Federal Gold Medal Small Pistol Match Primers

[vaalpens]

A couple of weeks ago our local Sportsman's Warehouse had some Federal Gold Medal Small Pistol Match Primers in stock. I have never tried the match primers, so I bought a brick to try out.

I will be testing some of my better performing loads with the match primers to see how they perform against the regular primers, and if I even see a difference.

Last weekend I tested my first loads using the match primers. Following are the results from the match and regular primers:



9mm, SP2022, 3.9"
Case: FC
COL: 1.065"
RMR, 124gr, TCFPMW, PowerPistol, 5.5gr, FED100M
Average: 1042
ES: 20
SD: 7.7
Force: 299
PF: 129
Velocities: 1055, 1039, 1044, 1035, 1039
Grouping @ 15yd: 0.82"
Test Date: 10/04/2020


9mm, SP2022, 3.9"
Case: FC
COL: 1.065"
RMR, 124gr, TCFPMW, PowerPistol, 5.5gr, CCI500
Average: 1060
ES: 55
SD: 23.2
Force: 309
PF: 131
Velocities: 1044, 1048, 1045, 1064, 1099
Grouping @ 15yd: 0.92"
Test Date: 08/06/2018



9mm, SP2022, 3.9"
Case: FC
COL: 1.065"
RMR, 124gr, TCFPMW, PowerPistol, 5.6gr, FED100M
Average: 1049
ES: 32
SD: 13.4
Force: 303
PF: 130
Velocities: 1046, 1033, 1042, 1065, 1061
Grouping @ 15yd: 1.1"
Test Date: 10/04/2020

9mm, SP2022, 3.9"
Case: FC
COL: 1.065"
RMR, 124gr, TCFPMW, PowerPistol, 5.6gr, CCI500
Average: 1058
ES: 34
SD: 12.8
Force: 308
PF: 131
Velocities: 1045, 1061, 1053, 1079, 1054
Grouping @ 15yd: 0.65"
Test Date: 08/06/2018

I did not see any big difference. the SD/ES numbers are slightly better, but there was only an accuracy improvement with one of the loads.

I did find that the Fderal Match primers primed very easy, but easy in comparison with the CCI primers, but it could just be Federal vs CCI instead of the match primers.

My next loads with the match primers will be some 357sig loads. I will post the comparison results once I have tested them.

 

[edwardware]

The consistency of primers is such a small part of pistol shooting that you'd need tens of thousands of shots on target to tease it out.

I, and most other handloaders, regularly shoot repeatable sub-MOA groups, at ranges where velocity actually matters, without match primers. In a pistol, where velocity variation is almost insignificant (range is too short), and a 4MOA group is excellent, this is going to be practically impossible to measure.

But I have a couple cases from a sale some years ago. . . they all go bang!

 

[vaalpens]

The consistency of primers is such a small part of pistol shooting that you'd need tens of thousands of shots on target to tease it out.

I, and most other handloaders, regularly shoot repeatable sub-MOA groups, at ranges where velocity actually matters, without match primers. In a pistol, where velocity variation is almost insignificant (range is too short), and a 4MOA group is excellent, this is going to be practically impossible to measure.

But I have a couple cases from a sale some years ago. . . they all go bang!

Thanks for the comments. These were only about $3 more expensive, so I just decide to give it a try. With the shooting and testing I'm doing, probably I can expect any accuracy improvements since I am still behind the gun, but I was hoping to maybe see something in the SD/ES numbers.

My next load to test will be 357sig, which is normally better in the SD/ES numbers. It will be interesting to see if there are any improvements.

 

[murf]

i think, with pistol primers, the test should be to find out if a specific primer is really inaccurate rather than testing to see if one is better than the other accuracy-wise.

luck,

murf

 

[Dudedog]

Looks like they are maybe a bit milder than the CCI500s.

 

[vaalpens]

i think, with pistol primers, the test should be to find out if a specific primer is really inaccurate rather than testing to see if one is better than the other accuracy-wise.

luck,

murf

I'm not sure if there is any primer that will be really inaccurate. For me that match primers is just a novelty and something new to try. The match primers probably just have better quality control, so they should be more consistent primer to primer, and maybe even batch to batch.

 

[vaalpens]

Looks like they are maybe a bit milder than the CCI500s.

Based on the velocities, they seem milder. Or it could just be the difference in temperature be between Tonto NF in August and Umatilla NF in October. Probably between 20 and 30 degrees.

 

[Nature Boy]

I’m curious about how you shot these tests. How far away? What shooting position were you using?

Damn good shooting!

 

[vaalpens]

I’m curious about how you shot these tests. How far away? What shooting position were you using?

Damn good shooting!

Thanks for the kind words.

My testing process is to test the loads at 15 yards. I use a cheap MTM pistol rest. If my gun has a picatinny or SIG rail, then I'll mount a cheap BSA pistol scope using a pistol scope mount. I don't zero the scope, but normally just make sure that the shots will impact close to the aiming point.

The match primer tests were done at 15 yards, with a scope, but not the MTM rest. I had to use my ammo can as a rest, so shooting wasn't as comfortable as normal. The .82" grouping was still good, so I was happy with the results.

 

[vaalpens]

I tested another one of my loads this weekend with match primers. The accuracy was still very good even though I am not as consistent behind the gun as I should be. The SD/ES numbers did not show any improvement over my CCI500 load, so I'm not sure how much difference the match primers actually make for pistol loads. Following are two sets of 5 loads of the same being tested, to get chrono numbers, check accuracy and consistency.


357sig, P229, 3.9"
Case: Speer
COL: 1.140"
RMR, 147gr, TCFPMW, CFEpistol, 5.5gr, FED100M
Average: 975
ES: 87
SD: 34
Force: 310
PF: 143
Velocities: 1003, 983, 986, 988, 916
Grouping @ 15yd: 0.51"
Test Date: 11/01/2020


357sig, P229, 3.9"
Case: Speer
COL: 1.140"
RMR, 147gr, TCFPMW, CFEpistol, 5.5gr, FED100M
Average: 993
ES: 20
SD: 7.2
Force: 322
PF: 145
Velocities: 985, 992, 993, 1005, 994
Grouping @ 15yd: 0.93"
Test Date: 11/01/2020


Following is the non-match primer load (CCI500). Accuracy is about the same, but I did see some better SD/ES number with the CCI500 primers.

357sig, P229, 3.9"
Case: Speer
COL: 1.140"
RMR, 147gr, TCFPMW, CFEpistol, 5.5gr, CCI500
Average: 970
ES: 11
SD: 5.5
Force: 307
PF: 142
Velocities: 966, 977, 976, 968, 966
Grouping @ 15yd: 0.55"
Test Date: 11/20/2018

357sig, P229, 3.9"
Case: Speer
COL: 1.140"
RMR, 147gr, TCFPMW, CFEpistol, 5.5gr, CCI500
Average: 976
ES: 34
SD: 13.4
Force: 311
PF: 143
Velocities: 988, 978, 954, 985, 978
Grouping @ 15yd: 0.71"
Test Date: 11/20/2018

 

[Dudedog]

Even if they don't result in an improvement over the CCIs
Any primers are good primers right now

 

[forrest r]

I use the federal gold metal match primers (sp + lp) for target loads in my revolvers.

Semi-auto's don't need them unless there's something mechanically wrong like lite fp hits.