Krazy Kajun Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 I attached a picture of 100 Federal magnum small pistol primers in my primer filler. I noticed that some of the primers have a red tint in them and some do not. Just wondering why the color variation? Kajun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 Don't freak out... but... I picked up a stack of 500 Federal primers I thought were shotgun primers from my storage... only to open them up and find out they were Large Rifle! Which is a good thing, as I needed to load some .44-40s... They all have a red tint in the compound. Or a sealer that is red tinted. I don't have any small primers by Federal to compare... but... could you have mixed some small rifle in with your small rifle... or ice versa? I've been told by Winchester that as far as their small primers go... there's no difference between their rifle & pistol primers. no extra compound, nor brisance(sp?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 interesting , ive not noticed this with any of mine yet , ill start looking more closely , as long as they work im happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkey Flats Jack Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 I've noticed the same thing. They all went bang so I never thought about it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kajun Posted April 2 Author Share Posted April 2 Griff, I included the box they came from in the picture so yes they are indeed pistol primers. I’ve used the same primers in hundreds of .556 rounds and all of them went bang. I’m just wondering about the red tint in some but not all of the primers. Kajun 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 Call Federal and ask them OLG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 59 minutes ago, Krazy Kajun said: Griff, I included the box they came from in the picture so yes they are indeed pistol primers. I’ve used the same primers in hundreds of .556 rounds and all of them went bang. I’m just wondering about the red tint in some but not all of the primers. Kajun Didn't really notice the box until you mentioned it... but more importantly: How do you get your primers oriented right in the tubes... mine will only go in if the cup is up... then the primers are upside down in the tube on the Dillon (550)?? Switch 'em to a second tube before filling the machine? (I tried that and spent more time picking up the spilled primers...)... Momma didn't like the noise they make in the vacuum cleaner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shifty Jack, SASS #65353 Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 I have shot federal small pistol magnum fairly exclusively in my cowboy loads for 15 years, they always have that red center. I have also noticed that it does not seem to be very consistent as to how much is applied to each primer. It is there on both champion and gold medal match primers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokestack SASS#87384 Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 The red ones are misses. Don’t use them at a big match. 1 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokestack SASS#87384 Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 40 minutes ago, Griff said: Didn't really notice the box until you mentioned it... but more importantly: How do you get your primers oriented right in the tubes... mine will only go in if the cup is up... then the primers are upside down in the tube on the Dillon (550)?? Switch 'em to a second tube before filling the machine? (I tried that and spent more time picking up the spilled primers...)... Momma didn't like the noise they make in the vacuum cleaner! The primers go in one end of the pick up tube and out the other into the magazine tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kajun Posted April 2 Author Share Posted April 2 6 hours ago, Shifty Jack, SASS #65353 said: I have shot federal small pistol magnum fairly exclusively in my cowboy loads for 15 years, they always have that red center. I have also noticed that it does not seem to be very consistent as to how much is applied to each primer. It is there on both champion and gold medal match primers. Zakly, now why do some have it and not others and what is the red compound? Kajun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 Me, being scientifically minded and all, volunteer to test and analyze them to make sure they are all good...all for free! Just send them to me and I'll return them after testing. Oh, since 100 only provides limited results, send 1,000. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 Noticed that myself yesterday. Looks like a red sealer. Although all of mine had it, some more, some less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 6 hours ago, Smokestack SASS#87384 said: The primers go in one end of the pick up tube and out the other into the magazine tube. As the bulb begins to dimly glow... so you take off the pickup plastic on the pickup tube and with cotter pin in place, the fill the magazine tube in the usual manner? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goody, SASS #26190 Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 10 hours ago, Griff said: only to open them up and find out they were Large Rifle! Which is a good thing, as I needed to load some .44-40s... I've always used LP to load 44wcf. Do the LR seat flush? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john brown Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 (edited) I thought the 44-40 required LPP due to being used in revolvers also? I have used LPP in them for 40 years. The LRP primer sits a bit higher and I wonder about pressure issues. Edited April 2 by john brown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Von Dutch, SASS # 7995 Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 12 hours ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said: Call Federal and ask them OLG Good luck with that! Called them with a problem with primers a few years ago and I found them to be the most unhelpful gun people I ever called! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 3 hours ago, Goody, SASS #26190 said: I've always used LP to load 44wcf. Do the LR seat flush? Yes. At least in my mix of Winchester & Starline cases. Afterall, it was introduced as a rifle round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Original Lumpy Gritz Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 4 hours ago, Goody, SASS #26190 said: I've always used LP to load 44wcf. Do the LR seat flush? LR are taller than LP. Don't bet on them to seat deep enough in handgun brass. OLG 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Rich Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 They will seat deep enough in 44-40,,, sometimes. Many of the 38-40, 44-40 etc are no longer made to have deep enough primer pockets and will not seat deep enough. 5 hours ago, john brown said: I thought the 44-40 required LPP due to being used in revolvers also? I have used LPP in them for 40 years. The LRP primer sits a bit higher and I wonder about pressure issues. There are no pressure issues between LP and LR primers, you will find greater differences going from one brand to another or from one type to another like trying to use military primers. kR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903 Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 15 hours ago, Cypress Sun said: Me, being scientifically minded and all, volunteer to test and analyze them to make sure they are all good...all for free! Just send them to me and I'll return them after testing. Oh, since 100 only provides limited results, send 1,000. I believe 5000 would make a better test and I would be happy to help you with the testing! Randy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kajun Posted April 3 Author Share Posted April 3 9 hours ago, Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903 said: I believe 5000 would make a better test and I would be happy to help you with the testing! Randy You and ole Cypress Sam....what great cowboys you are.....volunteering to quality test all the remaining primers I have left! Actually I still have not had anyone to 'splain about the color differentiation...why some are red and some are not. Long time ago in a Western far far away when I opened a box of Federal Magnums they were all red. Now some of them are red. Must be the Federal trying to save some money on the cost of the red compound they were using...now if one or two out of a box have red that means that they are all magnum. Plus they had to fund this new cost saving measure so the primers prices are now reflective of that new procedure. Only explanation I can think of. Kajun 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runamuck, SASS #49216L Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 The plain green colored primers is the color for federal “standard” primers. The red ones are federal “Magnum” primer color. I have no idea why the colors are mixed in your box. A guess would be that it was at the end/beginning of the production line when they were switching from standard to magnum primers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Bill Burt Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 Federal small pistol Federal magnum small pistol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waimea Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 1 hour ago, Krazy Kajun said: You and ole Cypress Sam....what great cowboys you are.....volunteering to quality test all the remaining primers I have left! Actually I still have not had anyone to 'splain about the color differentiation...why some are red and some are not. Long time ago in a Western far far away when I opened a box of Federal Magnums they were all red. Now some of them are red. Must be the Federal trying to save some money on the cost of the red compound they were using...now if one or two out of a box have red that means that they are all magnum. Plus they had to fund this new cost saving measure so the primers prices are now reflective of that new procedure. Only explanation I can think of. Kajun I see Scarlett Darlin's hand in this. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oak Ridge Regulator Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 The primers without red are organic and have had the red dye #40 left out for health reasons 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Dan Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 25 minutes ago, Oak Ridge Regulator said: The primers without red are organic and have had the red dye #40 left out for health reasons Finally an answer that makes total sense! /sarcasm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 They still likely cause cancer in Kali Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Gun Cole Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 When I started using Federal primers (2003-2004) I purchased both 200 and GM200 primers, From 2004-2012 I noticed the GM200's were red inside them & the 200's were greenish color. I don't know why there was a difference, but it was very clear which type of primers I had out based on the color around the anvil. In the last couple batches of GM200's (2017-2019) I noticed they were mostly greenish with a little red. 3GC 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.