Is it still worth reloading?

[markm]

I just wish I’d bought more small pistol primers back in the day.

Same here. I don't load pistol very often, but sometimes getting off the rifle ammo and changing it up keeps me from going nuts.

I have a 10 year supply of everything (due to Pappabear buying like crazy) pistol except the primers.

[The_War_Wagon]

Is it still worth reloading?

If you owned all the gear prior to the slowjoe insurrection, sure!

[DG23]

My USPSA pistols won’t ignite CCI small pistol primers all the time. Federal small pistols work consistently with it. Part of having that nice trigger in a competition gun though.


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I did some playing around one time with my Beretta hammer springs to see how light I could go before primers would not light off properly and got to the bottom (lowest weight) of my calibration pack and still had no issues with CCI 400 SRPrimed brass. Want to say that was an 11 or 12lb spring weight. Normal being a 20lb spring and 'D' spring being 16lbs.

Have not tried with 41's to see how much harder they were (hammer spring wise) than the regular 400's which is why I asked...

I thought my Beretta trigger was ungodly light with the 12lb spring and went back up to the 'D' weight (16lb) but it for sure would light off any SPPrimers with the 12 in there. I was doing my testing with SRP's...

Your pistol has got to be light as heck if not lighting the CCI pistol primers.

41's being SR and hard, 400's being SR and less hard than 41's, CCI small pistol primers being softer than that even, and then the Federal primers being well known to be some of the (more like THE softest) softest around.

[DG23]

9mm, probably not worth your time unless you have a good progressive loading setup.

Anything else, yes.

If loading premium bullets (Gold Dots, XTP's, etc.) the cost savings are definitely there.

If loading elcheapo plinking fodder in 9mm you would be correct.

[mRad]

I did some playing around one time with my Beretta hammer springs to see how light I could go before primers would not light off properly and got to the bottom (lowest weight) of my calibration pack and still had no issues with CCI 400 SRPrimed brass. Want to say that was an 11 or 12lb spring weight. Normal being a 20lb spring and 'D' spring being 16lbs.

Have not tried with 41's to see how much harder they were (hammer spring wise) than the regular 400's which is why I asked...

I thought my Beretta trigger was ungodly light with the 12lb spring and went back up to the 'D' weight (16lb) but it for sure would light off any SPPrimers with the 12 in there. I was doing my testing with SRP's...

Your pistol has got to be light as heck if not lighting the CCI pistol primers.

41's being SR and hard, 400's being SR and less hard than 41's, CCI small pistol primers being softer than that even, and then the Federal primers being well known to be some of the (more like THE softest) softest around.

It’s a CZ. One has the Cajun kit and the other CZ Custom. They will light off most of them, but there are enough times it won’t that I wouldn’t run them in a match. I’m getting about 1.5 lbs-2 lbs in SA and about 4.5 lbs in DA.


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[DG23]

It’s a CZ. One has the Cajun kit and the other CZ Custom. They will light off most of them, but there are enough times it won’t that I wouldn’t run them in a match. I’m getting about 1.5 lbs-2 lbs in SA and about 4.5 lbs in DA.


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Guessing that is trigger pull weight?

Numbers I gave before were hammer spring weights.

The corresponding trigger 'pull' weights that I 'averaged' between a few different 92's I have with the different hammer springs were:

About 10.5lbs DA and 5lbs SA with an 'F' spring of 20lbs.

About 9lbs DA and 4lbs SA with a 'D' spring of 16lbs.

And about 7.5lbs DA and 3lbs SA with the lightest hammer springs in my kit of IIRC 12lbs.

Appreciate your data points here with respect to 'what will light off what' for you in your firearm.

[mRad]

Guessing that is trigger pull weight?

Numbers I gave before were hammer spring weights.

The corresponding trigger 'pull' weights that I 'averaged' between a few different 92's I have with the different hammer springs were:

About 10.5lbs DA and 5lbs SA with an 'F' spring of 20lbs.

About 9lbs DA and 4lbs SA with a 'D' spring of 16lbs.

And about 7.5lbs DA and 3lbs SA with the lightest hammer springs in my kit of IIRC 12lbs.

Appreciate your data points here with respect to 'what will light off what' for you in your firearm.

Yes those are trigger pull weights. I didn’t do spring weights because main, firing pin, etc are all changed and each contributed. Also they are shadows so not relevant to any other gun. The mods are pretty common on these and it’s almost universal that nobody has problems with Federal SP primers. I do run CCI for my defensive guns’ practice ammo and even my Sig Legion for Carry Optics with no problems if that’s all I can find. But When I can find Feds it works for everything. Thanks for the info on the Beretta as well. I’ve been eyeing the LTT, but I’m so deep in these guns not sure I want to add a new platform for mags and holsters. But something special about them…


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[DG23]

Yes those are trigger pull weights. I didn’t do spring weights because main, firing pin, etc are all changed and each contributed.

Beretta is similar in the respect that there are a few different springs that 'contribute' to the overall pull weight (trigger return springs can be had in several different weights for example) but...

The reality is that (at least in the case of 92's) you better have a very, very good quality scale to be able to tell a difference in trigger pull weight going back and forth between a reduced power trigger return spring and an extra power trigger return spring.

The difference in trigger pull weights with changes like that are measured in ounces and not in lbs.

The hammer spring is the biggie here.

[w3453l]

If loading premium bullets (Gold Dots, XTP's, etc.) the cost savings are definitely there.

If loading elcheapo plinking fodder in 9mm you would be correct.

Is that still the case with cheap brass cased 9 mm at $0.30/rd?

I haven't looked at ammo prices recently but I don't think I remember seeing anything under $300 a case. I am talking about brass though.

[Ron3]

If loading premium bullets (Gold Dots, XTP's, etc.) the cost savings are definitely there.

If loading elcheapo plinking fodder in 9mm you would be correct.

That's a good point.