What Brand-type Primers for .38 Special?

[Oyeboten]

What favorite Brand-Type of Primers have you decided, for re-loading .38 S & W Special?

And, what for .357..?


The Revolvers the re-loads will be for, are older ( stock, ) S & W Models.


Thanks!


Whatever you recommend, wish me luck obtaining them!..what with all the 'shortage' and high-mark-up now...


Oye...


Phil
l v

 

[Clifford]

Lately.... Any primers you can find. I normally use CCI for all my reloads, nice hard and normally easy to find. I do use federal for one revolver that won't reliably fire with CCI primers, but it's the guns fault it has a lightened mainspring that just don't hit the primers hard enough.

 

[Oyeboten]

Yes...I remember people having 'light' Hammers, from when I was Target Shooting years ago.

None of my Revolvers have lightened Springs...so...

I ended up getting back into Shooting and re-loading a heck of a time...


I wish everyone would slow down a little on their buying up everything ammo-related...and relax...

 

[Remo-99]

Any brand you like or can find.

My personal rule is to avoid CCI for my target gun loads and avoid Federal for magnum loadings.

 

[Slamfire]

With my standard load 158 L, 3.5 grains Bullseye, I use any case and any primer.

So, use the cheapest primers you can find.

 

[edelbrock]

So, use the cheapest primers you can find.

Or use any primers you can find.

 

[armoredman]

To be honest, Winchester Small Pistol have proven excellent for my 38Spl loads, but any will do. Especially nowadays.

 

[Oyeboten]

Okeydoke...



Primers for re-loading .357 Magnum...should be 'Magnum Primers'?


Or...?



Phil
l v

 

[arizona98tj]

Regular small pistol primers unless your reloading manual specifically states magnum primers for a particular load.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Both .38 Special and .357 Magnum cases use a "Small Pistol Primer." A standard SPP is used in the .38 Special because the powders associated with that caliber are fairly easy to ignite. With some powders used in full power .357 Magnum rounds, like Winchester 296 or Hodgdon H110, you will need a Magnum SPP to insure proper powder ignition and a full burn.

I've used CCI primers a lot over the years but now use only Winchester primers. Most if not all "name brand" primers will work fine. Some are harder than others and some will burn hotter too. I've used CCI, Winchester, Federal, Remington, Magtech and Wolf primers and all went bang...

 

[Clarence]

Use any small pistol primer you can get your hands on.

 

[novaDAK]

I use CCI 500 (Small Pistol) for both .38spl and .357mag.

I used CCI 550 (Small Pistol Magnum) for .357mag and 2400 powder but stopped after I used all those primers up. I also bought a new Speer loading book which says NOT to use Magnum primers with 2400, while my older book says to use them.

My current .357 loads use the same amount of 2400, just with regular primers. Seems as though it's not as high of a pressure now, primers don't seem as "flat" though they were not too bad before.

I've also used Winchester small pistol primers and they work fine too. I use CCI mostly just because that's what my dad always used.