[grosland]

I returned from my supplier this morning and discovered that I inadvertently purchased 2M Small Pistol Magnum Primers instead of reg. sm. pist. primers. What are the downsides of using these in 9mm, 38 Spcl. & 45 ACP? I do load some 357 & 44 Mag. but not nearly enough to use up this much in my lifetime (besides these don't really require mag primers).

What criteria must I use to safely load these primers in place of regular small pistol primers?

grosland

[ReloaderFred]

You can use them for your regular loads. All you have to do is back off your regular load about 10% and work back up. You probably won't notice a lot of difference between the two primers though. Try a few and see what happens. If your loads aren't at maximum, then you'll be fine. You won't be able to use them in your .44 Magnum or .45 acp loads, since those take large pistol primers.

Back in the mid 1970's, when PPC was all the rage, some reloaders experimented with using magnum small pistol primers for their target loads. They weren't any more accurate and there wasn't any real difference downrange, so the experiment died a natural death.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[DWARREN123]

I seem to have some powder blown out before it ignites, just a very small amount in heavy loaded pistol calibers.

[The Bushmaster]

Try a firmer crimp...That should solve the unburned powder...

[Eljay]

The mag primers may help with some powders in the slower burning range where the charge weight is higher than the fast powders.

[GooseGestapo]

Back a number of years ago in the mid '90's when we had the last "primer scare/shortage", I aquired a large quantity of the small pistol magnum primers. They were Federal.

I used them in midrange .38spl wadcutter and semiwadcutters using Bullseye and Win231.

For my purposes, I couldn't tell the difference. Not even with a chronograph.

[Sunray]

They're no use to you for the .45 or .44. They both use large pistol primers.
I'd take 'em back or just go buy the small pistol primers and work up a .44 load for 'em. Crimping has nothing to do with primers or unburned powder.
Magnum primers burn a bit hotter for a bit longer and are designed to light hard to ignite powders. There's nothing scary or more dangerous about them. They won't hurt anything and you use 'em exactly the same way you do regular primers, but since you'll be changing a component, you'll have to work up the load again.

[grosland]

Thanks, guys. I'm using them for plinking / practice rounds and load in the low to mid range of the listed charge quantities. I just loaded some 9mm and will check them out next week.
grosland.