Small pistol primers...AAARGH Whyyyyyyy?!?

[CHLChris]

Why are SP primers STILL hard to get? Specifically Federal #100 primers (my primer of choice) are next to impossible to find unless I'm Mr. Lucky at Sportsman's Warehouse. Ever since SPP's disappeared in the 2013 ammo crunch they still have not come fully online. I'm just so confused! It seems like Winchester is putting them out okay...

What is y'all's experience for small pistol primers?

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[Camelfilter]

Dunno why. I use CCI mostly though, so hadn't noticed.

Just checked, midsouth is back ordered.

Powder valley has them by the 1K, but I'd think only worthwhile if you did a bulk order to save on haz mat. 5K shipped (shipping + hazmat included) comes to $169.90 (~$34/K).

 

[Member 34319]

Lately, I've moved away from brand specific for my 9mm. If it is available and or cheap, I use them.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Lol, I use small rifle primers for all my small primer cases to make my life easier. but that's just me

 

[CHLChris]

@Certaindeaf Tell me more, please. What are you reloading with small rifle primers? My main thing is competition, lower recoil, 9mm rounds.

 

[Camelfilter]

Just checked Midway, free hazmat on 5K, so 159.98 shipped. ~$32/K.

They might even have free regular shipping, but it won't let me try it as I ordered some stuff this weekend on it allready. Dunno if that deal regularly works on primers/powder/bullets. But if it does, it'd save another $10.

Edit: I just futz around with the Midway cart, added the free hazmat coupon, refreshed, added the free shipping coupon, and SEEMS to have worked. So 5K shipped at $149.99. = ~$30/K.

 

[Certaindeaf]

@Certaindeaf Tell me more, please. What are you reloading with small rifle primers? My main thing is competition, lower recoil, 9mm rounds.

small pistol and small rifle.. from .25acp to .357 magnum for pistol, to of course include 9mm

 

[jordanka16]

Why are SP primers STILL hard to get? Specifically Federal #100 primers (my primer of choice) are next to impossible to find unless I'm Mr. Lucky at Sportsman's Warehouse. Ever since SPP's disappeared in the 2013 ammo crunch they still have not come fully online. I'm just so confused! It seems like Winchester is putting them out okay...

What is y'all's experience for small pistol primers?

I would use another brand, the difference will be negligible.

 

[The Heretic]

Why are SP primers STILL hard to get?

There - fixed it for you.

Add some visuals to your posts.

At lest an emoji.

 

[P7M13]

Are they that much different?
I have a bunch but I'm not sophisticated enough to tell the difference between them or the other brands.
I specifically do not buy Federal primers because their primer trays are ridiculous and take up so much space. I can fit five CCI trays where one Federal pack sits.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I would use another brand, the difference will be negligible.

A lot of benchrest guys use Tula/Russian primers.. there's an interesting article of an in depth survey/study on the various flame propagation using high speed photography of different primers that corroborates this also. I favor CCI and do use most all brands but my go to since the bad times has just been TulAmmo primers with CCI for my most precious needs.
A lot of guys in the old days would only use Federal as that's the only thing that would go off in their highly modified PPC guns.. a practice I find dumb.

 

[Certaindeaf]

View attachment 485717

There - fixed it for you.

Add some visuals to your posts.

At lest an emoji.

Every time I see/read "arg" and why spelled like that I hear Nancy Carrington getting kneecapped. can't help it

 

[P7M13]

Every time I see/read "arg" and why spelled like that I hear Nancy Carrington getting kneecapped. can't help it

You mean Nancy Kerrigan? By chance, were you there at "The Joe" when it happened?
If you haven't seen it yet, check out I, Tonya.

 

[CHLChris]

Are they that much different?
I have a bunch but I'm not sophisticated enough to tell the difference between them or the other brands.
I specifically do not buy Federal primers because their primer trays are ridiculous and take up so much space. I can fit five CCI trays where one Federal pack sits.

Federal is known to be the softest primer. If one can use a soft primer, they can use a lighter set of springs to set off the primer. Lighter springs equal lighter trigger. In competition it is all about the trigger (well, not exactly, but you get my point).

BTW, is "I Tonya" a movie about a dumpster fire and cringe-worthy like the actual events? Or is it actually a good movie?

 

[CHLChris]

I would use another brand, the difference will be negligible.

Yes, you're right that the difference is minor. But a single light strike that eats up a second is a no-go in USPSA.

I also use Winchester since they are still very available, but much prefer Federal for my 9mm loads.

 

[bbbass]

If you haven't seen it yet, check out I, Tonya.

NOOOOooooooooooo! Not another moment of my time and attention...

 

[bbbass]

Yes, you're right that the difference is minor. But a single light strike that eats up a second is a no-go in USPSA.

I also use Winchester since they are still very available, but much prefer Federal for my 9mm loads.

I switched to factory loads for IDPA a long time ago.

Our local USPSA club folded... what's up with that???

 

[P7M13]

Federal is known to be the softest primer. If one can use a soft primer, they can use a lighter set of springs to set off the primer. Lighter springs equal lighter trigger. In competition it is all about the trigger (well, not exactly, but you get my point).

BTW, is "I Tonya" a movie about a dumpster fire and cringe-worthy like the actual events? Or is it actually a good movie?

Yeah, I ran into that problem. That's why I don't buy striker fired guns anymore.
I, Tonya is a movie about trailer trash that had way more than 15 minutes of fame.
But, who am I to judge, I'm no better.
I watched it and felt compassion and actually enjoyed it.
If you cringe at the thought of something similar to a two hour therapy session, avoid it like the plague.
If there's truth to the movie, it's remarkable she ever did as well as she did. There's no doubt, remembering her performances, that she had talent.
My perspective was that I strongly disliked Kerrigan even before Shane whacked her with the asp.
My 13y.o. daughter watched it with me. She said it dragged a bit, that Harding was a piece of work, and that she liked the movie.

 

[P7M13]

Yes, you're right that the difference is minor. But a single light strike that eats up a second is a no-go in USPSA.

I also use Winchester since they are still very available, but much prefer Federal for my 9mm loads.

I have three packs of 100 that I'm glad to trade for anything else.

 

[gmerkt]

For my level of shooting which isn't in any way competitive, I've never noticed any difference in performance of brands of pistol primers from one to another. What I have noticed is some seat easier in this or that brand of case, some sit higher or lower in this or that brand case primer pocket, etc. I won't use small pistol primers in .327 Fed Mag; the factory uses small rifle for a reason. Federal primers of any size I don't buy. I had problems with Federal LR primers years ago, now avoid. I don't recall ever having used Fed SP but I probably did decades ago when I first started hand loading. In general, I think WW are just a taste smaller than other brands, especially LR. So if you have tight primer pockets, you might think WW. On the other hand, I've found that CCI tend to be a bit larger, so if you have a generous pocket, think CCI. CCI seems to have a harder cup. RP, they cost a bit more for no good reason. Don't get RP 6-1/2 confused with 7-1/2. S&B, I've used some of those of both sizes that Cabela's sometimes punts out on discount, they are about like WW in terms of size and tension of cup.

Some years ago, one of the gun mags did an article on comparing the various virtues of the different brands of primers, it was interesting, wish I could recall where I saw it.

If you use any of the new design Lee hand or bench priming tools, try to stick with nickel plated primers. They seem to feed through the new Lee design better than plain brass cup primers.