Federal Primers and their ridiculous packaging

Tim

Checked Out
Staff member
2A Bourbon Hound 2024
2A Bourbon Hound OG
Charter Life Member
Benefactor
Vendor
Multi-Factor Enabled
Joined
Dec 17, 2016
Messages
16,371
Location
A Glass Cage of Emotion
Rating - 100%
85   0   0
Am I the only one that absolutely detests how Federal packages their primers?

I got a "deal" on 1,000 match rifle primers instead of my normal winchester primers.

  • The box is gigantic relative to what's inside, taking up far too much space
  • You can't tip a 100 count box of primers onto a tray for handheld primers without spilling everywhere
Yes, 1st world problems...but it just seems they went out of their way to make their product difficult to use.

Side note: more coffee should make me less grumpy
 
Last edited:
Yeah, I got a deal on 10,000 LPP, they moved to the front of the line, can’t wait to use them all up.
 
You can bet someone sued Federal and won a case against their former packaging of primers. Pretty easy case to win if the plaintiff showed up missing a few body parts from mishandling a box of primers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Me.
I believe they have to test their primer packaging under fire - literally. If they are packed too densely, there will be what is called "sympathetic detonation", where they all go off at one time instead of popping away individually. Federal primers are known to be more sensitive than others, hence the larger packaging to space the primers farther apart from one another.
 
All the DA Revo guys used them. Back in the day when people shot wheelguns.....Ahhh, they were like GOLD for a while during the Great Ammo Drought. Like pure gold.

Now, cast aside by an infection of plastic fantastics and CZoids, to be ridiculed openly for it's handicapped packaging and soft nature...how the mighty has fallen!
 
Am I the only one that absolutely detests how Federal packages their primers?

I got a "deal" on 1,000 match rifle primers instead of my normal winchester primers.

  • The box is gigantic relative to what's inside, taking up far too much space
  • You can't tip a 100 count box of primers onto a tray for handheld primers without spilling everywhere
Yes, 1st world problems...but it just seems they went out of their way to make their product difficult to use.

Side note: more coffee should make me less grumpy
This can be done, I think.
I have a box of 100 GM210M right next to me. They fit entirely onto an RCBS primer tray. Pull sleeve back on the box to expose the number of primers you want, put the primer tray upside down on top of the primers, then pinch together and flip. No spills. Smaller trays would work the same I imagine, you just have to use the sleeve on the box to only expose part of the primers at a time before you dump them.
 
I bought the larger square hand priming trays just for this reason
 
This can be done, I think.
I have a box of 100 GM210M right next to me. They fit entirely onto an RCBS primer tray. Pull sleeve back on the box to expose the number of primers you want, put the primer tray upside down on top of the primers, then pinch together and flip. No spills. Smaller trays would work the same I imagine, you just have to use the sleeve on the box to only expose part of the primers at a time before you dump them.


But I want all 100! This is 'Merica! I should have it all, and all at once!
 
I remember when I first started reloading, my first trip to get some supplies I had to pick a powder and primer to start out with. I went with CCI just because the Federal packaging was so much bigger. Fast forward to present day I put up with the packaging cause they are my favorite primer. They load like butter compared to everything else. For whatever reason they take the least pressure on the priming handle, followed by Winchester, and finally CCI. At least that's how they are on my LnL.
 
Federal primers are popular with cowboy action shooters. We tend to run light springs in our firearms and there is a difference between primers.

The packaging does create a challenge with certain equipment. When I used some CCI primers to load some “real” rifle ammo those small packages were very handy.
 
I miss S&B primers. Cheap and they always worked in every application I tried. Effing bass pro shops ruined Cabelas and they quit selling them for $20-25/1000

They stopped being imported thanks to the Czech Republic and supply issues, not Cabela’s...


I’m with @Tim they’re ridiculously over packaged:

200 CCI in less space than 100 Federal

EZaAnLu.jpg
 
Did you know that Federal primer trays also make good ice cube trays? (okay, maybe they are quite that big)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Me.
Back
Top Bottom