Small pistol primers

Snake Oil · February 20, 2024, 06:05:46 PM

I got an email about primers...

Norma has some...

https://normausa.com/product/blowout/primers-b/small-pistol-primers-made-in-argentina/

RoyceP · February 22, 2024, 06:49:16 PM

I bought 1K of those from Norma. Mine were missing anvils from some. I had a fail to fire of 10 in a box of 50. I threw 850 of them in the trash. Good luck.

Baltimore Ed · February 22, 2024, 07:13:05 PM

Bought some Winchester LPP from Academy this week for 79.99 /brick. I haven't seen LPPs in the wild in a while. They had other sizes but no LRP's. Bought a brick of CCI SRP at a show last month for 80.00 from an older couple. The only primers there. If you deduct 'hazmat and shipping' from those amounts you're around 50.00 so look at it that way. I hopefully think 50/brick is what it will eventually settle down too.

bear tooth billy · February 23, 2024, 07:37:35 AM

Cabelas had some federal at their Prarie Du Chein store last week
I have managed to get some ahead, so I passed at $90 brick

BTB

Snake Oil · February 23, 2024, 09:21:19 AM

Well... hope they've improved their process...

I ordered a few... I'm a shade nervous now, but the price seemed too good to pass up, but if something seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Tascosa Joe · February 23, 2024, 10:51:54 AM

The one gun store in our area that carries primers is at $129 per 1000. But he has been known to wear a mask when he robs you.

Abilene · February 23, 2024, 12:13:37 PM

Quote from: Tascosa Joe on February 23, 2024, 10:51:54 AM
The one gun store in our area that carries primers is at $129 per 100. But he has been known to wear a mask when he robs you.

I'm guessing there is a missing zero or a missing decimal point in there somewhere

.

I did not run out with the recent shortage but was getting low. I shoot CAS every weekend so figure 500 rounds a month plus shotgun. So I have been stocking up and am now set for the next few years. There is a Bass Pro and a Cabelas that I am occasionally near, but their prices are usually not great plus a limit. I keep an eye on the big online retailers for price and availability, plus deals. I've bought a lot from Natchez. All the big retailers have free shipping or free hazmat deals regularly. Those save a little. It is always more cost-effective if you are buying larger quantities and/or getting powder on the same order. But once every month or two they have 10% discount. If you are buying 10K primers, that adds up to a much bigger saving than the free hazmat or shipping (the last time I did it, hazmat was $23, shipping was $20). The best prices I've seen on Federal, my preference, has been $74.99/K. I prefer magnum small primers, for a while they were cheaper than standard but lately have been higher. I did buy some CCI small rifle primers (most of y'all know those are the same as small pistol - small rifle magnum are NOT the same as small pistol magnum). And those worked fine in my guns, although I think I did turn in the strain screw on my '73 a half-turn. CCI's used to be the hardest primers, but not any more.

Those Normas may be just fine, depending on if your guns have lighter springs. Since my choice of Federals is available, I'm fine paying some more for the peace of mind. I did try some Ginex primers from Argentina. They were a little harder than the Federals and I did have to increase the main spring tension another half-turn on the strain screw for those.

Snake Oil · February 24, 2024, 05:47:47 AM

They arrived yesterday. Initial inspection looks good... first 100 has all of the anvils.

I may get to load a few later today.

Coffinmaker · February 24, 2024, 10:29:47 AM

Ah Ha

I came up with a brilliant solution to the Small Pistol Primer shortage a couple Lustrum ago. .45s. Yep. There it is. I use nothing but Large primers for everything, including Shotgun. Keeping it Simple Simon I are.

Baltimore Ed · February 24, 2024, 07:37:52 PM

I've gone the other way and as I'm down to 2000 LPP but have 8000 SRP I'm swapping lpp 45acp brass for spp [ srp] 45acp. Also have .455 Webley with small primer so my game plan is to use guns chambered in those calibers and consume the spp [srp] as much as I can. Ive also had my 45colt 1873 rechambered to 45acp. I fit a 45acp cylinder to one of my 45 vaqueros too. I machined a couple of spacers to fit on my vaquero cylinders so that the very thin Webley rim brass will work. Gotta be creative.