Toxic non-metal primers
- Thread starter Consort
- Start date
lee n. field
New member
Never heard of that. Never heard of "non-metal" primers.
Got a brand name?
Got a brand name?
Jim Watson
New member
The first wave of lead free primers contained barium, which was not a great improvement. The current crop is made with an organic compound known as Dinol, no metallic content at all.
It has been many years since an American or West world primer contained mercury. I think even the iron curtain and third world have long since given it up.
It has been many years since an American or West world primer contained mercury. I think even the iron curtain and third world have long since given it up.
lee n. field
New member
should be.
I think there was some match ammo as late as 1950 loaded with mercuric primers, though I could be wrong. The problem in those days was not that mercury was poisonous to people (I don't think anyone really knew or cared) but that it was poisonous to brass, making it brittle and not reloadable.
Jim
Jim
Jim Watson
New member
I think that mercuric primed Western Match .30 and .300 hung on as late as 1960. But the US Army dropped mercuric primers about 1898.
Some European makers produced noncorrosive primers that were actually mercuric around 1930. They did not last long, the styphnate primers came out before WWII.
Some European makers produced noncorrosive primers that were actually mercuric around 1930. They did not last long, the styphnate primers came out before WWII.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Are you sure that it says toxic, and not NON-toxic?
Non toxic is the coming wave in primers.
"It has been many years since an American or West world primer contained mercury."
The last mecuric primers loaded in the United States were in match ammunition produced in the 1960s in .30-06 and .308.
The primers were also corrosive.
The boxes were marked that the brass was not suitable for reloading and should be disposed of upon firing.
Somewhere in my collection I have a box.
Eley Tenex .22 Match ammunition was still being loaded with mercuric, corrosive priming until sometime in the 1970s or 1980s.
I've been told that the change over was when Eley switched from paper boxes to plastic.
I knew several competitors at Camp Perry who actively sought out every source of paper boxed Tenex that they could find.
Non toxic is the coming wave in primers.
"It has been many years since an American or West world primer contained mercury."
The last mecuric primers loaded in the United States were in match ammunition produced in the 1960s in .30-06 and .308.
The primers were also corrosive.
The boxes were marked that the brass was not suitable for reloading and should be disposed of upon firing.
Somewhere in my collection I have a box.
Eley Tenex .22 Match ammunition was still being loaded with mercuric, corrosive priming until sometime in the 1970s or 1980s.
I've been told that the change over was when Eley switched from paper boxes to plastic.
I knew several competitors at Camp Perry who actively sought out every source of paper boxed Tenex that they could find.
Jim Watson
New member
I never heard of corrosive Tenex.
I seldom hear of a smallbore shooter that cleans his barrel much if at all, and no reports of rusty guns.
I seldom hear of a smallbore shooter that cleans his barrel much if at all, and no reports of rusty guns.
Mike Irwin
Staff
That's what I was told by several shooters at Camp Perry, including Ron West, who won several Perry championships.
I've never bought a box of Tenex.
I've also just found other references to corrosively primed Tenex having been out of production for about 30 years now, but certainly nothing definitive.
I've never bought a box of Tenex.
I've also just found other references to corrosively primed Tenex having been out of production for about 30 years now, but certainly nothing definitive.
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Yup. Box says "Toxic Metal-Free Primer". This ammo was ordered through a vendor on Ammoseek. I thought I was purchasing what I had ordered previously. The product number on the the Toxic Metal Free Primer box reads AE9N1. The product number on the previous ammo ordered reads AE9AP. Both are 9mm 124 gr fmj's.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Ah, OK, makes sense now.
Toxic-metal free is a LOT different from toxic non-metal or toxic metal-free.
Toxic-metal free means there are no toxic metals like lead or mercury.
The other two mean the primers are toxic, but they don't have any metal in them.
Toxic-metal free is a LOT different from toxic non-metal or toxic metal-free.
Toxic-metal free means there are no toxic metals like lead or mercury.
The other two mean the primers are toxic, but they don't have any metal in them.
I think if we put it in quotes, it's a bit easier to understand what they are trying to say.
They are saying the product is "toxic metal" free, meaning... it doesn't contain any of the bad metals.
If it said "TOXIC!" and "metal free" that might be alarming!
IIRC, the early examples of "clean" ammunition was found by handloaders to have enlarged flash holes. I believe the *new* lead-free primers didn't have the same oomph as the primers we've grown accustomed to, so the flash hole was enlarged to compensate.
I'm not sure of this, but it's what I seem to remember. Also seems as those small-primer .45 ACP brass was hitting about the same time. Are the two related?
They are saying the product is "toxic metal" free, meaning... it doesn't contain any of the bad metals.
If it said "TOXIC!" and "metal free" that might be alarming!
IIRC, the early examples of "clean" ammunition was found by handloaders to have enlarged flash holes. I believe the *new* lead-free primers didn't have the same oomph as the primers we've grown accustomed to, so the flash hole was enlarged to compensate.
I'm not sure of this, but it's what I seem to remember. Also seems as those small-primer .45 ACP brass was hitting about the same time. Are the two related?
Jim Watson
New member
The present nonmetallic primer mix has MORE "oomph" than lead styphnate.
The early Winclean large primer NT had larger flashholes to vent the greater flash into the case. So they went small which uses less of the expensive stuff to begin with.
The early Winclean large primer NT had larger flashholes to vent the greater flash into the case. So they went small which uses less of the expensive stuff to begin with.
Mike Irwin
Staff
That's what the hyphens are for, as putting it in quotes could mean something entirely different.
It should be written:
toxic-metal-free primers
The first three words are adjectives modifying the word primers.
It should be written:
toxic-metal-free primers
The first three words are adjectives modifying the word primers.