Some Questions About Primers

[Don McDowell]

Might be worth a call to see what that local store has in stock and the price.. While I'm all in for supporting local business, I'm also a fan of the balance in my checking account. IE if it's 120 mile round trip to get those primers, you have to figure the cost of that round trip, the price of the primers, are there quantity restrictions on how many they'll let you buy at one time. By the time it's said and done mail order could be less expense.
I have a similar problem with it being a minimum of 45 miles one way, after that it's 100+ miles oneway, to the nearest place that may or may not have primers, powder etc..
I don't know if those WW2 primers will do you a lot of good, if they were stored properly, they may give consistent ignition, but there will be the corrosive problem to deal with.

[Notchy Bob]

Thanks for the additional comments. My brother lives pretty much on the way to the aforementioned gun store, and I might be able to combine the trip to the store with a visit to my bro. Hard to put a dollar value on that! We are both in our seventies now.

I appreciate the reminder regarding the corrosive primers. Frankly, I had not considered that. However, I'm not going to pass them up just because of their age. I have some percussion caps that are pretty old and they still shoot reliably. I recently tried some Alcan #12 caps that I had from the mid 1960's (and some old nipples that they fit), and if anything they have more power than any of the #11 caps I've bought in the past 25 years. I think these may have been old stock when my dad and I bought them, way back when.

I was thinking of loading a few blank rounds with the "vintage" primers, or possibly primers only, just to see if they'll pop before loading any live rounds. And of course, the Sharps will be meticulously cleaned, regardless.

Dad got a Spencer carbine sometime a little after World War 2, along with a handful of cartridges to fit (original rimfire). I think he shot two or three of the cartridges, just to try them out. He said they shot fine. My brother still has the Spencer and the remaining cartridges.

Notchy Bob

[charlie young]

I've used CCI 250 primers in my BPCR rifles for over 20 years. Probably can't find them, but I sure wouldn't be afraid to work up a load with them if you can snag some.

[desert deuce]

I don't pass up FED 210 or 150, much less CCI-200-300 or Rem 2 1/2 for target.
For silhouette most large rifle or large pistol primers work for me.