Home Forums Reloading Handgun Reloading Primers really matter, sometimes

Been working up loads for a couple of new2me .38 Special revolvers the last few months, a Smith Model 14 and Model 15 to be exact. My initial loads used various bullet/powder combinations and CCI-500 primers, groups were mostly promising. Obviously some loads were better than others but the ones they both really liked used True Blue and would put 10 shots into 1 1/2 to 2" benchrest at 25 yards.

I've been using Ramshot True Blue for several years now and really like it anywhere you'd use Unique. It's very clean burning - sometimes you'll get some unburned granules left in the barrel with the lowest pressure loads but very little soot on the outside of the firearm at any pressure level.

Anyway, I finished the brick of CCI's since I was on the last couple of boxes anyway and decided to use up a brick of Federal 100's. Holey moley, those loads did not like those primers, at least the ones using True Blue - 4.5 and 5.5 grains under my cast PC 158 WFN. Groups with both revolvers spread into patterns of 4 to 5 inches. A load using 4.0 gains of 231 stayed about the same with both primers.

Opened up a new brick of CCI-500 and loaded the exact same charge levels with the same batch of bullets, cases, all else same same and groups immediately shrank back to what they were. I've seen primers make some slight difference before but this is the first time I've seen such a drastic difference.

Thinking the CCI-500 must be a good bit hotter than the Federal 100 to better ignite this fine grained ball powder but whatever the reason I'm glad I have a whole bunch of the CCI's on hand.

Yep.

People who think primer don't matter usually haven't loaded very much.

About ten years ago, I did a very large handgun test with several powders, bullets, and four brands of primers: CCI, Winchester, Remington, and Federal, with a 9mm, a 38, and a 44. The CCI ended up producing the most consistently accurate loads over all the other variables, though individual loads sometimes favored another brand. I shot ten-shot groups at 25 yards over a rest. I was amazed that it mattered so much what brand of primer was in each load. After the test results were considered, I just started stocking CCI pistol primers. Remington did the worst, BTW, followed by Federal, then Winchester. Winchester produced some of the best groups, but a couple of the worst. CCI rarely produced a clearly superior result, but never produced any clearly worst result, and were the most consistent over the whole test.

Interesting. FWIW, Fed GM100M and CCI 500 primers give identical results in my .22 Hornet with H110.

I used to use WW primers in everything, both handgun and rifle, until the Winchester primer problem of a few years ago. I switched to CCI for everything and have been perfectly happy with performance and accuracy.

Primers are a critical part of combustion. It is first necessary to match the primer to the powder and powder column shape and density, After that, the primers need to be consistent. I have found substantial improvements in ES and SD from sorting primers by mass. I weigh them with an electronic scale and sort them. While I do this primarily for my rifle cartridge, I would also do it for my revolver if I needed consistent combustion for long range use. At 7 to 10 yards it doesn't matter. On the other hand, if I'm measuring loads with a chronograph or groups at 25 yards for load-development, sorting primers is going to reduce the influence of that variable and show me the results from other factors more clearly.

I've been a fan of CCI primers for over 50 years, but now days I'll make any brand that I can find work.

The other day I stopped in our local Sportsman's Warehouse and in their reloading section, the primer shelf is about 30' long and it was completely empty except for one carton of 209 shotshell primers.