CCI vs Federal Small Pistol Primer

[jwrowland77]

Ok, so I'm down to my last 800 of CCI small pistol primer and like everyone knows, they're as hard to find as a needle in a haystack. However, I can find a bunch of Federal small pistol primers.

My load is a middle of the road load. Using semi-auto pistols.

Question is, can I just interchange these since I am using a middle if the road load without having to work back up?

 

[7075-T7]

With mid-range loads, it shouldn't matter.

Though, I would load up 100 or so first to try out before the first batch of 5,000.

 

[jwrowland77]

Yeah, I was thinking about that, about getting 100 first, trying it out and seeing how I like them first before going all in. LOL

 

[JLDickmon]

I solved the primer dilemma by loading .45 Auto and .44 Mag.

saves my primers for when I really NEED them, not WANT to shoot..

 

[Hit_Factor]

Federal are more sensitive than the CCI primer. If your gun runs fine on CCI it will work fine on Federal. I bet you won't be able to measure or feel a difference. However, making up a small batch before jumping in with both feet is sound advice.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Federal primers are my preferred primers. You won't notice any difference with mid-range loads.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[rcmodel]

They don't work as trouble-free in my old RCBS hand priming tool.

They tend to want to flip over and get stuck in there sideways.

Never had it happen with CCI.

And I positively HATE those humongous boxes Federal puts them in!!
Takes a lot more storage room.
And none of my primer flipper treys are big enough to dump them in without spilling.

rc

 

[Smokey Joe]

Federal packaging...

RC--You said

And I positively HATE those humongous boxes Federal puts them in!!
Takes a lot more storage room.
And none of my primer flipper treys are big enough to dump them in without spilling.

I'm with you there, all the way!! At an NRA convention, I stopped at the Federal booth to complain to the sales rep about the huge packages Fed primers now come in. He said, well, the Federal primers are so much more powerful that the Gummint makes us use the extra packaging.
Me: So Fed primers are more powerful--That means I should make allowances for that in my reloading, right?
Fed Rep:Oh, no, you use our primers just like anyone else's in your reloading--They work just the same.
Me: But you said that Fed primers are more powerful, so you have to use the extra packaging??
Fed Rep: That's right, the gummint makes us do it; it's not Federal's fault.
Me: But I can use these more powerful primers just like other less powerful primers??
Fed Rep: That's right, they work just the same.
Me:That doesn't make any sense.
At which point the rep turned away and looked for a better prospect with whom to talk.
I solve the problem for myself, by not buying Federal primers, and by mentioning why I don't, to every reloader with whom the subject comes up. Apparently Federal's primer packaging is merely a CYA move, and Federal (at least the rep with whom I talked) doesn't want to admit that.

For Pete's sake--How many factory boxes of primers ever blew up due to rough handling--Ever?? And I include the old primer containers wherein the primers were put right next to each other in little slots in a piece of wood! Never heard of spontaneous explosion of primers in transit, myself.

 

[Carpedium]

My lee press says to only use CCI or Remington. Probably due to the sensitivity?

 

[rcmodel]

Federal uses a different priming compound mix then everyone else.

They are more sensitive to shock then other brands, but are no more powerful.

They also work in guns with weak firing pin strike that won't work with other brands.

As for the Lee warnings?
Apparently Mr. Lee and Mr. Federal had a long standing dispute over one of Mr. Lee's priming tools blowing up with Mr. Federal primers long ago.

Rather then change the design of the Lee priming tools, Mr. Lee just said don't use Mr. Federal primers.
No other reloading company ever said anything about what brand of primers you could or couldn't use in their priming tools because they were designed to be safe with any brand of primers from the get go..

The latest & greatest Lee hand priming tool is now said to be safe with all brands of primers.
It's a sales "feature" in the advertising now!

rc

 

[BYJO4]

You should have no problem using Federal primers.

 

[kingmt]

I read it was because all the other companies donated primers to Lee to test in there presses.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Using Federal primers should not be a problem in your loads. I would get what you can right now bwcause it seems things are getting worse. If Federal primers are available, buy some...

 

[viking499]

How do the CCI primers compare to the Winchester primers?

 

[rcmodel]

CCI are considered to be the hardest / least sensitive.
Rem & Win somewhere in between.
Fed softest / most sensitive.

Still, if you have a gun that doesn't work 100% with CCI primers, it needs fixing.

rc

 

[918v]

I like all three brands for different applications. CCI tends to give better accuracy with Bullseye powder. Federal works better with AA powders. WSP is the poop for Titegroup.

 

[rcmodel]

You must be one heck of a pistol shot to tell the difference!!

I sure never was, even when I was shooting for 5th. Army AMU!

rc

 

[Mike 27]

I can't really tell the difference with any of them. I think i have tried just about everything out there at this point. Usually just end up getting what is available here locally, and haven't had a problem with any of em.

 

[Hondo 60]

Low to mid charges won't be an issue.

If you're at max, switching to Fed might not be so great.
drop down & work it up.

 

[918v]

You must be one heck of a pistol shot to tell the difference!!

I test my loads from a benchrest. I enjoy seeing what my guns are capable of.

 

[1SOW]

Fed 100s are my ONLY primers. They are slightly softer than the others, and the only compound that still uses a trace of nitro-glycerin in the mix. Competitors with light hammer springs/mainsprings use them for 100% reliability.

There is no difference at mid-range loads but at the high end (my SD loads) there "might" be a slight difference/increase as 918 said, depending on the burn-rate of your powder. As per chrono results with n320, AA#5, n340 powders in 9mm.

 

[16in50calNavalRifle]

Heck, I've enjoyed the discussion, but my only question is: jrowland77, where are you getting Federal SPPs these days? Haven't seen them for months, and could really use them. Had been hoping they'd appear again in the new year, but with the course of events it looks like I'll have to nurse along my remaining 500 or so for quite a while.

 

[jwrowland77]

There's a bunch here at a local mom and pop gun shop.

 

[Centurian22]

Lucky you JW! I'm hoping by the time I get back home in late Jan, that at least ONE of the local stores will have some primers in. One is holding 300 cci large rifle primers for me, now just need to track down those elusive small pistol primers. Good info on the federals, thanks everyone.

 

[hueyville]

Been loading high volume of multiple calibers for 30 years. Except for the size of the box as already discussed here I like Federal primers. Of course for day.to day shooting I buy whatever is cheapest and load from the oldest dates in the stockpile. If you are buying primers by the 100 or 1000 count boxes the price is goofy. Due to the hazmat cost of shipping to my supplier I buy 5,000 count boxes minimum and usually buy 10 of those at a time. Entire point of handloading is shooting more and better ammo while saving money. Unless you are a freak like me who just enjoys making ammo.