Old C-I-L 4B primers, plus more brands added

[kjohn]

I came across a box of various primers the other day. One that interested me was C-I-L No. 4B. Used to reload shotgun battery cups. Also some No.1,No. 11/2 and 21/2, plus various Winchester, CCI, Federal and Remington. A walk back in time for some of us.

 

[Cocked&Locked]

Those old CIL primers work great. All of them.

I have a lot of those 4B's and keep the fired primers from old factory CIL shotshells to reload into the battery cups.
Most folks don't know what they are for.

 

[bearhunter]

Cocked&Locked is right. I still have some of those on the primer shelf and they work just as well now as they did fifty+ years ago.

You will find them HOT.

They're also quite hard, but I've never had an FTF with any of them.

They're also very consistent in burn rate.

Check some loads over a velocimeter and you will be impressed

 

[kjohn]

Good to hear. I did push one into a base cup from a random fired shotgun primer, seemed to fit ok. Jeez, yet another rabbit hole to go down. As some of you know, I am working on perfecting a method of countersinking rifle brass to fit a base cup level. Haven't done any more since last winter, so I'll be going at it again. I have been using CBC 7.62x51, PPU .303 Br and FNM 8x57 brass to experiment with.

On the advice of a member here, I have found the right size bit to use to drill the new primer hole, a "C" letter bit. I still have to devise a reasonable method of holding the brass in my drill press, properly centered, to drill the hole, then hopefully use an end mill to countersink for the base cup. Up until now, I have just used an ordinary bit to countersink. I have fired several rounds of these brass successfully.

 

[bjmurata]

I picked up a pile of CIL 1 1/2 primers at one of the Woodstock gunshows quite awhile ago. They have performed flawlessly for me in my wife's 25-20 rounds.

 

[bearhunter]

Good to hear. I did push one into a base cup from a random fired shotgun primer, seemed to fit ok. Jeez, yet another rabbit hole to go down. As some of you know, I am working on perfecting a method of countersinking rifle brass to fit a base cup level. Haven't done any more since last winter, so I'll be going at it again. I have been using CBC 7.62x51, PPU .303 Br and FNM 8x57 brass to experiment with.

On the advice of a member here, I have found the right size bit to use to drill the new primer hole, a "C" letter bit. I still have to devise a reasonable method of holding the brass in my drill press, properly centered, to drill the hole, then hopefully use an end mill to countersink for the base cup. Up until now, I have just used an ordinary bit to countersink. I have fired several rounds of these brass successfully.

You're going to need a small lathe or a special drill bit ground to the shape and dimensions you need for that project.

I do the same thing with 38 special cases, for shooting "wax" bullets at paper targets in my basement during the winter months.

If you're going to do something similar with CF rifle cartridges, you're going to have to make the fit a "press" fit or the primers will back out when you shoot them.

I've done something similar with some 308Win cases, but that was a long time ago and I don't even remember what I did with those cases.

You're going to have to keep your pressure down a bit, but not as much as you might think. You will find that the "new" primer pockets expand much faster than the "original" design.

Of course, you must remember, the primers will now protrude into the powder chamber of the cartridge case, taking up space and eliminating the web across the face of the primer pocket.

 

[kjohn]

Bearhunter: I realize that pressure will need to be kept down. I have shot mostly light loads using Unique or 700X and cast bullets, shooting with 98 type actions. C letter drill, plus some loctite around the outside of the base cup makes for a good snug fit.

I may try some Trail Boss as well.

 

[bearhunter]

I used to just push the primers in with my press. It was much easier than trying to glue them. I did try super glue and that was OK but there was always leakage and it damaged bolt faces.

Cast lead velocities are easily doable, I went so far as to use jacketed bullets, just to see how far I could push it, before the primers fell out.

I could use most starting loads, without issues, until the third or fourth firing. Any hotter than that and the second reload would no longer hold a primer.

Keep it simple, or it won't be worth doing.

One other thing, don't try shooting bullets without powder of some sort over the primer and make sure you fill the air space with Dacron fiber or something similar.

The primer doesn't have enough oomph to push the bullet all the way through the bore. Ask me how I know this.

 

[kjohn]

"One other thing, don't try shooting bullets without powder of some sort over the primer and make sure you fill the air space with Dacron fiber or something similar."

I wouldn't try that intentionally.