Reloading: Winchester Primers and Light Strikes....

[kraigster414]

go toghether like corned been on rye. And ensuring uniform seating is not necessarily the cure-all. Switching to Federal is based on my experience. This advice was originally provided by Scott Springer of Springer Precision and he is spot on. Since switching to Federal large pistol primers for my XD45c reloads, I have not had one single light strike. I also switched to the heavier AGP XD mag springs - the OEM springs being weak and there is a relationship between spring tension and functionality. But before you go changing mag springs, if you are experiencing light strikes with Win primers, switch to Federal and see if that does the trick.

[paintballwannab]

Is this a specific XD 45 problem?

I've loaded 3000+ rounds mixed .40(small)/.45(large) all with winchester primers haven't had a single issue yet, The .40's were in my XD service model, .45's in my 1911.

[kraigster414]

Originally Posted by paintballwannab

Is this a specific XD 45 problem?

I've loaded 3000+ rounds mixed .40(small)/.45(large) all with winchester primers haven't had a single issue yet, The .40's were in my XD service model, .45's in my 1911.

Make sure they work in your XD45. I never had any problem in my XD40 Service and a 1911 is whole different animal. You can rule out a further variable (for failure) just by switching to Federal as a general rule. Same price, same availability.

[paintballwannab]

lol thats why I asked....and I don't have a XD45.......yet =]

[kraigster414]

This thread is directed to those who have had or are having light strikes using Win primers. Switching to Federal primers would be the first mod I'd make, that and ensuring that your seating depth is flush and uniform.

It's not specific to the XD45 if you are experiencing also in another caliber.

[M1A Shooter]

I too was getting this problem intermittently. I found that my problem was reloading the cases a bunch of times without cleaning the primer pockets every now and again. The crud built up and did not let the anvil of the primer seat against the case fully. First strike was a light strike ( which pushed the primer harder in ) second strike it went off. Try cleaning the pockets more. It took care of my problem. I have been using Winchester primers since 1964 ( Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun ). I have not had a primer malfunction that was not my fault in some way. Not to say it can't happen, because anything man-made can fail.

[kraigster414]

Originally Posted by M1A Shooter

I too was getting this problem intermittently. I found that my problem was reloading the cases a bunch of times without cleaning the primer pockets every now and again. The crud built up and did not let the anvil of the primer seat against the case fully. First strike was a light strike ( which pushed the primer harder in ) second strike it went off. Try cleaning the pockets more. It took care of my problem. I have been using Winchester primers since 1964 ( Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun ). I have not had a primer malfunction that was not my fault in some way. Not to say it can't happen, because anything man-made can fail.

I think you will find by switching to Federal you don't need to devote quite as much attention to this. I have been using the same .45 ACP brass now at least 4-5x and with Federal I have experienced zero failure-to-fire-on-the-first try problems. 'Just seems to me unless you are getting Winchester primers free or at a very reduced price or can't find them, it would be easier to just switch to Federal and be done with. Winchester primers provide nothing above and beyond what any other primer provides in terms of accuracy, burn or seating ease. (I must confess that I don't clean my primer pockets as often as I should or want to.) Someone well-respected in the industry told me recently that today's Winchester primers are not the Winchester primers I cut my teeth on 25 years ago when I first started reloading. I dind't pursue the matter (I assumed he knew something I didn't) opting instead to just switch to another brand. Life is too short to worry about primers especially when they all cost the same.

Not sure about Remington primers - they are hard to find and I have always found CCI to be a little tight fitting.

[DNM]

I haven't reloaded in a while but the one I had the most light strikes with were CCI. Though the last batch of Winchesters I had gave a me a few light strikes also. But the CCIs gave me around 50 or so. It was a LOT.

[Mercmar]

The ONLY primers I ever experience light strikes with, on a couple of different G21s were the gold Winchester l.p. primers. I don't use them at all anymore. I can never find Federal, and despite internet claims about how hard CCI primers are, I never get any light strikes with CCI primers, and I've never found them to be hard to seat.

First thing to do is make sure primers are fully-seated, then make sure that there's NO lube or crud in the firing pin channel of a striker-fired pistol.

[kraigster414]

I never found CCI primers to be hard (as in arm crushing difficult) to seat, they just seated a little tighter (and this could be a contributing factor to light strikes) compared to other brands I've used - it was true with both my RCBS 4x4 and my current Hornady Lock 'n Load. And the CCI's never contributed to light strikes like the current Winchester gold primers as far as I can remember but it's been long time since I worked with CCI primers and at the time, I was only using them for .357 Magnum and .45 Colt.

To make things easier (and more consistent), I just switched to Federal and moved on. Federal seems to be the best of all possible worlds and one less thing to worry about.