Winchester primers

[BULLET 05]

My local academy sports just got a bunch of these in stock WSR small rifle $8.99 for 100. Never used these. What do you think

 

[bozo699]

I think there good primers
Wayne

 

[tommeboy]

if you run max loads no way, too thin

 

[Rocketvapor]

Mine had the WIN 41 primers (thicker cup) but not the WSR.
Got higher velocity than CCI450 in 22 Nosler.

 

[WayneShaw]

I have shot thousands of them, never a miss fire and never a piercing.

 

[WyleWD]

I have shot thousands of them, never a miss fire and never a piercing.

+1^^^

 

[RED DIRT]

I`ve used them for many decades. Never a single issue. Maybe i`m just lucky.

 

[Laurie]

I`ve used them for many decades. Never a single issue. Maybe i`m just lucky.

Until 12 or 15 years ago, WSRs were the go-to primer for 223 in XTR (at least according to the late Glenn Zediker in his books on competition AR15s who knew more than a bit about this subject). Then the makers changed both specification and colour from silver (nickel plated) to brass and made them with thinner (21 thou') cups vs the 25 thou' used in other magnum / BR primers. This makes them of intermediate strength between the very weak / soft models such as the Rem 6 1/2 and CCI-400 and original PMC (Murom) KVB-223.

I have shot thousands of them, never a miss fire and never a piercing.

It always comes back to action / firing pin with SR primers allied to loads / pressures. A good custom action with a small diameter firing pin and excellent small fit in its bolt face aperture will run maximum pressure loads without cratering or 'blanking'; the worst of the Savages / Remington 700s will see serious cratering with these primers with modest loads and start blanking them with full working pressures.

That's why Gre-Tan Rifles made a near fulltime business out of turning down firing pins on Remington 700s and similar and bushing the bolt-face with a small diameter aperture and close pin-fit. There is still a demand for this service and several gunsmiths who post on this forum provide the service, although demand must be less than formerly with fewer factory actions and more use of custom models in competition and varmint rifles.

The other factor of course is pressure. If you don't run high pressures, you can 'get away' with far more in terms of primer cup strength.

I rarely use WSRs these days - used them a lot in their 'silver' days including in a 'straight-pull' AR15 (not allowed gas-operated semi-autos in the UK) at one time. As soon as they changed spec, I had to stop their use in this rifle. In a comparative test of SR primers I just got away with the current model in a Stolle Atlas action F/TR rifle with a full-house pressure load. The Atlas has a good firing pin tip to bolt aperture fit by factory rifle standards, but not quite as good as some custom actions. You can see the resulting primer shapes in a pair of photographs here with this load if you scroll down to the end of the feature:

https://www.targetshooter.co.uk/?p=2662

 

[RED DIRT]

Until 12 or 15 years ago, WSRs were the go-to primer for 223 in XTR (at least according to the late Glenn Zediker in his books on competition AR15s who knew more than a bit about this subject). Then the makers changed both specification and colour from silver (nickel plated) to brass and made them with thinner (21 thou') cups vs the 25 thou' used in other magnum / BR primers. This makes them of intermediate strength between the very weak / soft models such as the Rem 6 1/2 and CCI-400 and original PMC (Murom) KVB-223.




It always comes back to action / firing pin with SR primers allied to loads / pressures. A good custom action with a small diameter firing pin and excellent small fit in its bolt face aperture will run maximum pressure loads without cratering or 'blanking'; the worst of the Savages / Remington 700s will see serious cratering with these primers with modest loads and start blanking them with full working pressures.

That's why Gre-Tan Rifles made a near fulltime business out of turning down firing pins on Remington 700s and similar and bushing the bolt-face with a small diameter aperture and close pin-fit. There is still a demand for this service and several gunsmiths who post on this forum provide the service, although demand must be less than formerly with fewer factory actions and more use of custom models in competition and varmint rifles.

The other factor of course is pressure. If you don't run high pressures, you can 'get away' with far more in terms of primer cup strength.

I rarely use WSRs these days - used them a lot in their 'silver' days including in a 'straight-pull' AR15 (not allowed gas-operated semi-autos in the UK) at one time. As soon as they changed spec, I had to stop their use in this rifle. In a comparative test of SR primers I just got away with the current model in a Stolle Atlas action F/TR rifle with a full-house pressure load. The Atlas has a good firing pin tip to bolt aperture fit by factory rifle standards, but not quite as good as some custom actions. You can see the resulting primer shapes in a pair of photographs here with this load if you scroll down to the end of the feature:

https://www.targetshooter.co.uk/?p=2662

I`m still using primers that i bought 30 to 40 years ago, i`ve noticed zero difference between new vs my old primers. I don`t run my loads hot, no need to. Probably why i`ve never ran into any issues. My most recent winchester primers that i bought last year, no issues at all. I don`t care how they make them as long as they are reliable and go bang when i hit the send switch.

 

[Rocketvapor]

Savage changed pin diameter to 0.096" from 0.148".
Maybe I can try the WSR in her bolt gun, but NOT my AR.

 

[hoosiermike]

I have been using WSR primers for more years than I can remember and have not had any issues with them-The same for the Win. large rifle primers for most applications.

 

[Alguapo]

Shot thousands of them. They work well.

 

[misser]

I'm stuck on Remmington 7 1/2

 

[BULLET 05]

So what do you think in a 6BR, 20 tactical

 

[MrK.]

I have used them for years for anything that requires small rifle mainly .223 and 7 TCU. During one of the Obama primer shortage I picked up some 450s and more recently some 400s. I used those some in my Grendel and 6ARC but use the WSRs exclusively in my 300 BLK. My Academy has the WSRs in stock and I recently grabbed another thousand. I have never had a slam fire, pierced primer or FTF.

 

[Jon Leary]

I competed in Highpower across the course for years never had a primer problem WSR or Rem 7 1/2.
















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[243winxb]

Google "winchester primer defect"

 

[Cfshooter]

I have had more than a few get holes in the rim, I will not use anymore.

 

[Dgd6mm]

I have had more than a few get holes in the rim, I will not use anymore.

Winchester Small Rifle primers?

 

[neckturner]

the worst of the Savages / Remington 700s will see serious cratering with these primers with modest loads and start blanking them with full working pressures.

That is my recent experience with 6mm GT in a Rem 700. Piercing at what should be moderate loads. Switching to CCI 450s.

WSR were, however, my go-to for .223 in an AR.