What is your experience with Wolf primers?

[dgray64]

I have loaded a few hundred in 9mm and .40 S&W. My S&W Sigma will punch the 9mm round with a decent dent, but not fire every time (will usually fire it the second time). The Springfield XD40 will fire every round without a miss. I put a heavier striker spring in the Sigma to help, but the same thing happens. What have you seen? Thanks for the help.

Dave

[angus6]

out of around 20,000 I've had 2 that took a second strike a 1 that was T/U shooting buddies have burnt about 25,000 and haven't heard a complaint yet , we'll keep buying them

[hodaka]

I'm into my second thousand ( I bought 5K). I am using their regular small rifle in 30 carbine, 223, 6.8 SPC, 9mm and .357 and have not had a dud yet. The cups seem a bit softer and they flatten more than the CCI's and Federals that I have always used, but no real issues. I will continue to use them.

[Shoney]

1. Check to make sure your primers are seated properly, and none are high. High primers will be hit by the pin, and be seated completely with no ignition of the primer. They will fire on the second hit, since they are now seated and the anvill is being struck.

2. Check to make sure the weapon is going into battery, i.e. that the slide is closed all they way. An easy way to check if it is your loaded rounds is to remove the barrel and drop all your reloads into the chamber. They should go completely into the chamber and come out easily. Some weapons will fire slightly out of battery and dent the primer, pushing the cartridge into proper head space position and the slide moves into battery. This condition is very rare.

[dgray64]

Thanks Shoney, that's the best description and advice that I've had. I think that the primers were seated all the way, but I will load a few new ones tomorrow after cleaning the primer pocket thoroughly. The part about being in battery threw me. I'm using some 124g Berry hollow points and they have to be set a little deeper than most because the bullet does not easily fit the barrel. I've experimented with the length and gotten it right, but to tell the truth, the 30 rounds that I shot today were not those that I just loaded and they may have been held slightly out of battery. The primers were struck, but did not go off. Ah Ha, I really like a good mystery and I think you have probably solved it for me. Thanks again.

Dave

[armoredman]

Thanks for this thread, Wolf primers seem to be all that is floating around, and I was hesistant about ordering any.

[Sport45]

What is your experience with Wolf primers?

For me, they go off when the firing pin hits them.

[Unclenick]

I will add to Shoney's comments that your Sigma might have a slightly longer chamber than the XD so that more firing pin energy is used up driving the cartridge forward. Firm primer seating could solve that. Federal says the ideal condition for their primers is for the primer anvils to touch down in the bottom of the primer pocket, followed by an additional .002" of compressed depth for small primers, and an additional .003" for large primers. K&M makes a tool that will let you feel the touchdown and measure the additional compression. It's a benchrest shooter's tool, and is way too much trouble for loading normal pistol rounds, but if you have such a tool or know someone who does, you can at least roll a few dozen with it to determine whether that fixes the problem or not?

You could also try to use the depth stem on your caliper. Allowing for case tolerances, figure that you are about right if the primers are 0.003" to 0.005" below flush with the case head. That's how commercial primer seating depth is determined. The only reloader's tool I am aware of that forces primers to that depth is the one on the Forster Co-ax press. Even the Forster bench priming tool doesn't have it. It's mechanism forces the primers to the average of that range, 0.004" below flush, but uses the case head as a reference to stop at that depth. With ammo for military style match rifles, I seat most of my primers while watching TV, stopping when the anvils touch down in the pocket, then later give them all a quick pass through the Co-ax to finalize the depth and set the bridge (the gap between the primer cup and anvil that is bridged by the priming mix pellet).

[rbf420]

ive used about 300 wolf primers and all have worked perfect thus far.

[rogn]

My only experince has been with LRM as its the only ones ive ever bought. They seat 0.005 to 0.008 thousanths below flush, they are a tad shorter than the CCIs iusually use. What Ive found is Rmmys with a big firing pin and lotsa spring power fire every time, Brownins and Savages with little fast pins are prone to occasional misfire---The Remm has yet to burp in abt 200 tries. Accuracy is what made me try em--its been great. I do seat all primers with a Lee hand primer--great little tool. I also rotate each case and follow thru with a gentle squeeze- but theyre always gentle squeezes with primers-- all brands seat below case head but the Wolf seems to drop in a bit further than all others. Sounds like full seatting followed with agood firing pin whack should do it.

[Emerson]

I've gone through almost 5k of Wolf small pistol with no complaints.

[ir3e971]

All the wolf primers I have used have been fine. These have all been large and small pistol only though.