Small Rifle Primers

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  • gre24ene

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 6, 2012
    1,519
    I am currently getting everything together to start reloading 223/556 on my new xl650.

    Does anyone have anything negative to say about the following primers:

    Fiocchi small rifle
    CCI
    winchester

    Is there any other brands you would recommend?

    When I first started reloading on my 550 I bought over 75k of the S&B small pistol primers for $18/1k. But it looks like they stopped importing them. I wish I had bought more while I could. Down to my last 20k
     

    GunBum

    Active Member
    Feb 21, 2018
    751
    SW Missouri
    I’ve loaded Fiocchi, CCI, and Winchester small rifle primers without issues.

    FWIW, I’ve also loaded Federal, Wolf, and Remington. I load most based on price. I have a couple pet loads that are picky on primers, but not in 5.56
     

    Glaron

    Camp pureblood 13R
    BANNED!!!
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 20, 2013
    12,752
    Virginia
    Don't point the rifle at family and friends while testing the sights?

    oh, not that kind of primer. :o
     

    ironpony

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2013
    7,190
    Davidsonville
    I moved away from CCI for a softer primer but that may just be a personal preference, I don't think you'll have any difficulties/preference against them in a rifle round. Good Luck and have fun.
     

    cstone

    Active Member
    Dec 12, 2018
    842
    Baltimore, MD
    Tula and CCI are the primers I stocked up on. Powder Valley stopped stocking Tula due to import restrictions, but I still have some. CCI have always been good for me but it is hard to beat the price of the Tula primers when they were available.
     

    byf43

    SCSC Life/NRA Patron Life
    I stopped using CCI primers almost 30 years ago.
    Had big problems feeding/using in my Dillon RL-550B.
    Called Dillon Precision for some help.
    Mike Dillon answered the phone.

    He said that when the machine was being built, they found that CCI primers are not 'round'.
    The machine was designed around Winchester primers.

    I switched to Winchester primers, and never had another problem.

    I've also used a LOT of Federal primers for .223/5.56; .308/7.62x51 and for .30-'06.

    YMMV.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Hmm, I have loaded 10s of thousands of CCI primers on my 650 without any issues. Small and Large Pistol and Small Rifle. Maybe the 650 primer feed is more tolerant.

    For floating firing pins (AR), I load CCI 450 (magnum) or CCI #41. #41 is the military spec small rifle primer. The CCI 450 has the same cup and same type and amount of priming compound as the #41, but the #41 was a bit more gap between the cup and the anvil.
     

    Jerry M

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 13, 2007
    1,688
    Glen Burnie MD
    Winchester has been known to have issues with piercing. I learned that the hard way, it cost me a bolt and firing pin!

    Also had that problem with the newer unplated Winchester LRP. Etched the crap out of the bolt of my Remington 40X. Bolt is ruined.

    Good luck

    Jerry
     

    dist1646

    Ultimate Member
    May 1, 2012
    8,758
    Eldersburg
    tell me more please just used them last weekend for some 223 loads

    Not much to tell. I used a standard load that had worked in the past, definitely not too hot. Primers cratered and some pierced. The gas that escaped through the primer acted like a torch on the bolt and firing pin, ruining both. Stopped using Winchester primers, no more issues.
    I have used CCI BR, Remington and Russian primers since. Sadly, the Russian primers fell victim to Hillary Clinton when she was suckretary of state under Zerobama and are no longer imported.
     

    Neutron

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Nov 20, 2014
    1,532
    severna park
    I am currently getting everything together to start reloading 223/556 on my new xl650.

    Does anyone have anything negative to say about the following primers:

    Fiocchi small rifle
    CCI
    winchester

    Is there any other brands you would recommend?

    When I first started reloading on my 550 I bought over 75k of the S&B small pistol primers for $18/1k. But it looks like they stopped importing them. I wish I had bought more while I could. Down to my last 20k


    So you spent $1350 on primers? You must shoot alot!
     

    gre24ene

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 6, 2012
    1,519
    So you spent $1350 on primers? You must shoot alot!

    Yes I did. That was over about a year. But I was buying $250-300 worth at a time, because why would you buy 2 or 3k with a $30 hazmat fee. That makes the primers or powder a lot more expensive. I also loaded up on projectiles also, but never any more that 5lb of powder:innocent0.

    I've only been reloading on my 550 about 5-6 years, but when I first got into it I was shooting 3-4 times a week. I actually like reloading almost as much as shooting.

    Only working 2 days a week has it's privileges.
     

    gre24ene

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 6, 2012
    1,519
    Which SPP do most people use for a plinking round for 223? Not looking for precision so much just a round I can use in multiple AR's.
     

    byf43

    SCSC Life/NRA Patron Life
    Which SPP do most people use for a plinking round for 223? Not looking for precision so much just a round I can use in multiple AR's.


    "SPP"????? Small Pistol Primer????????

    Don't use a Pistol primer in a rifle cartridge.

    Use what's designed/made for the caliber.

    I use Winchester SR (Small Rifle) primers and Federal 205 primers in .223.
     

    photoracer

    Competition Shooter
    Oct 22, 2010
    3,318
    West Virginia
    Heck when I was shooting USPSA in 9x23mm small rifle primers were the ones you were supposed to use. I was using whatever I could find, mostly CCI or Tula (or other brands from that part of the world like Wolf). CCI because the sporting goods manager in the WM in Falling Waters, WV had a husband who reloaded and they carried a little bit of everything as it was the manager's choice. Tula I got online somewhere.
     

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