I have long been using the dreaded Small Pistol Primer .45 brass, mostly since few want to buy it. I have loaded lots of combinations. Cast bullets, plated bullets, FMJ. I have used TiteGroup, WW231, AA#5 and Clays. I have used Winchester, Remington and CCI primers. Never had a problem.
I found the combination that does not work. Plated 200 grain bullets over 4.0 Clays sparked with CCI primers. I have used this same load many times with Winchester primers. I have used CCI primers with TiteGroup, flawless and accurate.
The CCI primers have proven softer/weaker by my test. My test is to load empty brass with primers, load into a good revolver in a dark garage. Aiming at a white painted garage door, I light them off watching the size and the intensity of the light. The CCI is a very consistent, small, soft light. The Winchester has a far larger and brighter light (and report) but there is quite a bit of variation. My most consistent benchrest style rifle load was with CCI.
I retested the failed pistol load with Clays over Winchester primers, all was fine. Used WW231 over CCI, all went fine. I took the Brass out of the equation. Clays with CCI works fine if using Large Pistol Primers.
The symptoms were: very inconsistent power. Some sounded and felt weak. A couple would not fully push the slide back in a known, very dependable pistol. Some sounded and performed fine. I used the same powder, out of the same keg and using the same powder measure for several hundred rounds. All the ammo was loaded the same day. Only the CCI small pistol primed loads were anything less than great. All the others were very accurate, consistent, even throwing the brass to the same place.
It is not often that all four variables that have proven effective and reliable stack together to make a total product that is not. If someone is scratching their head with this load, it is not you, but a stack up of variables.
I found the combination that does not work. Plated 200 grain bullets over 4.0 Clays sparked with CCI primers. I have used this same load many times with Winchester primers. I have used CCI primers with TiteGroup, flawless and accurate.
The CCI primers have proven softer/weaker by my test. My test is to load empty brass with primers, load into a good revolver in a dark garage. Aiming at a white painted garage door, I light them off watching the size and the intensity of the light. The CCI is a very consistent, small, soft light. The Winchester has a far larger and brighter light (and report) but there is quite a bit of variation. My most consistent benchrest style rifle load was with CCI.
I retested the failed pistol load with Clays over Winchester primers, all was fine. Used WW231 over CCI, all went fine. I took the Brass out of the equation. Clays with CCI works fine if using Large Pistol Primers.
The symptoms were: very inconsistent power. Some sounded and felt weak. A couple would not fully push the slide back in a known, very dependable pistol. Some sounded and performed fine. I used the same powder, out of the same keg and using the same powder measure for several hundred rounds. All the ammo was loaded the same day. Only the CCI small pistol primed loads were anything less than great. All the others were very accurate, consistent, even throwing the brass to the same place.
It is not often that all four variables that have proven effective and reliable stack together to make a total product that is not. If someone is scratching their head with this load, it is not you, but a stack up of variables.
