MLKeith
I will try to address your remarks in the order you presented them, and please do not think I am down grading your efforts or the 25 conversion.
It is also possible to insert them in the T/C loader that is intended for 209's.
This is agreed to and understood.
I had some problem with the 209's not wanting to come out of my Omega. Some fall out some do not. The ones that fall out can get trapped in the trigger housing and that can be a problem.
As I do not shoot an Omega, and you can not find many of them here in the Northwest, I am unaware of this problem. This problem alone could justify the move to the 25 acp.
I can also carry the .25 cases loose in a pocket which I do not feel comfortable doing that with the 209 primers as they are easier to set off with a fall on a rock.
I agree do not carry the 209's loose in any pocket and that is one of my points,carry them in a capper. The primer is protected from any kind of contact. It allows you to load your breech plug by inserting the 209 directly into the plug with a mechanical device no fingers involed - do it with gloves on if you choose. The end of the capper also contured to reach/insert into the the spent 209 and flip it out.
I could not find any of the 209-4 primers in the Phoenix valley and no one could even verify that they existed. I understand that the "new" remington is probably the old 209-4 so it is now available but at a very high price at Walmart which is the only place I can find them
I am unsure also about the state of the 209-4, and I agreeit would be very difficult for me to purchase those high priced ML 209's, either Remington or Winchester. I bought a couple of 1000 of then a couple of years ago. I will follow up with Remington to find the status of the 209-4, the last time I talked to them they were still being made but that was several months ago. I do have an alternative to the 209-4, Cheddite makes an excellent coller 209 cap that I do use for trap shooting, but again Cheddites are getting harder to come by because they are French. Cayugad and several others have found good luck with either a CCI or a Winchester I cannot remember which, but a quick PM to Cayugad would take care of that.
My Omega is a crud ring master. It makes such a bad ring with 777 in any form that I have finally stopped trying to use the stuff. I get very good results with Black Mag'3 and it too is pretty steep in price.
I understand that 777 can and does cause the "crud ring" and that a cooler primer is suppose to eliminate that. I am not sure that is the correct diagnosis of the problem. And as stated to you I do not battle that fight. And that really is not totally the truth, on the very forst shot on a cleaned and lightly oiled barrel I will get the beginnings of a "crud ring." My personal thoughts is it the results of oil baking at the ignition point. After the iniatial shot I do feel the "crud ring" again even after 30/40 shots at the range(rock pit).
I have read several of your posts on Greybeard about your preference for BM3 and again I do want to pay that much so I will stick with t7 only because it is working for me. Fouling doesn't seem to present me a problem for several rounds. One of the things I want to do is shoot as many shots as I can to see what that number might be - I know I have loaded 3 shots in a row with no difficulties. Again I think this is a part of my barrel treatment routine.
I guess it is a personal thing but the 25 works great for me. I have not have any ignition problems with the conversion.
And that to me is a quality answer. My only disappointment was or is when people justify the conversion for "handling" ease. I face the same problem when I try to share my barrel cleaning routine - it is not accepted by many but it sure works for me and has for along time.
I am sure you have had experiance with a 209 capper but I am goingto include a picture of the capper I use. Ignore the 20 gauge shell and weather shroud in the picture the picture was for someone else.
