primer seating depth for handgun.

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So I usually use CCI primers and they are harder to hand prime but seem easier to get consistent for me. I am using Federal primers for an Alfa Project 9mm, I find it hard to not mash it in the primer pocket lol. How deep should I be going for?
CCI for me is usually around 3-4 thou.
Fed ends up 8-10 thou. lol.
 
why are you measuring them? when they bottom out in the primer pocket they are home, anything short of that is going to increase the locktime of your action
 
I prime to the bottom all the time.
With fixed priming depth like the loadmaster, i prime until they get crushed just a bit then back off till no crush then all good.
 
I measure mine as well, whenever i start using new primers. When I started using CCI BR2 primers, I was crushing them and didnt know it untill I measured. Now I always measure when switching to a new primer just to make sure.

My seating depth on both large pistol and large rifle is .002/.003 depth. A crushed primer will give you around .01/.015
 
Primer pocket depth varies and all primers should be seated with a preload on the primer pellet with the anvil contacting the bottom of the primer pocket.

Boxer-Primer_zps2da9c2c8.jpg



Failure to follow the above directions will cause the charcoal to not light evenly and the meat will be under cooked.

500sw_zps0bbf4492.jpg
 
It's more about pressure needed than depth. As illustrated by biged's sketch we need to seat the primers to whatever depth they require to obtain a nice firm fit of the primer anvil into the cup. Anything less risks a "light strike" where the hammer has to finish the job with the first strike so it can fire on the second strike. So the right answer isn't so much how deep they are but "is it seated?".

Generally a little extra pressure is not going to cause an issue. CCI primers that I use can take a pretty good press before the ends show any deformation marking from the seating pin pressure. The only time I've used some Federals this did take a bit less pressure but if I didn't leave a little mark on them they didn't seem to be seated correctly. I suppose I should check to see that my primer anvil doesn't have some markings on it too. That may be where the slight indenting marks are coming from.
 
yodave said:
why are you measuring them? when they bottom out in the primer pocket they are home, anything short of that is going to increase the locktime of your action
Click to expand...

First off, thanks for all the replys everybody.

Yodave, cause the Federals are so easy to prime, I wanted to make sure I was not going way too deep with them. Looks like a I am ok
 
if its anything like the Swiss GP11, I had to ask this same question. My primers were appearing to seat quite deeply, but upon further research, I was told that they have to be seated all the way. if not, the firing pin may just seat the primer instead of firing it.

now, that said, I haven't shot any of those yet, so take this advice as you may.
 
It's important to bottom out the primer, as noted and be aware that a high primer can cause a revolver to lock up in a beastly manner, so basically, you can't go too low in the pocket, but you can go not far enough.
 
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