CCI #34 Primers

Joined
Sep 20, 2013
Messages
286
Likes
105
Location
Cape Cod
Feedback: 14 / 0 / 0
I'm looking for some CCI#34 primers for loading M1 Garand ammo. Anyone know who sells these in the area?
Or if anyone has some "extra" I'll buy or trade for some. I have CCI 300 & 500 pistol primers and a box of Gold Medal match ammo for .308
 
CCI 200 Large Rifle primers might be easier to find. I've burned through thousands of them in M1's, M1A's, etc. with great accuracy and no issues. By all means get 34's if you want them, but if that's difficult you will be perfectly satisfied with the 200's. Fully seat your primers and you won't have an issue unless you have a stuck firing pin. That will rather quickly empty the clip regardless of primer :p.

I don't recall seeing 34's at Cabelas but 200's are usually in stock.
 
out back arms had some at some point...I personally dont thing they are "worth" the extra money?

I do use them only because I bought a shit ton at normal prices. The CCI 34s are running $10 plus more per 1k or $6 more vs FGGM LR primers.
Federal has a 20% back rebate at the monemt also
 
CCI 200 Large Rifle primers might be easier to find. I've burned through thousands of them in M1's, M1A's, etc. with great accuracy and no issues. By all means get 34's if you want them, but if that's difficult you will be perfectly satisfied with the 200's. Fully seat your primers and you won't have an issue unless you have a stuck firing pin. That will rather quickly empty the clip regardless of primer :p.

I don't recall seeing 34's at Cabelas but 200's are usually in stock.

Ditto, with the addition: I routinely gauge all M1 and M14 seated primers for four to five thou sub-flush. Using a machinist straightedge, a magnifier, and a good backlight makes this an acceptably quick operation.
 
Ditto, with the addition: I routinely gauge all M1 and M14 seated primers for four to five thou sub-flush. Using a machinist straightedge, a magnifier, and a good backlight makes this an acceptably quick operation.

I bet a go/no-gauge for this would be pretty easy to make.
 
took me 45 minutes, including taking the pictures and finding a .30-06 case and turning on the lights and everything:

It also includes grabbing the wrong stamp. I could have used "go" for "3" and "no go" for "5", but it's V. 0.1 so I'm not bugged by that.IMG_8698.JPGIMG_8700.JPG
 
I've been using Winchester LR primers and S&B LR primers in both 308 & 30-06 Garand, M14 and SAR-3 and never had a slamfire. I'm not wasting extra $$ on CCI 34s
 
I've only used CCI #200 primers in my Garand...I haven't had any issues

I've used sellior and bellot, winchester large rifle, cci #200, and federal large rifle in .308 and 30-06 semi auto M1 platform rifles of all shapes and sizes and have never had a single issue. there's definitely some marketing going on in the reloading industry...some of it might be legit, but I don't (personally) think there's much to the 34's that you're not getting in other primers for much less cost.

My advice would be to 'hand prime' and check every case for proper seating depth. That will be your #1 way to mitigate slam fires in a service rifle.
 
I'm thinking the slam fires were from people using benchrest primers which seem to be kind of touchy.
 
I just avoid Federal primers in service rifles as they are notoriously soft. Above all though, ensure they are seated properly. I've heard though, that the 34's are "hotter" and ignite better in extremely cold conditions. Again, that last bit was just hearsay, no idea if there's any merit to it myself.
 
I've used sellior and bellot, winchester large rifle, cci #200, and federal large rifle in .308 and 30-06 semi auto M1 platform rifles of all shapes and sizes and have never had a single issue. there's definitely some marketing going on in the reloading industry...some of it might be legit, but I don't (personally) think there's much to the 34's that you're not getting in other primers for much less cost.

My advice would be to 'hand prime' and check every case for proper seating depth. That will be your #1 way to mitigate slam fires in a service rifle.


Yeah, I always double check every primer after I seat them...especially when loading for my Garand
 
Yeah, I always double check every primer after I seat them...especially when loading for my Garand

Stupid question:

When I seat primers, I seat them “all the way”, like, as far as the press will let me.

That doesn’t leave much variation other than manufacturing tolerances in the primers and primer pockets.

So, what are we doing differently?
 
Stupid question:

When I seat primers, I seat them “all the way”, like, as far as the press will let me.

That doesn’t leave much variation other than manufacturing tolerances in the primers and primer pockets.

So, what are we doing differently?

hand priming just gives a little more ‘feedback’ from the pocket...if it’s getting too loose, I’ll be able to feel it.

whether on a press or by hand priming, seating them all the way in is definitely preferable, but sometimes tumbling media can get stuck and will block the primer from getting seated fully...so always a good idea to give a visual inspection on each piece.
 
Stupid question:

When I seat primers, I seat them “all the way”, like, as far as the press will let me.

That doesn’t leave much variation other than manufacturing tolerances in the primers and primer pockets.

So, what are we doing differently?

I used to hand prime with one of those hand-prime tools that had the tray of primers on top and the squeeze lever (don't know the name for it other than a hand priming tool) Anyways, after a bit it got worn to the point where it wasn't seating the primers in all the way. The tool felt like it was bottoming out the primer and all "felt" right, but it wasnt. By the naked eye, all looked well also.

My M14 started doubling. I stopped what I was doing and inspected the rounds and one could barely feel the primers were just flush with the case head. I later took those same rounds and put them in my turret press and re-seated them, and you could feel them seat ever so slightly more. (I know your not supposed to re-seat primers on loaded ammo) and after that, those same rounds ran fine in that same rifle.

Point being, it that as you said "all the way", well in my experience, that can be false if your equipment is off like mine was. A more prudent inspection of the finished ammo would have prevented this on my part.

I replaced the base that holds the shell holder and guides the priming arm of my priming tool with a new one and its been fine since, though nowadays I hardly hand prime, only for a few calibers I reload for.
 
I used to hand prime with one of those hand-prime tools that had the tray of primers on top and the squeeze lever (don't know the name for it other than a hand priming tool) Anyways, after a bit it got worn to the point where it wasn't seating the primers in all the way. The tool felt like it was bottoming out the primer and all "felt" right, but it wasn't. By the naked eye, all looked well also.

Ah! OK, that makes sense.

I have a 550, and it would seat a primer 1/8" too deep if the primer and pocket would allow it.
 
I run a 550 as well, and a Classic cast Turret that I mostly use as a single stage for lesser volume calibers I shoot with the ability to swap out turret heads on the quick and leave em set up. I was prepping my 308 by hand in this instance because the brass was once fired from a machine gun shoot, and that LC belted brass had a primer crimp, so it was a pain to decap, remove the primer crimp, put it back in the shell holder, miss some of the crimp, or worse get the primer started, then get it stuck, so my process was to bulk decap, swage the pockets, size, hand prime, then charge every case in a loading block one by one then seat.

I've progressed into a much more effective method now, but back then that's what led to my mistake, along with a worn priming tool.
 
I just avoid Federal primers in service rifles as they are notoriously soft. Above all though, ensure they are seated properly. I've heard though, that the 34's are "hotter" and ignite better in extremely cold conditions. Again, that last bit was just hearsay, no idea if there's any merit to it myself.
CCI web site : It says #34 are to be loaded to magnum load data info and or used with ball powder

when I started reloading #34 did not cost any more than any other LR primer Bench Rest primers where $2 more per 1k
 
I have been uniforming all my primer pockets on my rifle brass. Started out with RCBS uniformers, but quickly found them to come out of adjustment no matter how tight I made the setscrew. Sinclair International (Brownells) makes ones out of solid carbide that don't change over time. I have done many thousands with these, and they are still sharp. They cut (if needed) the pockets to the same depth. The CCI's I use end up .003- .005 below flush.
 
Back
Top Bottom