.45 Colt primers?

[Little Dalton]

Okay, guys. I've been reloading my .45 using a box of Remington #9-1/2 large pistol primers. My Richards-mason colt had a very stiff factory mainspring, and I never had a problem with ignition.  But, I loaded a box of ammo for my father-in-law's peacemaker, a Uberti cattleman with adecently light factory mainspring, and had all kinds of failures to fire. Said gun has never even burped on factory ammo-lots of factory ammo.Then, I installed a very slightly lighter mainspring in my gun, and it wouldn't fire reliably either. What's an all around good primer for medium to lighter mainsprings?

[Pettifogger]

Far and away the most popular for CAS are Federal primers.  They have a reputation as being the easiest to ignite.  Second in popularity is Winchester.  CCI has the reputation of being the hardest.

[Delmonico]

Any gun that will not ignite all brands of primers is broke and needs fixed.  I'm sure someone will be upset with me again for saying this, like the duck guy I get in trouble for speaking the truth.   My Rger SSM in 32 Mag will ignite a CCI small rifle primer each and every time and it's as slicked up as any gun. 

[Little Dalton]

Thanks! Again, the peacemaker has eaten all the factory ammo it's been fed-multiple brands- without a hitch. But my reloads... I'm using brand new Remington brass, and priming with a lee autoprime.

[Delmonico]

Thanks! Again, the peacemaker has eaten all the factory ammo it's been fed-multiple brands- without a hitch. But my reloads... I'm using brand new Remington brass, and priming with a lee autoprime.

If it hasn't been worked over by a so called smith you will be fine.  Takes more than a light hammer and a light trigger to make a tuned up gun.

[Ranch 13]

What happens when you use the brass from the factory loads that work so well in that UbertI? Sounds like a possible headspace issue or the tip of the firing pin might be broke.Or the primers are getting contaminated and failing to fire.
Large pistol primers are supposed to have softer cups than rifle primers to account for the supposed lighter hammer fall.

[Jefro]

Any gun that will not ignite all brands of primers is broke and needs fixed.   I'm sure someone will be upset with me again for saying this, like the duck guy I get in trouble for speaking the truth.   My Rger SSM in 32 Mag will ignite a CCI small rifle primer each and every time and it's as slicked up as any gun. 

Yep, even slicked up guns need to fire the primer. If you've ever been to one of Evil Roy's shooting schools he says that very thing. "If you have a gun that will only set off Federal primers then your springs are too light" Good Luck

Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[rbertalotto]

I have two Uberti SAA revolvers, about 100 numbers apart in the serial number.

One would fire any type of primer, the other, only Federal.  Upon pondering while looking the two over I found that the one not firing exhibited the hammer hanging up on the hammer lock nonsense they install on these new SAA revolvers. The firing pin was simply not reaching the primer. I removed all that nonsense and they both work fine now.

[Delmonico]

Yep, even slicked up guns need to fire the primer. If you've ever been to one of Evil Roy's shooting schools he says that very thing. "If you have a gun that will only set off Federal primers then your springs are too light" Good Luck

Jefro Relax-Enjoy

Or more likely someone didn't polish all the moving parts glass smooth.   A set of light springs and nothing else makes as much sense as putting a big Holley on a stock 283 with a set of headers and yep we old pharts all know someone who tired that in our youth.   

[Blair]

Capaball,

Why did you choose to go light main springs?
Blair

[Little Dalton]

Capaball,

Why did you choose to go light main springs?
Blair

I didn't.

My father-in-law's peacemaker has the original Uberti factory spring. My conversion has a slightly lightened mainspring that is still MUCH HEAVIER than his. I wanted a mainspring that didn't take nearly two hands to cock, and after polishing the internals, I still had an atrocious trigger pull.

[Creekside]

hey CapnBall  any chance your not getting the primers seated all the way in ? do they fire with the second strike ? my conversion 60 hit the primer pretty hard and even put a hole in some but they will act up if the primmer isnt seated all the way 

[Blair]

Capnball,

Then why not go after the Trigger Spring?
That wont effect how hard the hammer strikes the primer, just the trigger pull?
If you can't pull the hammer back because of the mainspring tention... then maybe you should go to auto loaders?
My best,
Blair

[pakm]

I"ve been using remington primiers and the ones I have are very soft. any thing i shoot them in punctures the primer. a friends sharps won't fire any thing but the rememington primers. I'm using Federal primers in .44 special and several of my .44's work with them just fine. but I do have some CCi's and WW's they are for my other guns(read that rifles). Dirty MacPill