Primer lifespan

[Faedy]

Im just getting back into reloading after a 25 yr break.
I still have 1000's of Winchester primers from back then - they have always been kept boxed and dry.
Is there any reason they wont still be ok?.
I have near 1000 small pistol primers, but dont own pistols anymore - can I use them for my old Winchester 32-20 loads?, or 223?
Cheers for advice.

[bladeracer]

I had a tray of Federal LR I bought in '83, I used them up in 8x57mm in 2015, with zero failures. I probably wouldn't use them in competition or hunting ammo, just to be sure, but I doubt you'll have any problems.

You can use the pistol primers in reduced rifle loads, but I wouldn't suggest using them in high-pressure loads as they're designed to cope with pistol pressures.

[wanneroo]

Primers typically do not start breaking down until 80-100 years down the road. There are plenty of people in the USA that have used primers that go back to WW2, the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s, that they either had in their own stores or bought at gun auctions or estate sales and they work fine typically. I heard from one guy that found a bunch of primers stored in a hot unairconditioned attic and they had been there since the 1980s. He used them and they worked fine.

[No1Mk3]

G'day Faedy,
WSP will be fine in 32-20, after all it was a pistol round as well, as for 223 it will depend on the powder you use, ADI should light up regardless of primer but you may get inconsistant results due to the lower flame temp and shorter duration. Pistol primers also have thinner cups so using them in higher pressure rifles may induce piercing which is never a good thing. Keep the WSP's for smaller rifle cartridges, and buy some WSR for the 223, Cheers.

[Faedy]

^^^. Cheers
The old 1892 Winchester 32-20 can have the pistol primers and my .223 can burn through the small rifle primers.
Got about 25 packs and at todays price if $13/pack I didn't really want to throw them away

[bladeracer]

^^^. Cheers
The old 1892 Winchester 32-20 can have the pistol primers and my .223 can burn through the small rifle primers.
Got about 25 packs and at todays price if $13/pack I didn't really want to throw them away

$13 per tray of 100 primers?
What on earth are they?

[Sergeant Hartman]

Blade he is in WA.... that's probably what they cost there due to being WA

[Faedy]

Std WA cost mate - shocking how we get screwed over here now with freight issues and other crap

[TassieTiger]

Good idea for a thread - how much donppl pay per state for various reloading / ammo?

[bladeracer]

Good idea for a thread - how much donppl pay per state for various reloading / ammo?

Not a bad idea for a thread, but complicated I think, by location, whether you buy bulk, and which cartridges you're loading/shooting.
I buy bulk, ammo and components, when I see them on special, even if I have no immediate use for them. I bought 1000 shotgun wads, I don't load shot shells as yet, but the price was excellent. I bought 1000 9mm bullets last week, I'm not shooting 9mm currently, but the price was excellent. I am constantly trawling through dealer sites, adding things (brass and bullets mainly) to the cart, when I have enough there I place the order. I buy dozens of different bullets in all calibers for testing, I've never tried stocktaking them, but I would easily have several hundred different bullet types, I probably have more than twenty types just in each of .224", .264", .284", and .308", without counting the .204", .243", .277", .311", .323", .355", .357", .429", .450" - jacketed and cast bullets, mostly bought in bulk on special. Then there are 12ga. slugs, buck and bird shot, and more than twenty different air-rifle pellets.

Then I have thousands, and thousands of cases in all variety of chamberings, and more than a dozen different powders.

[Sergeant Hartman]

Mate at that taste a drug habit would look cheap... hehe

[Faedy]

^^^Thankfully I specialize in decontaminating Meth Labs.....
Pays for my other habit lmao..

[Sergeant Hartman]

Fk that's dirty and dangerous work mate. I reckon worse than the standard asbestos removals