Using Decades Old 209 Primers to Reload Low Pressure Shells
Posted by Douglas Precourt on June 1, 2024, 11:29 pm
As most of you know, it has been difficult getting low pressure shells to use in our old Elsies. Late last year I was given a shell reloader by an old friend and with the generous help of a few of you, I have been learning to load and enjoying it. In fact, I am now set-up to reload shells for caliber .410 and gauges 28 through 10. The challenge has been getting the loading supplies to do it correctly. The most difficult piece has been getting 209 primers, which have been very scarce at my local Cabelas, Bass Pro, Scheels and Sportsman’s Warehouse locations here in Colorado.
More to the point, you will find below a picture of the 8 different types of 209 primers I have been able to cobble together from a local outdoorsman’s consignment store and a generous friend during the last 9 months.
The Cheddite, CCI and Rio primers on the right are modern, recently purchased from a friend. I know that these are safe to use in low pressure shells, based on the appropriate loading recipe. These are the only primers I have used to date.
The remaining primers (Remington, Federal, Winchester and Herter’s) are decades old and I have heard that some of them can be “too hot” to use in low pressure shells. (By the way, I have not found any shotgun recipes that use Herter’s Model Perfect H209 primers? I can get several hundred more of them, but need to know where they fit into the standard loading recipes. Perhaps they are equivalent to another modern brand with a different name?)
My ask is if any of you brothers can help me avoid making mistakes here with these older 209 primers as I start using them to reload shells?
Please feel free to respond here on the forum or if you want to talk, please text me at 720-610-5993 and I’ll call you back when free. Thanks in advance and very best regards, -Doug
Re: Using Decades Old 209 Primers to Reload Low Pressure Shells
I'm no help regarding those specific primers Doug, but long ago Tom Armbrust tried to ballistic test vintage shells from the 30s. The results were inconsistent. Some had higher pressures, he felt related to hardening of the paper cases and wads, and some 'bloopers', he felt related to degradation of the primers (not the powder). So if you load shells using them, I would definitely check the barrels after each shot.
These Herter's Perfect Primers were from 1967. Your box is likely later.
Re: Using Decades Old 209 Primers to Reload Low Pressure Shells
Thanks Dr Drew, That’s interesting about the Armbrust ballistic tests in the 1930’s. One would assume that there would be much more consistent results by the 80’s and 90’s, when I think most of these older 209 primers were made. As for the other, non-Herters primers, I just today, came across this information below in the Alliant 2023 re-loading manual.
This seems to help clarify two of the older 209 primers (Remington and Federal), classifying them as normal and not hot. If I read this correctly.
Re: Using Decades Old 209 Primers to Reload Low Pressure Shells
Douglas, as you have no doubt found, there is a lot of conflicting and even superstitious information out there on reloading. Generally speaking, as long as the primers haven't been stored in high temperature or high humidity, they will last a long, long time and give consistent results. My experience has been that using Cheddite, Remington, and W-W primers, there is usually miniscule difference in pressure and velocity between them. No experience with Herter's, CCI, or Federal, as they are rarely available in my area (Southeast U.S.). Good news is that Cheddite has remained commonly available, and the situation with W-W is improving.
Re: Using Decades Old 209 Primers to Reload Low Pressure Shells
Thanks for your post Steven. Very reassuring and helpful. What I can say about these old 209 primers of mine is that they are in pristine shape, so should work well.
