Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

CCI primers


Johnny Swan, SASS #50322

Recommended Posts

Howdy all

I just did a quick search and didn't find the topic.

Has anyone done the leg work on testing what the minimum lb mainspring in a Vaquero will set off cci primers. Since the only primer I can consistently seem to find at a decent price is CCI. im going to have to be willing to sacrifice some ease of hammer pull if I want to continue next season. My springs are currently 15 lbs, and I have 17s that I could put in them, not sure that's enough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There has been discussion here previously that implies that new CCI primers (I believe since the company sold) are not nearly as hard to set off as the originals.  In any case, if that's what is available, I'd jump on them if it made the difference in shooting next season or not.  You can always adjust springs if it is really needed, but the chances are good that you won't have issues with newly purchased CCI primers.  Good luck and good shooting to all.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can only speak from my personal experience.  I have been using CCI primers in my reloads and my Ruger SASS NMV with 15lb Wolff hammer springs, 40 oz trigger return springs, no other modifications or work on them.  So far, zero failures in thousands of rounds with the CCI #500 small pistol primers.  Noting every revolver is a bit different, you may experience different results.  The CCI primers I have been using where purchased as far back as 2018 and are in the old dark blue CCI packaging, haven't made it to the newly purchased ones yet.

 

I see Brownells has CCI #500 SPP in stock, limit of 2 1K sleeves.  I also see they have raised the price from $74.99 to $82.99 per 1K!  

 

Pleasure shooting with you at West Point with the Mattaponi Sundowners a few weeks ago!  Here is a link to videos from the match: WPGC Playlist  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I ordered a couple 1000 of the New CCI primers after reading on their web page that the new primers were softer than the old primers. I figured that if the MFG was making a point of saying that the new primers were softer there must be some truth to it. I loaded up some 38 using the New CCI primers and took them to a match. My Rugers have 15# springs and my 73 rifle is "Simi-light" using a tuned spring.  I had one primer fail to fire in one of the handguns, and zero failures in the rifle. I won't say that the FTF in the handgun wasn't my fault, it popped on the second strike. At this point I would have no problems stocking up with the New CCI primers. I even ordered some of the new Small Rifle Primers after testing some 38 cases primed with some of the new SRP. They all popped on the first strike. I have some Old stock Federals that I will continue to load for major matches, but will likely switch over to loading the New CCI's for the local matches.

 

Snakebite

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I loaded up 100 of the new CCI spp’s last week and test fired them. In two separate 73 rifles that are tuned lite had 30% fail to fire on first hit. Both are 100% with Federal spp’s. In five different NMV’s with SGB short stokes the CCI’s worked 100%.  Conclusion, they’re still not like Federals. YMMV

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Johnny Swan, SASS #50322 said:

Howdy all

I just did a quick search and didn't find the topic.

Has anyone done the leg work on testing what the minimum lb mainspring in a Vaquero will set off cci primers. Since the only primer I can consistently seem to find at a decent price is CCI. im going to have to be willing to sacrifice some ease of trigger pull if I want to continue next season. My springs are currently 15 lbs, and I have 17s that I could put in them, not sure that's enough.

Cotrect me if I am wrong again, but I wouldn't anticipate very much more tension on the trigger pull since the hammer spring is the one you would upgrade.  Cocking the hammer is where I would expect to feel the change.   There could be some trigger force increase due to added pressure on the sear, but if the sear is properly adjusted, it shouldn't be as noticeable as upgrading the trigger return spring would be.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

Cotrect me if I am wrong again, but I wouldn't anticipate very much more tension on the trigger pull since the hammer spring is the one you would upgrade.  Cocking the hammer is where I would expect to feel the change.   There could be some trigger force increase due to added pressure on the sear, but if the sear is properly adjusted, it shouldn't be as noticeable as upgrading the trigger return spring would be.  

Thanks, it was supposed to say hammer pull

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Lazy Eeyour said:

I believe from what I've read, for US primers, there will only be two choices for primers. Vista Outdoors (does not matter what the packaging says) and Winchester.

I check every major site 3-4 times a day, and night. I've been doing that for at least the last 6 months and passing on the information of anything that I find to our club members. 99% of what I have found were the new CCI, I found a one time offering of the New Federal primers, and have NEVER seen any Winchester or Remington. The past few weeks, I haven't seen ANYTHING being offered. I also agree that in the long run we will see only one primer being manufactured. I also firmly believe that the same thing is now happening to MANY of the powders we are use to seeing. I do not expect MANY of the powders that are now unavailable to ever be offered again. The future is going to be loaded ammo and limited supplies for reloaders. I read and hear that the Big Daddy of the Powder industry claims that Reloaders are their target buyers, but I have a hard time accepting that. If it is true, I expect it will change. Again, IMO the only thing that is going to loosen things up just a bit will be dropping the embargo on the Russian primers and supplies, and some adaptation to the new EU powder standard that has stopped a number of powders being produced.  Without their presence of the off shore competition , we will never see the prices drop. We might see an increase in availability at some point, but you had better dig in for the long haul.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had 15lb Wolf Springs in my NMV's and it would fire the #500's from 5 years ago 95% of the time in testing, went up to 16lbs and no issues. My 73s were different, the firing pin profile on both was terrible out of the box, a little rework and it would set them off 100% with the spring so light that I was waiting for the hammer and turned them back up a bit. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Used some CCI SPP and SRP last weekend for my rifle and the primer strike for both kinds was deeper than the primer strike on the Federal SPPs. My rifle is not 100% if I use CCI SRM primers. My revolvers will set them all off.

CCI SPP cup thickness .017, CCI SRP .020 and CCI SRM is .025.

 My 73 will run easily with one finger from the hammer down position.

kR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/6/2021 at 12:01 PM, Kid Rich said:

Used some CCI SPP and SRP last weekend for my rifle and the primer strike for both kinds was deeper than the primer strike on the Federal SPPs. My rifle is not 100% if I use CCI SRM primers. My revolvers will set them all off.

CCI SPP cup thickness .017, CCI SRP .020 and CCI SRM is .025.

 My 73 will run easily with one finger from the hammer down position.

kR

Any chance you could do that same measurement on some Federal primers?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The CCI 41's are HARD. They are made that way to keep the AR's from going full auto by slam-firing. I've had it happen to my SKS guns.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Kid Rich said:

Go to sksboards.com  topic: primer info and charts+milspec primers for semi-autos and other primer applications.

kR

You have to join in order to view that site. I don't want to join.  I just went and measured a Federal Small Pistol primer. It's also .017. That's all I wanted to know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/6/2021 at 9:49 AM, Snakebite said:

I check every major site 3-4 times a day, and night. I've been doing that for at least the last 6 months and passing on the information of anything that I find to our club members. 99% of what I have found were the new CCI, I found a one time offering of the New Federal primers, and have NEVER seen any Winchester or Remington. The past few weeks, I haven't seen ANYTHING being offered. I also agree that in the long run we will see only one primer being manufactured. I also firmly believe that the same thing is now happening to MANY of the powders we are use to seeing. I do not expect MANY of the powders that are now unavailable to ever be offered again. The future is going to be loaded ammo and limited supplies for reloaders. I read and hear that the Big Daddy of the Powder industry claims that Reloaders are their target buyers, but I have a hard time accepting that. If it is true, I expect it will change. Again, IMO the only thing that is going to loosen things up just a bit will be dropping the embargo on the Russian primers and supplies, and some adaptation to the new EU powder standard that has stopped a number of powders being produced.  Without their presence of the off shore competition , we will never see the prices drop. We might see an increase in availability at some point, but you had better dig in for the long haul.  

That's depressing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Snakebite said:

You have to join in order to view that site. I don't want to join.  I just went and measured a Federal Small Pistol primer. It's also .017. That's all I wanted to know.

wrong, I just opened it and went on.

kR

I just went back on the website and there were 414 guests and 4 users on it. I doubt you could post but viewing is fine. I haven't joined or logged in

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Kid Rich said:

wrong, I just opened it and went on.

kR

I just went back on the website and there were 414 guests and 4 users on it. I doubt you could post but viewing is fine. I haven't joined or logged in

I get this message and am not able to do anything. 

 

"Sorry Guest, you are banned from using this forum!
00175 Ticket#.
This ban is not set to expire."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I've tried to look at this on 3 different computers, and two smart phones in this house, and get this same thing every time. Am I the only one that gets this message? For some reason I am unable to follow the link provided. When I went to the web SKS web page I also received a different response than Kid Rich received. I just don't know why... but my computers seem to work on everything else . Hummm? Here is a photo of what ALL OF MY computers show when I look at the above post. 

 

Snakebite

20211224_090156.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

      When I click on it, this is what it shows:                                                                                                           20211224_091416.thumb.jpg.337bd15508e9c26ebce7355e6aa388b9.jpglick on 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How much actual difference is there between "soft" primers and "hard" primers?  Pounds, ounces, milliseconds?
 

Matthew, do a Wire search.  I did a hardness test on I believe on a dozen different primer brands/type … and posted it

PS: You should have saved it on your computer ….

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, Snakebite said:


Does ANYONE ELSE get these response?

When I clicked on the link, it downloaded and I went to my download folder to open the file.

 

edit: the link is a web page, so when I open it from my download page, it opens like a regular website in my browser (I'm using Opera).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

This is where the above got me, I'm not a member.

 

http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=56422.0

 

Lock time does increase as the hammer spring is lightened. In the heat of summer with sweaty hands, I've had my thumb slip off the hammer. a bit lighter spring helps, but too light and waiting for the hammer to fall isn't the desired state,

 

IMNSHO. I've been trying to source Titanium hammers, then the hammer spring could be lighter and the lock time would be lightning fast. 

 

BB

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.