading for $20 a thousand.

[ReloaderFred]

If your primers ignite on the second or third strike, the problem isn't with the primers, it's with the primer seater person. If a primer isn't seated all the way to the bottom of the primer pocket, the distance it has to move to become fully seated just cushions the firing pin blow. The first strike finishes the seating, which seats the anvil into the primer pellet. The second strike finally allows enough force to be applied to set off the priming compound.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[FLYCUTTER]

Just checked Cabela's tonight and the sale of S&B primers are still on sale for 19.99 I cannot find a sale date on when it ends but LG rifle, SM rifle, and SM pistol are in stock.

[wonderwolf]

Hmmm I wonder if the cabelas in Dundee has any....thats a great price and they are only 45min away from me.

I have had excellent results so far with the small pistol primers, no failures yet.

[Electric88]

Hmmm I wonder if the cabelas in Dundee has any....thats a great price and they are only 45min away from me.

I have had excellent results so far with the small pistol primers, no failures yet.

I live about 30 minutes away, nice to know there is someone else in the area! Anyways, they seem to always have a moderately good supply of them. I would make the trip to pick some up with confidence, but all my discretionary money went into a home improvement project lol