Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Large Pistol Primers

I will drive several hours to buy Federal primers of any size; rifle and pistol.

As for large pistol primers, I have two N-frame .44 magnums with action jobs and lightened springs. That's why.

I use CCI in rifles. Prefer Winchesters in large pistol magnums as they are rated for both std and mag loads.
I don't think I have ever tried Federals

So your gun won't work unless you use certain primers??

Paul

CCI because I have and haven't needed to change

New to handloading, but I'm using WLP because they work for both std and magnum loads in my 44mag and work for the 45acp too. I want to keep the logistics simple for now.

Federal Gold Medal 155 Match in all the 45 ACP loads.

Winchester Primers for all the calibers I use slow burning ball powders in for sure. They have always tested out the best.


With flake powders, whatever tests out the best. CCI, FED or WIN.

Whatever I can find!

lastround, do not know about the hardness of primers.

Have shot a lot of factory ammo by various makers, in semi auto and revolvers.
No issues with any.

Yep!

I have a good stockpile of CCI-300 and Federal 150 bricks purchased in the time of milk and honey between the two Obama shortages.

Never really thought of using them for specific purposes, mostly just doled them out to different handguns as I worked up loads - try a Fed 150 for a .45 Colt, then use come CCI 300 for a .45 Auto load, back to 150's for a .44 Special load etc. - and then would just keep using that particular primer with that load.

I'd try switching primers on a particular load if I was bored and wanted to see what would happen but never noticed any significant difference between one or the other when it came to velocity or accuracy.

Also, I don't have anything with reduced power springs so that's not a factor but I can see how the Federals would prove better in those handguns that do.



I did have a series of misfires with CCI 500 primers purchased after the Clinton shortage in the 90's. I think CCI was cranking them out as fast as possible at the time and QC suffered. They misfired in a stock Ruger GP-100 which isn't known for light hammer strikes.

I am gathering from what I am reading here and other places that CCI primer cups are the hardest (or thickest) and therefore the most difficult to ignite, followed by maybe Winchester then to the softest (or thinnest) which is Federal.

I guess I will just have to be careful when using my old Lee AutoPrime. I got an instruction sheet from Lee. Basically, they say don't worry when using their older tool with CCI, be careful with Remington and Winchester, and NEVER use that tool with Federals. I guess I've been lucky using Federals in rifle cartridges. Or maybe more cautious................

CCI 300 with 2400 and Unique and CCI 350 with H110, Win 296 and Lil'Gun

I have several J,K,L and N frame Smiths with reduced springs. Never had a problem. I do not use the weaker springs for the X frame 500 S&W since it shoots Large Rifle primers.

I also have a very old Auto-Prime I use on everything. Here again, never had a problem.

Both scenarios with 10's of thousands of rounds loaded and shot.

But, never say never.

I've used a lot of Federals. AR guys will caution their use in AR's due to potential slam fires. I've shot a lot of Federals in AR's too, with no issues, but the potential is there. However, late last winter I picked up a box of Federal AR Match primers. I presume they have thicker cups to take care of the slam fire issue. I haven't used any yet but hope to soon.

A lot of bunk from Lee. I must have used a million Fed primers in the Lee tool. I have also taken Fed LP primers to astounding pressures in the .454 and rifles.
The truth is back then when they used the small boxes, a UPS guy tossed a box of them in the truck and tossed a heavy box on top, clear from the back of the truck, set the primers off. Now I am not sure if they went off with the first toss or not. But it was rough handling with a box marked HAZMAT, EXPLOSIVES!
They are easier to ignite and if you need them only, your gun has a problem because even Fed primers need struck with proper impact for accuracy.
Well over 60 years of loading, I NEVER had a primer go off unless a firing pin hit it. I don't know anyone of my friends that has either. Except Pete, he lost one on the bench and was soldering something, flame found the primer!
I do not know how stupid anyone can be to set off a primer in a Lee tool, even had a few go sideways when I did not look, crushed them without going off. I have removed so many live primers from brass by hand and never had any go off.
It is false about Fed's in a Lee.

My 29-2 will work reliably with factory loaded ammunition and handloaded ammo with Federal primers. My revolver smith knows what he's doing.

My 629-5 has an extended firing pin and that seems to be enough to overcome any issues regarding the lightened hammer spring. I still don't like Remington primers, though.

I have had very good luck with the Wolf spring "kits" for S&W's and other. they are balanced in operation. I do not go for the lightest though.

Same here. Good rule of thumb. I try using the flake powders and standard primers with the lead bullets.

You talk about warnings.

Winchester Small Pistol Magnum primers are very hot. AA always stated to reduce load data by 10% when using them.


Since all Winchester powders all ball type, Winchester uses a different formulation in there primers to get good ignition with their powders. They are my go to on magnum handgun calibers using W296,H110(same), 4227 and Lil'gun.

... and Bluedot flake to reduce the frame thrower effect.