[obxflea]

What is the difference between small rifle and small pistol primers? Are the small rifle primers hotter than the small pistol? Can you use small rifle primers for reloading pistol cartridges? We have alot of small rifle at the house and no longer have a use for them. Thanks for your help, Lee.

[ranger335v]

Pistols have a weaker striker mechanism than rifles so pistol caps have thinner walls and, IIRC, small rifle caps are few thousants longer than pistol caps. Make the swap if you wish and see what happens. If they fit you are likely to get a high percentage of misfires but it will be safe enough.

[Walkalong]

Small rifle primers will fit where small pistol primers are intended. They are more powerful and you have to work up the load with them.

They are not necessarily as accurate in applications intended for small pistol. I have tried them in a couple of calibers and was not impressed. That said, there are specialized applications where small rifle primers are used in the place of small pistol. Hot rodded .38 Super to name one.

As ranger335v already posted, small rifle primers have thicker cups to withstand rifle pressures and can cause ignition problems in some guns.

[454PB]

Small pistol primers can rupture when used in high pressure rifle loads because of the thinner cup. Keep pressures below about 45K and you should be fine.

[1858rem]

when i was up at the gun shop getting some primers i saw one pack with a bright green sticker on it so i grabbed it:D, turned out to be mag small primers... for a dollar less too, but the .38 only needed regular small primers... well i set em back down got a few WLP's an looked around a bit more on my way out i thought i got the WSP' but they were the WSPM i got.....and ummm i already loaded up a hundred medium velocity rounds, is this gonna make dangerous pressures or anything like that:uhoh:?

[NavyLCDR]

got the WSP' but they were the WSPM i got.....and ummm i already loaded up a hundred medium velocity rounds, is this gonna make dangerous pressures or anything like that?

What caliber? If you were middle of the road on the loading data, you should be fine. I'd shoot them.

[1858rem]

it was for a .38 ctg, but yah if thats ok i might get some more @ 2.69/100 it was pretty cheap :D

[Remo-99]

The two issues are (1) whether your pistol firing pin will have enough force to set rifle primers off consistantly or not.
(2) rifle primers often contain more priming compound, for igniting the slower rifle powders. But if hot loads are worked up with them, then thats sorted.

[ar10]

I wouldn't. They operate at different pressure levels, as well as cup hardness.

[ar10]

when i was up at the gun shop getting some primers i saw one pack with a bright green sticker on it so i grabbed it, turned out to be mag small primers... for a dollar less too, but the .38 only needed regular small primers... well i set em back down got a few WLP's an looked around a bit more on my way out i thought i got the WSP' but they were the WSPM i got.....and ummm i already loaded up a hundred medium velocity rounds, is this gonna make dangerous pressures or anything like that?

I believe you need to reduce the powder load by 5%. I'm pretty sure that's what was recommended. Maybe someone with a reloading manual can clarify it.