Federal 45acp Brass & primers

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Texasgrillchef

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Within the last few months i have started picking up Federal 45acp brass from several local ranges i frequent.

What i have noticed is about 60% of the Federal 45acp brass uses small pistol primers and the other 40% of the cases are using large pistol primers.

I have noticed no difference in the headstamps of the cases. They are identical. As far as the age of the brass goes, they both look brand new. Shiny brass, headstamp is clear and well defined.

Whats the story on this? Maybe one is +P and the other is standard load? With the +P load using large pistol primers?

All other 45acp brass uses large pistol primers.

I have been using 45acp ammo for years. Never used Federal ammo though and have never noticed this before.
 
45ACP since the beginning, until recently has always been LP primers. I've only started to come across a few Federal with SP primers....more commonly for me it's Blazer brass that I find with them. First noticed with Win NT (non-toxic) about 10 years ago. Regardless I don't save them since I have plenty of 45ACP but nothing wrong with using them - just keep them separated to avoid headache when priming.
 
These cases are subject to some mild cussing. This brass does not do well in a 550. Somebody, at range early in the morning cleans up what little brass there is. What has happened is there is no brass to speak of that's reloadable.
 
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Some people prefer the small primer .45 brass, say it's a hair more accurate. I know I am not good enough to tell, and since I have buckets of LP .45 ACP brass, and I don't see much SP, I leave it lay.
 
When I pickup brass and once in a while get some small primer brass I just throw it out ,don't want to get them mixed in with large primer brass. At one time awhile back I worked up some loads using small primer brass and they were about the same in accuracy as large primer brass at least for me anyway. But I don't run across enough of the small primer stuff to make it worth keeping them separated so I just try not to even pick them up any more.
 
I don't dislike the SPP 45 Brass but I didn't used to load it. Now I save it all for use at lost brass matches and lost brass indoor ranges. (although very very rare these days)

I know several reloaders who load mostly for the 9mm and 45 Auto and they love the SPP 45s because they don't have to change their primer system on their progressive press when loading both. That would make me like it if I were loading on a progressive press!
 
I’m one of those reloaders that does like SPP 45 brass. I only load for 9mm and 45 and don’t like changing the priming system on my progressive press. I have only seen the spp on Blazer brass, which, when I do buy 45, that’s what I get for range fodder.
 
Texasgrillchef said:
Within the last few months i have started picking up Federal 45acp brass from several local ranges i frequent.

What i have noticed is about 60% of the Federal 45acp brass uses small pistol primers and the other 40% of the cases are using large pistol primers.

I have noticed no difference in the headstamps of the cases. They are identical. As far as the age of the brass goes, they both look brand new. Shiny brass, headstamp is clear and well defined.

Whats the story on this? Maybe one is +P and the other is standard load? With the +P load using large pistol primers?

All other 45acp brass uses large pistol primers.

I have been using 45acp ammo for years. Never used Federal ammo though and have never noticed this before.
Click to expand...

To answer your question the brass is probably their Non Toxic ammo with leaf free primers. Other brands also have SPP.

https://www.federalpremium.com/prod...e/american-eagle-indoor-range-training/ae45n1
 
Mowgli Terry said:
These cases are subject to some mild cussing. This brass does not do well in a 550. Somebody, at range early in the morning cleans up what little brass there is. What has happened is there is no brass to speak of that's reloadable.
Click to expand...
I don't have any problems loading Federal LPP brass in my 550. The only brass I avoid is S&B brass of any type.

Bill
 
I was just wondering, 90% of all brass i pick up is LP brass. The only SP brass i see is from Federal. I was Just wondering what the diff and why I came across two different types of Federal Brass. All the Blazer brass i come across has all been LP Brass.

When i get home and sort brass from all the calibers that i sweep up. I discard the Federal SP brass and send it along with all other unused brass to the recycler.
 
BCR#1 said:
I don't have any problems loading Federal LPP brass in my 550. The only brass I avoid is S&B brass of any type.
Click to expand...
We were speaking about the Federal cases that use small pistol primers. When these cases get mixed in with those for those using large pistol primers one loses the cadence on the 550. PIA. Subject to harsh talk etc.
 
Until I got set up to reload 45acp I was buying Federal factory ammo at Wally World. If I bought 50 round boxes they were SP. If I bought 100 boxes they were LP. I have no idea why.
 
About 3 years ago I did my own test 45 ACP large vs. small primers. Blazer and Federal brass were the only small primed ones I could find for sale. I tested three loads with two different bullets same loads in both small and large primed brass. I loaded and shot about 80 rounds of each. My conclusion; not enough difference in accuracy, function in two different guns to matter. So, the only problem with small pistol primers in 45 ACP is for those that "forget" to inspect their brass and get a small primed case stuck in their progressive press'es priming station...
 
frogfurr said:
Until I got set up to reload 45acp I was buying Federal factory ammo at Wally World. If I bought 50 round boxes they were SP. If I bought 100 boxes they were LP. I have no idea why.
Click to expand...
I know from personal experience that Federal sells American Eagle 45 Auto ammo with LP and SP primers in identical 100 round boxes. I contacted Federal to ask if there is a way to differentiate between the LP and SP ammo by looking at the box and the answer was "No there is no way to tell the difference."
 
higgite said:
I know from personal experience that Federal sells American Eagle 45 Auto ammo with LP and SP primers in identical 100 round boxes. I contacted Federal to ask if there is a way to differentiate between the LP and SP ammo by looking at the box and the answer was "No there is no way to tell the difference."
Click to expand...

Figures! It would be nice if they would just choose one format. It would make more sense if they used it for +P or a specific bullet type.

Makes ya wonder what their factory floor is like. And how often they get the wrong brass in the wrong machine because someone wasnt paying attention.

I started out 10 months ago with 500 starline, 1000 winchester and 500 ausa brass. I fire at 3 ranges. My property and 2 commercial ranges. I fire off maybe 200-300 rounds a week. I pick up my own brass as well as sweep up extras at the other two ranges. Of course brass gets lost or damaged too.

After 10 months, I havent used any of the starline yet, down to about 700 of the winchester, 300 of the Asua, but have picked up about 650 Fiocchi, 200 Blazer, 200 GFI, 400 LP Federal (discarded the SP federal) and 300 Remington, and 200 misc brand from about 3 or 4 other companies.

One commercial range only sells Fiocchi so thats easy to pickup! Since i have collected so much LP brass i discard the SP brass.

Now i just pickup my own brass and dont really collect the other brass. I might if i start getting low again. I try to pick up at least equal amount to what i shot.

I actually think i loose more brass on my own shooting range in the dirt and mudd then i do at the commercial ranges.
 
Loading SPP .45ACP has quite a few advantages.

1. Don't have to switch the priming system on your progressive press
2. Only have to keep one primer size on hand
3. When a LPP sneaks onto the press, you don't ruin the primer when trying to prime with the wrong size primer. The SPP goes into the LPP pocket and there is no resistance felt. You life the case and the primer is still in the feed ready for the next case.
4. It is easy to get SPP cases from other .45ACP reloaders. I have collected about 1k cases of SPP Blazer .45ACP and maybe 200 SPP Federal
 
I don't see this big hoopla about these SP 45 ACP cases. It does well to check one's brass anyway. I have not seen enough of this brass to really get my knickers in a twist. Sure, I have had to pull a few out of the 550. This is not the end of the world. Around here, there has not been enough of these cases to warrant setting up for small primers. YMMV
 
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I have a couple of.45 pistols that are picky about feeding, so I have to sort my brass anyway. I just sort out the SPP brass while checking headstamps.

And I won’t buy Federal.45acp because of their crazy primer situation. I try not to buy ammo anyway, that’s why I reload! ; >)
 
I don't take anything for granted when reloading, like every case will be in perfect condition for reloading. I inspect every case I reload. I scrounge brass at the "range' and when I pick up a piece, I'll glance at the headtamp/head and general overall condition, 1/2 second. If I don't care for the mfg. or see a flattened primer, or misshaped case, I'll just drop it. I clean most of my brass and check it again with a closer visual inspection. By this time I've rooted out 99.9% of the unusable brass, including small pistol primed 45 ACP brass. Although I'll keep that too, just separate...
 
I finally got 100 spp 45s and loaded them up and loaded 100 lpp, next time I go to the range I will try them out in my shields. I used 200gr bullets instead of the 230gr I normally load. I prime off press so as long as I catch them I don't mind.
 
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