Reloading NT .45 acp brass question?

[LightningMan]

I have some NT (Non-Toxic) .45 acp brass and want to reload it. I know that they use small pistol primers, so thats not a problem, but which primers between using small standard or small magnum. For some reason I would think it would be better to use small magnum pistol primers but I've never reloaded these cases. I was hopeing someone might have some knowledge on what works best for these casings. Thanks in advance, LM.

 

[The Bushmaster]

No...Just use Small pistol standard primers. Magnums are not needed. Use the regular data as written in the manuals and go shoot them...

 

[ants]

Comparing NT with small pistol primer versus standard 45acp with large pistol primer, my chrono data came out exactly the same. Don't waste your time and money on magnum primers.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Just load, shoot and repeat as necessary. It's no big deal, so don't fret over it.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[tbtrout]

regular primer and it will shoot just fine. Nt brasss is nice to have on hand so if there are primer shortages you can shoot lg or sm as you find them.

 

[LightningMan]

Thanks for the help folks, I mostly shoot calibers that use small pistol primers which I have several 1000's of them and don't have very much large pistol primers (less than a 1000). I guess my thoughts were that the small primers vs large primers had less primer compound so maybe it would benefit from using mag. primers for a hotter/longer burn to make up for it. Thanks again. LM

 

[BaggerBob]

Slipping Primers

I recnetly reloaded about 100 once-fired non-toxic .45ACP brass, with a moderate charge under a 185-grain bullet. The primers were crimped in, originally. Occasionally, a round would fail to completely cycle the slide. After tumbling, sorting the brass, I discovered several cases were missing the primer! I did not find any lost primers in the tumbler. I checked the pistol, and I discovered MUCH more powder residue than usual in the action. Please be careful with this process...I'm headed to the range to further investigate this. Perhaps there is a good reason why SPEER crimped those SPP babies in the cases originally.

 

[BaggerBob]

Loose Primers in Non-toxic .45 Brass

OK- this just got a little more interesting. I am now repriming the non-toxic .45 SPEER cases. The cases which are missing primers will not hold new primers...the new primers simply fall back out of the primer pocket. Of the cases which still have spent primers, if the is no "feel" as the spent primer is ejected, then the new primers fall out of the primer pocket after a couple of light taps on the benchtop. PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS...something is not "just right" here.

 

[BaggerBob]

Case Inspection Offer

If anyone out there would like to inspect any of these problematic cases, and so perhaps save a member from possible injury or pistol damage, please contact me at [email protected]. I would be happy to send a sample of the cases to anyone interested enough to research this confusion.

 

[ReloaderFred]

I've been loading NT brass from all the manufacturers since they first came out and haven't experienced what you describe. How are you removing the crimp and what brand of primers are you using? These all have a bearing on loose primers.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[tbtrout]

Are you swaging or reaming the crimp? I have not had a problem with mine.

 

[WV_Vizsla]

Just thinking...
Find someone with a numbered drill set to see if there is a GO - NOGO drill rods size that might help with the sorting / measuring. *Tossed all of mine into the recycle bucket years ago before pistol brass was a gold like commodity.

 

[BaggerBob]

ReloaderFred Reply

I am reaming the primer pocket after decapping. The primers in use are Winchester SPP. Thank you for your reply. My concern is that 2-3 of the rounds would fire nicely, and then one would fail to cycle the action. At this point, I am going to "retry" with the cases which seem to be holding the primers snugly. The loose new primers are obvious- two taps of the case base on my bench, and the new primer falls out. Those cases are in my trash bin! Thank you for your reply, RF.

 

[ReloaderFred]

BaggerBob,

I swage the crimps on primer pockets with the RCBS primer pocket swaging tool. I like this method, since it doesn't remove any material from the case.

I haven't had any problem at all with loose primer pockets in any of the NT brass, whether it's large primer or small primer pocketed.

As a matter of routine, whenever I feel a primer go in too easily in any case, I've made a tool that I can stick inside the case and push the primer back out by hand, if it is indeed too loose. Those rounds always go into the recycling buckets, no matter what the caliber.

This is actually the first I've heard of loose primer pockets with the NT brass. The brisance is different with the NT primers, but that alone wouldn't cause primer pockets to loosen, since there isn't enough force in a primer to expand brass that's that thick. The faster brisance is what prompted the enlarged flash holes and crimping to keep them in place. It's also what prompted the use of small pistol primers, which have been used in European .45 acp for many, many years. It is after all a small case.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[The Bushmaster]

Something not right. I've been loading all three NT .45 ACP brass (Win, Fed and Speer) with absolutely no problem...Crimped primer pockets? Not seen them. I must have a lot of the early ones before they started crimping the primer pockets.