Anyone else think that the federal 215 mag large primers are harder than say wn mag large primers?

jeffe

Not likely, and not in my experience.

Jeffe

What do you mean by "harder"?

They are most definitely hotter.

I don't believe they are any harder, just that they maybe a tad bigger in diameter. My gunsmith of 40+years told me a few years back that the Fed.'s were soft compared to the others.

When I had my Sharps I was told to use Fed215 for my BP loads because they were hotter & the cups a bit softer. I can't tell, I've never had a rifle misfire due to a primer.

My recent experience with Federal small rifle primers indicates their cup is significantly softer than CCI. My Sako firing pin set at minimum factory specs (.050) was penetrating the Federal primers at minimum loads while leaving CCIs intact. The only solution was to set the firing pin below spec at .040.
Ron