How come .... ?

[PJ Hardtack]

Did a bunch of reloading today and wound up with a pile of plastic primer trays - what a waste!

How come I can but 1000 percussion caps in a nice little box with 100 caps per tin and primers come in bulky 'bricks' with 100 primers per plastic tray?
Plastic is just oil in another form, so how do we justify using all that oil for such a purpose?

[GunClick Rick]

Worse than a dang pipeline from Canada!

[PJ Hardtack]

Then stop driving .... ;>)   and using all those other things petro chemically based.

Alternatively, the Middle Eastern OPEC nations will happily ship you all the oil you want - after they satisfy the Chinese market.

Worse than a dang pipeline from Canada!

[GunClick Rick]

The middle east will be out of the picture soon,Africa will be the new game in town

[pony express]

And if they absolutely HAVE to come in a plastic tray, why does it have to be so BIG?I still have a few really old CCI primers, those came in an almost tiny tray, that had 10 slots that held 10 primers each, instead of the giant size ones they use now, with individual holes for each one.

[Hargrave]

I just picked up a new client that has found a way to make any plastic bio-degradable!!! I will give cci a call :-)

Least I can do

[Delmonico]

Well if you really want to know, it has something to do with the DOT and the fact that primers have the anvil which the caps do not.  I can't remember all the details but someone is free to research it or even call or E-mail the DOT.  That's what I was told maybe 30 years ago on why caps could be in a can and primers had to be in a tray.

Oh and before anyone thinks they want to turn this in to a pissing match because I know what may be the reason, don't.  I didn't make the rules and for all you know it may have a good reason behind it, which to me it does make sense.     Has something to do with being dropped and causing a chain reaction like a pointed FMJ bullet in a tube magazine.  And since it involes safety for drivers I'm for it, my brother drives freight and sometime delivers large amounts of primers.

Feel free to invent another DOT approved one that is more to your liking, I'm sure no one will mind.

[PJ Hardtack]

Pissing contest? I ask a simple question and get a condescending lecture and permission to contact the DOT.

Actually, I really did want to know and presumed that there would be some safety concern based on an obscure governmental regulation and not just another example of over-packaging as we see with so many products.

I recall primers that came in a perforated cardboard square the same thickness of the primers. The packaging had a paper backing glued on the bottom, the top open.
The whole was enclosed in a sleeve not unlike that used to cover the current plastic tray; the whole unit a lot thinner and smaller.

Feel free to suggest it to Federal, Winchester and CCI and collect the patent royalties.

And it's not just primers. When my wife got into IPSC as well as CAS, we bought her two thousand rds of factory ammo, each 50 rd box contained in a plastic tray. It so offended her to throw them out that she has hoarded many of them to hold her reloads rather than buy OTHER plastic boxes for them. She says that when the cardboard packaging falls apart, she'll chuck it.

We all remember when CF ammo came in cardboard boxes like some .22 ammo still packaged, and the world was still a safe place - and we were using less oil.
And then there's that ubiquitous accessory essential to modern life, the plastic throw-away water bottle, clutched in one hand, t'other holding the other modern accessory, - the plastic throw-away cell phone .....

[Delmonico]

Well PJ that was a generic to anyone, but you seemed to think the shoe fit so you decided to wear it.  Pretty plain you wanted to turn it to a bigger rant about everything.  You get the answer and then rant about cell phones and other things.  You can leave it be so others can know the answer or everyone can carry on like they seem to want to all the time till the thread is removed.  And I really don't care either way.  I gave the answer and I'm done with it. 

[GunClick Rick]

That's my boy Delmonico right there! Now keep your chin down and those elbows in,and when ya jab twist that arm,it wrinkles "em" ever time~~ Right in the ole  


He can eat 52 boiled eggs too!

[PJ Hardtack]

Yup, true to form .....

Can't refute the proposition, so the default is to slag the poster. Brilliant!

Best get back to your Dutch oven cookware. This discussion is a little over your head. If'n yer gonna duke it out with me in a battle of wits, at least step into the ring fully armed .... ;>)

[GunClick Rick]

I'll have to warn ya,my uncle built the local boxing club here,ffft fft ffft, watch those eyes now... Dey don't call me Sonny Boy Son fer nuttin,ttf,ttf,tff,you count 3 ya'll never hear the man count ten