The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Is there really such a thing as hard primers?

Matt VDW · April 10, 2000, 01:34 PM

There's more to primer sensitivity than just the hardness and/or thickness of the primer cup. The priming compound itself also plays a role.

For instance, Federal uses a more sensitive formula for the lead styphnate in its primers than CCI, Remington or Winchester do. I believe that this is why the Federal primers are also packaged differently, since they're more susceptible to shock.

The problem with non-toxic primers is that they can't use lead styphnate (nor, for that matter, the old mercuric priming compounds in corrosive ammo). Finding a non-toxic priming compound has been the big stumbling block in producing totally "green" ammo.

By the way, I've had misfires with Winchester WLP primers, too.

April 10, 2000, 01:34 PM	#7
Matt VDW Senior Member Join Date: July 27, 1999 Posts: 1,315	There's more to primer sensitivity than just the hardness and/or thickness of the primer cup. The priming compound itself also plays a role. For instance, Federal uses a more sensitive formula for the lead styphnate in its primers than CCI, Remington or Winchester do. I believe that this is why the Federal primers are also packaged differently, since they're more susceptible to shock. The problem with non-toxic primers is that they can't use lead styphnate (nor, for that matter, the old mercuric priming compounds in corrosive ammo). Finding a non-toxic priming compound has been the big stumbling block in producing totally "green" ammo. By the way, I've had misfires with Winchester WLP primers, too.