Magtech vs. RWS Large Rifle Primers: A Reloading Review

With some of the more commonly used brands of primers now in short supply, we are all having to look to other brands that are still available.

How Do Magtech Large Rifle Primers Perform?

The Magtech large rifle primers on test come in trays of 100, with each one in its own compartment for maximum safety. The primers are brass-coloured, and they have two triangular shapes stamped into the cup, which is an unusual feature for a primer. Unlike other brands, the feet of the anvil do not protrude at all from the cup, which is also unusual. This might be why some people report that they do not flip in a primer flipper tray, but during testing, they all turned over without any issue in a Lee Precision tray. They also feed through a priming tool absolutely fine.

The primers seat reliably with a range of tools, including hand-held, press-mounted and bench-mounted types, and require no more pressure than other brands. Once seated, it is clear that the primers sit below flush with the face of the case head, and this is presumably due to the fact that the anvil feet do not project. When the anvil feet of primers do project, seating the primers pushes the feet up inside the cup to varying degrees, but they still contribute a small amount to the depth of the seated primer.

In both .308 Winchester and .45-70 Government calibres, the Magtech primers functioned without any misfires at all, despite them having a thicker primer cup than some other brands.

What Are the Performance and Seating Needs of RWS Primers?

Packed into slightly smaller trays, but still fully protected, the nickel-coated brass RWS primers on test were also large rifle. The anvil feet do stick out slightly, so the primers flip without any issues, and they also feed OK through various priming tools. They seat very easily and actually feel slightly softer than the Magtech, and once they bottom out in the primer pocket, you can feel them compress slightly (when using a hand-priming tool).

Initially seated with a hand-priming tool, the RWS primers did not fire every time. The results were as follows:

 
• Four out of ten primers did not fire on the first attempt.
 
• Three of those four fired on the second strike.
 
• One primer did not fire at all after several attempts.

With the second batch of test rounds, the primers were seated with a bench-mounted tool, and a bit more force, and they all fired first time with no light strikes at all. It is not unusual to have to change your seating method for different brands of primers, and until you find the right tool for a particular brand, any light strikes are usually down to the seating method and not the actual primers.

Final Verdict: Are Magtech and RWS Primers a Good Alternative?

Both RWS and Magtech primers are a good alternative to the more well-known brands that can’t always be tracked down. The initial issue with the RWS brand not firing was soon rectified by using a different seating method, and neither brand had a detrimental effect on the performance of the finished ammunition.

Many thanks to Reloading UK for supplying the primers tested.