Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

Fiocchi Small pistol primers?


Snakebite

Recommended Posts

I did a search, but didn't find anything here about these primers. I've used Fiocchi Shot Shell primers and they worked just fine. I have never tried their small pistol primers. Does anyone here have any feedback on them?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been using these primers for about five years. I've had exactly one primer malfunction during that time. I've never had a problem with ignition in m pistols, (Rugers), or in my rifle, (Uberti 1873 with Pioneer Gunworks action job). I get them by the case of 12,000 for less than 10,000 Federals or Winchesters would cost me. Great primers!!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought some of these during the last great primer shortage. They worked great in my guns and I didn't have a single misfire. I wuld buy them again when available.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've used a ton of their shot shell primers without a single problem.  Have two cases of their small pistol primers.  Have used a fair amount of those so far with no problems at all.  The only thing I don't care for is that they are boxed in cards of 150 each.  Rows of eight and one row of six.  A bit of a PIA when loading 100 round primer tubes but I guess worth it for the price.  YMMV.

Brushy 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Snakebite said:

I did a search, but didn't find anything here about these primers. I've used Fiocchi Shot Shell primers and they worked just fine. I have never tried their small pistol primers. Does anyone here have any feedback on them?

They're GTG.

Fiocchi is a NATO supplier.

OLG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've chased after a few different brands of small pistol primers, my latest off brand was Sellier & Bellot, (S&B), but I've not yet come across any Fiocchi. I can't comment on them, but it isn't hard to perform some rudimentary tests on primers. You will need a chronograph. 

 

I assume you already have a load that works for you. It will be your standard. 

 

I test my loads for Velocity, Extreme Spread and Standard deviation. My procedure is shooting 2 five shot strings over the screens. The first 5 shots are powder forward, in other words the gun is pointed down first, slowly raised so as to keep the powder against the bullet, and fire. Repeat for the next 4 shots. I then shoot another 5 shot string but this time start with the gun pointed up, slowly lower so as to keep the powder against the primer and fire. Repeat for the next 4 shots. 

 

Load your load with the new primer and test. A quick comparison to your standard will give you most of your answers, That and looking at the primer. 

 

Primer characteristics vary by brand:

 

Brisance: Some are a higher brisance than others. As a general rule, higher brisance primers will show a higher velocity. Primers with lower brisance will show a lower velocity. 

 

Cup strength: Some primer cups are thicker than others, a bit tricky to measure, but I prefer to classify them as hard or soft. With identical hammer strikes, a softer primer will be dented more than a harder primer.

 

Primer pressure: IOW how much pressure the primer will produce, on it's own, without any powder or bullet. Here's where it gets a bit convoluted, but a primer is throttled or restricted by the flash hole. With most primers, a typical flash hole of 0.080" with restrict the primer explosion enough to somewhat flatten the primer. This makes it hard to read pressures from the primer like you can with rifles. IMO a typical primer will produce more pressure within the confines of the pocket than the powder charge will. This is my theory, based on my observations, I do not have the instrument nor is my pay grade high enough to prove this. I did test various primers, shooting them in my pistol without any powder or bullet. BTW, not something I'd recommend you doing, as your cylinder will be locked up. Without the accompanied bullet and powder pressure, the primer will not be pushed back in. I increased the flash hole until the cylinder did not lock up, to determine at what point the flash hole was not creating a restriction great enough to push the primer out and lock the cylinder. At around 0.100" the restriction allowed some primers to stay flush. The only conclusion I came to was that a normal flash hole significantly traps the primer explosion, and that not all primers are the same power or make the same pressure.  I was going to further test velocities on bullets fired with only primers, no powder, but again pay grade limitations forced me to abandon that test.  

 

There is not one best primer, and a small change in your load may mean that another primer will work better than the one that works just perfect with the original load. Some primers will ignite powder forward better than others, some will not ignite powder against the primer very well. After lots of testing, there is some predictability, but not enough that I could give any recommendations. 

 

For example; I load the exact same bullet in 38 Special and 357 Magnum. I use the same powder, just increasing the weight slightly in the 357. OAL in the 38 Spl is 1.5" and the OAL in the 357 is 1.6". The CCI 500 SP primer works best in the Spl, and a Winchester SP works best in the 357. This anomaly or sensitivity to primer brand,  is very noticeable on low power, low velocity cowboy loads. As pressures and velocities increase, primers become less of a factor. It's low loading density, low velocity loads that are the most sensitive to primer selection. 

 

Of course, if you subscribe to the 3 grains of any fast powder behind any bullet with any primer as long as it goes bang it's good ammunition, and you've actually read to the end of my post, I apologize for wasting your time. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.