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Thread: Primer Question 5.56/.223

  1. #1
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    Primer Question 5.56/.223

    OK, I'm new to "Semi Auto" reloading and I just read something about "Hammer Fallow Thru" in AR's, and it was mentioned that "Hunting" ammo had softer primers that could easily allow "Hammer Fallow Thru", as opposed to "Military". Should I be aware of some "Harder" primers out there that I am not aware of? Or can I use regular primers, same as I use for my Thompson .223 single shot.

    Thanks,
    Gary.

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    CCI does make a primer specificly for 5.56. it is the no. 41 primer.
    Cups are harder and the primer gives near magnum primer performance to ensure positive ignition in extreme cold.

    Generally speaking, the ranking of primer cup hardness from softest to hardest would be:

    Federal
    Winchester
    Remington
    CCI

    I use Remington 7 1/2 br primers to lead my NRA High Power loads and CCI for general purpose ammo.

  3. #3
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    If you're talking about loads for the AR specifically, then any primer that is properly seated will be fine.

    I've used most brands and have never had any issues at all. I certainly wouldn't pay any extra to get a special primer.
    "What would a $2,000 Geissele Super Duty do that a $500 PSA door buster on Black Friday couldn't do?" - Stopsign32v

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    Thumbs up Primer AR

    For use in semi-automatics and AR15s, I advise that you stick to CCI and Remington primers. These brands have harder cups and are much less likely to pierce primers. Also, the AR15 has a free-floating firing pin that dents the primer on loading. This creates a risk of slam fires. So you want hard primer cups. The latest generation of Winchester primers, with brass-colored cups, should be avoided for AR15 use. The old silver Winchester primers worked fine, but the current WSRs are soft and can be pierced more easily than CCI or Rem primers. A poll of Highpower competitors (mostly shooting ARs) showed that Rem 7 1/2 primers are the most popular (33.23%), followed by CCIs (25.78%). The majority of CCI users favored the CCI BR4s, but both CCI 400s (small rifle standard) and CCI 450s (small rifle magnum) were also popular. Only 10.25% of Highpower shooters polled used Federal primers (either 205M or 205). At the time of the poll, many shooters reported using WSRs, but this was the older version with silver cups. See NationalMatch.us website for complete poll results


    I did not say you could not use softer primers......your choice!
    I use Rem 7.5 for most of my shooting!

    Br4 are good but priced to high! But work well with Varget!

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    I use the regular CCI primers in my M4 as well as my M1 Garand. No problems.

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    Thanks guy's, I just want to avoid anything at the public range.

    Thanks again.
    Gary.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alaska View Post
    For use in semi-automatics and AR15s, I advise that you stick to CCI and Remington primers. These brands have harder cups and are much less likely to pierce primers. Also, the AR15 has a free-floating firing pin that dents the primer on loading. This creates a risk of slam fires. So you want hard primer cups. The latest generation of Winchester primers, with brass-colored cups, should be avoided for AR15 use. The old silver Winchester primers worked fine, but the current WSRs are soft and can be pierced more easily than CCI or Rem primers.
    I've found NONE of what you posted to be true. I've loaded maybe 10,000 rounds with the brass colored WSR primers and have never had a pierced primer or slam fire in any of 7 AR15 rifles.

    Are Win primers softer than others? Maybe! Is it an issue? Not in my experience.

    How many times have you had slam fires or pierce primers with WSRs? And how hot was the load? I load mine fairly hot.
    "What would a $2,000 Geissele Super Duty do that a $500 PSA door buster on Black Friday couldn't do?" - Stopsign32v

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    Alaskas' advice is right on the money.
    You want to use a harder primer cup in any firearm that uses a free floating firing pin.
    That covers any of the US issued military long guns.
    You may not have had a problem, but that doesn't mean that it can't or won't happen.
    CCI and Remington primers are most widely recommended for relaoding ammo to be fired in ARs and other US military long guns.

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    I can only speak from my lane. Right now I happen to have a bunch of Remmy primers. And I've loaded CCI primers too. But I wouldn't hesitate to use WIN primers at all, and infact prefer them since they feed thru my Dillon better than the other brands.

    I'm interested to hear what loads he has had or has seen this happen with. In my opinion, if you're getting pierced primers with WSRs, there's other problems besides the primer selection. I have found brass with pierced primers at the range. I don't know what they were, but they weren't the WIN brass colored primers. I also don't know what weapon they were fired from or any other info, but I assume the load was too hot?
    "What would a $2,000 Geissele Super Duty do that a $500 PSA door buster on Black Friday couldn't do?" - Stopsign32v

  10. #10
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    After all of the posts that I've read on this websight about the virtues of the Colt AR due to their close adherance to the true mil-spec, I'm shocked that you wouldn't use the the CCI No. 41 Mil-Spec primers exclusively.

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