Are Fedrals 205 primers too soft for an AR?

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Pack_Wolf

New member
I was digging around and found a brick of Fed 205's. I used to use them for lightened springs for revolvers. All I shoot now is AR's.

I also found a couple of hundred Winchester small rifle primers. The price on them was $1.99. Will they do a good job still?
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I don't understand all I know about this.
 
Many guys don't like the Federals as they won't handle some high intensity loads. I don't use them. The Winchester seem to be better and many fellows like them. I've pretty much gone to Remington 7 1/2s and CCI 450 but have been known to use the WSR in my basic plinking 223 loads.

Lots of guys use anything they can put in the case. I prefer to keep my primers looking like primers vs. pancakes after firing and the 7.5's and 450's fill that bill for me.

Greg
 
I've used WSR in 223 for my colt since 1995 and never had a problem.

I've been doing load dev for 2 6.5 grendels using WSR, Federal 205 and CCI 450, with bullets ranging from 85 to 129 grains & a variety of powders, also have not had a single problem.
 
I do pay attention to them as I test loads. Start low & work up in increments, checking cases & primers for any signs of issues at each load before moving up.

Just bc I haven't had problems with them doesn't mean I never will, nor that another load/rifle combo might not.
 
Some say that you can get slam fires with the FC 205s due to the soft cups, but I've shot thousands (if not 10s of thousands) of them in my ARs and never had an issue. That doesn't mean you won't, but they've been fine for me.

Matt
 
Federal says they're mil spec. I have used them for years in maximum IMR-4895 and H4895 223 loads. Just make sure they are seated flush or below.
 
I've heard people suggest not using them due to a thinner cup. Federal does NOT list them as having mil spec sensitivity.

I haven't shot them before, but if they are like the CCI 400 primers (I believe they are) I would avoid using them. It doesn't take much to flatten or pierce CCI 400s in 223 loads. I had issues until I switched primers.

I do use federal 205MAR primers, those do have the thicker cup and hold up like the 450s, br4 and rem 7.5s
 
CCI 400 has a .020 thick cup. The Fed 205 is .0225 and is supposedly AR safe according to a lot of users. Federal's position is the 205 is not "ideal" for use in rifles with a floating firing pin. Thus, their line of AR primers.

I shoot the 205 primers in my .38 Super Comp pistol and they are sensitive enough to go bang with a 1.5# trigger pull 2011 pistol. In my .204 Rugers and .223 ARs I use predominately CCI 450 (.025), some Rem 7 1/2 (.025) or a BR-4 (.025) in match loads.
 
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Originally Posted By: BouncerSome say that you can get slam fires with the FC 205s due to the soft cups, but I've shot thousands (if not 10s of thousands) of them in my ARs and never had an issue. That doesn't mean you won't, but they've been fine for me.

Matt

Me too...
 
The 205 is the same primer that they use in their 223 factory loads, so...

Their ammo lines have been running hard, so us reloaders have to been shorted on 205's and 210's for a while. No wholesalers have gotten either in a while.
 
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Yeah, I'm starting to get kinda low on 205GM and 210GM. The don't make some within the next four, five years, I could run out!

- DAA
 
I use Fed 205s in all my 223 rifles. Many years ago I had slam fires in a .223 AK until I had a gunsmith install a firing pin return spring. I like the 205 with the reasoning that I will get an indication of higher pressure a little sooner than with a harder primer.
 
When i started reloading a few years back Fed 205's were the only thing i could find in my area. I bought them up and came home happy.

Then i found out that they were horrible for AR's and you should not use them and blah blah blah.

I have shot around 500 out of the 1000 i purchased. No problems here. I likely won't purchase another round of them because i don't like to go against the grain but....

I must say. They are great primers! Very accurate and i will miss them when they are gone.

As a matter of fact i drilled a coyote this morning from 125 yards with some reloads that have been sitting around
for 3 years or so.

Those were loaded with 26.2 grains of W748/ Fed 205's LC 2008 brass on its 4th and final fire all hiding behind Sierra 55gr HPBT Game Kings.

I like those Game Kings.
 
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when I started looking for load data based on real world result for the grendel, a lot of the talk I found in some forums ended up with the fed 205 being the go to primer for that round, it's what those guys had been getting the best results with. and that round is by far most commonly used in an AR platform.
 
fed 205's are great in an ar, shoot them all the time, the ones I watch out for are cci 400's, but a lot of people use those too.
 
I never hear anyone mention the Federal 205M AR primers made for the AR's. What about these? Any accuracy difference from regular 205M's? Wonder why you don't ever hear talk about them?

Jim D
 
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