Ignition source (777 209's) (25 ACP conversion) (Vari-flame primer caps)

[BobinIL]

I am looking for some input on what primer to use.
I am going to start off trying the 777 209 primers, Are the other two options any better than just buying the 777 209's?  Are the 777 209's going to make the conversions a dead issue now?  I am also very interested in the Vari-Flame system.  I am an avid and very experienced reloader so this would be a simple step for me, but the question remains, is there any more advantage to a small rifle primer opposed to just going to wally world and picking up a box of 777 209's?

[Keith Lewis]

Depending on how much you shoot and how much you like to experiment; the 777 primers are probably the least complicated and if they work for you and you do not shoot a lot they are probably less expensive. Using the .25acp conversion with small rifle primers allows a very wide selection of primer types and levels of power going from small pistol to magnum pistol to small rifle regular to small rifle magnum and all the various brands of each available. Personally I have the .25acp conversion on my Omega and my Huntsman and I like the ease of handling that the larger brass case allows. It is an improvement over the standard 209 from a handling standpoint unless you shoot something like a Knight or Huntsman/Sidekick that uses plastic carriers which also make handling a little easier. I just bought some of the 777 primers but due to high temperatures in Arizona I have not shot them yet. My Omega is a world class crud ring former with Tripple Seven powder and I have found nothing yet that completely eliminates it in my rifle. The .25ACP conversion get rid of about 80% of the ring caused with standard 209 primers.

[Redhawk1]

I have 2 M/L that I am using the 25ACP conversion and have great results with it. I have the new pro-hunter 50 cal M/L and use the Remington Kleen bore primers with good results. I would of liked to have the 25 ACP conversion, but it is not doable with the new breech plug. So my first choice is the 25 ACP primer system.

[Keith Lewis]

Redhawk: I may have asked this before; but, what rifle primer do you use and have you made any comparisons of different brands. I tried Winchester small rifle as I had a lot of them. My results from what I read are not quite as good as yours. Most of my other small rifle primers are old and I doubt they would be the same as recent manufacture stuff. Maybe old Remingtons are the same as new but who knows? I have read that some have good results with CCI. In fact I think I read that someone had better results with the CCI 209 primers as well.

[Biff Mayhem]

It's "never a dead issue" when Omegas/Encores are new or used. All of our bores are different in this sport ... unlike centerfire world that keeps the manufacturer more in-line (no pun intended) with much stricter bore guidelines. Takes a while for that flashole in new T/Cs & some other manufacturer bores to enlarge. The larger the hole gets by firing the ML -- the bigger the hole gets -- the more that crud ring lessens. 

Winchester Triple Se7en primers help reduce the crud ring until the barrel slowly-but-naturally reduces the ring thru shots fired. 777 and Swiss powders generate more energy and heat, so naturally those two powders will enlarge that breechplug hole faster than Pyrodex, real black, APP.... etc.  So the new primers are not the cure-all -- just a very good bandaid.... actually the best bandaid there is in 209 primers right now - to combat the crud ring issue.

I stayed the course with my T/C ML breechplug. It ended-up costing me around $10 more for patches to clean that crud ring, but now the ML has very little crud ring issues. A swabbing patch every 2nd shot shows no patch-clutching, grabbing or ramrod-seizing anymore.

[Redhawk1]

Redhawk: I may have asked this before; but, what rifle primer do you use and have you made any comparisons of different brands. I tried Winchester small rifle as I had a lot of them. My results from what I read are not quite as good as yours. Most of my other small rifle primers are old and I doubt they would be the same as recent manufacture stuff. Maybe old Remingtons are the same as new but who knows? I have read that some have good results with CCI. In fact I think I read that someone had better results with the CCI 209 primers as well.

I have tried several different small rifle primers and all seem to work just as well as the other, but I used the CCI small rifle primers. That is what Cecil Epp recommends.