Federal Primers???

[skosh69]

I just picked up a couple hundred Federal primers in a deal that I got and noticed a couple of things.

One was the idiotic packaging that Federal uses. Seems like a waste of money for all the extra plastic used for the tray and the fact they are stored on their sides..makes it a PIA to flip them all in the primer tray.

Second was that they were soft and malleable. I'm not reloading master by any means and have only used Winchester primers so far. But using my RCBS hand primer, not one of the Federal primers seating without some distortion. I've never dimpled a WSPP or WLPP. I called a buddy and he said the same thing was just told to him, that they're softer than CCI or Winchester.

Has anyone else experienced this?

I certainly hope that the 200 rounds that I loaded will be issue free other than looking a wee bit dimpled.

I would have posted pics, but I hit them with a magic marker ( gots to find them later at the range... ) so you can't really see the markings, but if you'd loaded these before, then you know what I'm talking about!

Thanks.

[DRAB_81]

It's pretty widely known that Federal primers are the softest primers out there. Some Glock competition shooters like them for that reason, because they can run reduced power striker springs (lightens the pull weight) without getting light strikes. I ran a few hundred through my RCBS hand primer, and 1000 of them through my Dillon 650 & none of them gave me any problems. They have been known to detonate in the priming system of certain progressive presses, so some people avoid them. For what it's worth, the priming rod on my RCBS hand primer has put slight marks on both Winchester & CCI LPP's.

Did they have dimples or just marks? If they had dimples, your priming rod may be in backwards. Make sure the round side is down, and the flat side is making contact with the primer.

[Hallx7]

If you're hand priming then you're just fine. You just typically want to avoid the Federals in the Lee progressives. I use federal in a lot of the rounds I load in my Classic Turret.
Packaging is dumb but it is what it is.

[J-cat]

Your primer tool is substandard. Get something good like a Hornady and you won't molest these primers.

[skosh69]

.

Did they have dimples or just marks? If they had dimples, your priming rod may be in backwards. Make sure the round side is down, and the flat side is making contact with the primer.

hehehehe....that was the first thing I checked after the first couple of primers I seated. Good looking out!

Thanks for the fast responses and I will not let it bother me anymore.

[Colt562]

Federal cups are very light and soft. ie that much packaging.

[Bill Steele]

Federal cups are very light and soft. ie that much packaging.

In addition to having the softest cups, they use a primer compound known as "basic" which is easier to ignite.

[skosh69]

Federal cups are very light and soft. ie that much packaging.

That makes sense Also, as stated here and from others I've asked, they are the easiest primers to ignite, hence the softness.

Thanks again for all the response!

[FLIGHT762]

They package their primers that way to avoid sympathetic detonation.

[M27]

Your primer tool is substandard. Get something good like a Hornady and you won't molest these primers.

If you mean the Hornady hand priming I could not disagree more. I find my RCBS hand priming tool much superior to my Hornady hand priming tool.

to the op do you have the blue pack or the orange pack. The gold match primers that come in the orange pack are even softer than the blue. That sad I have had mine squish a little while seating but never had a problem in the 8000+ federal GM150M I have used.

[223Junkie]

I just had a lot of slam fires with my AR this week. Double fired three times out of ten round mag. Was using LC brass with the fed primers

[Scout2Diesel]

I dimpled a couple out of about 600 i found hiding in that massive Federal packaging. Thought it was christmas until I opened the box and found 4 missing.

All went bang
Lee handprimer (old round tray kind)

[fguffey]

Federal primers

If not for Federal primers I would be shopping for primers.

Federal and the big box, R. Lee in his book on modern reloading did not test Federal primers, rational? He said he did not test Federal primers because Federal did not donate primers to be tested. I thought it was cleaver Federal packaged their primers in the big box, it gave R. Lee something to complain about, getting the primers from the big box to the Lee small flip tray was a challenge for Lee loaders. Then, finally, Lee increased the size of the automatic hand primer flip tray, they made it in the image of the big square Federal primer tray.

Dents after firing, the dents are the same size regardless of primer hardness. The primer conforms to the protruding firing pin.

F. Guffey

[J-cat]

If you mean the Hornady hand priming I could not disagree more. I find my RCBS hand priming tool much superior to my Hornady hand priming tool.

In what way? Is it the die cast pot metal construction that enamours you? I think the Hornady priming tool, machined from aluminum bar stock and steel, is superior. It does not crush primers either.

[chuckshoots]

mine have a bit of indentation from the primer seater in my hornady handprimer, but it can be avoided by getting used to it I have seen. I just got some winchester primers though and I am ok with this not being an issue for winchester primers.