Yet Another Post About Small Rifle Primers In Small Pistol Loads

[daddybld]

All:

I have read a number of the posts about using rifle primers in pistol loads. Consensus is using small rifle in small pistol loads is ok (assuming the gun can punch the primer), but not the other way around because of piercing. All of the advice says "work up the load". Can someone tell me in fact whether small rifle primers cause higher pressures than small pistol primers?

I am trying to figure out if a published, minimum load is an ok place to start, or if I need to start lower and work up to that.

Thoughts appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[IPSC_DRL]

I (And many people I know) use SRP in .38 Super loads for the thicker/harder primer cup to reduce the chance of piercing.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I (And many people I know) use SRP in .38 Super loads for the thicker/harder primer cup to reduce the chance of piercing.

It's not just piercing, but primer flow - high pressure pushes primer metal into the firing pin hole, and it gets wiped away when the round slides down during extraction, causing friction, reliability problems, and spent brass that causes your shooting buddies to wonder about your ammo reloading technique.

Plus, it allows inventory of a single primer for Super and fotay.

 

[EddieCoyle]

I am trying to figure out if a published, minimum load is an ok place to start

Yes.

 

[daddybld]

I want to thank you all, especially EddieCoyle, for helping me here. I have some small rifle and small rifle magnnum primers I need to use. I started with a starting load for .38 spcl using 4756 (powder I need to use), using a LFP, seated to the crimp groove. Went to the range, donned my ballistic goggles, and shot the loads. No issues, no signes of over pressure. Thank you.

EddieCoyle - the reloading name you can trust. There should be a commmercial.

 

[Gammon]

It's not just piercing, but primer flow - high pressure pushes primer metal into the firing pin hole, and it gets wiped away when the round slides down during extraction, causing friction, reliability problems, and spent brass that causes your shooting buddies to wonder about your ammo reloading technique.

Plus, it allows inventory of a single primer for Super and fotay.

Why would you want to use rifle primers in .40? Am I missing something?

 

[SJan]

Why would you want to use rifle primers in .40? Am I missing something?

He uses them to make a major power factor load in 38 super, using the same primer in his 40 loads means he only has to buy one brand/size primer

For somebody only loading 40, there is no advantage to using a small rifle primer, other than maybe availability

 

[508MA$$HOLE]

but not the other way around because of piercing.

one time i made 106 rounds of 223. when i finished i noticed the last box of primers i used was small pistol. DOE!!!
so being the curious cat i am i made 4 more rounds with the small pistol primers and took to the range. no problem, no peirced primers. few

 

[Gammon]

He uses them to make a major power factor load in 38 super, using the same primer in his 40 loads means he only has to buy one brand/size primer

For somebody only loading 40, there is no advantage to using a small rifle primer, other than maybe availability

There may be disadvantages. Some striker fired pistols can be rather sensitive to hard primers.

 

[akma]

I have always wondered about using rifle primers in a pistol because I have a batch of Remington small rifle primers that pierce in my standard .223 reloads. Not max powder charge. CCi's do not punch out. There is no primer flow just a cleanly punched out hole where the firing pin hits. I wondered if they were really sm pistol primers mislabeled as sm rifle. What do you think?

 

[EddieCoyle]

I have always wondered about using rifle primers in a pistol because I have a batch of Remington small rifle primers that pierce in my standard .223 reloads. Not max powder charge. CCi's do not punch out. There is no primer flow just a cleanly punched out hole where the firing pin hits. I wondered if they were really sm pistol primers mislabeled as sm rifle. What do you think?

Go ahead and try them in pistol loads.

Start low, work up slowly, and watch for pressure signs.