Zirconium powder is a powerful reducing agent and reactive with an oxidizer at elevated temperature to release enough heat to ignite pyrotechnic mixtures. The auto-ignition temperature, ignition temperature within 5 s of zirconium powder and the heat of explosion of the Zr/KClO4 priming composition with different zirconium powders were investigated using thermal analysis techniques. The Zr/KClO4 priming compositions, with different zirconium powders, were pressed into the change holder of a pressure cartridge. The firing characteristics of a pressure cartridge were evaluated by the Bruceton test and its statistical calculation. The data indicate that thermal behavior of Zr/KClO4 priming composition were varied when using different zirconium powders.