45 SPP V LPP

cardinalorange · Oct 12, 2020

Hi-

Looking to reload a couple thousand 45, and all the information I've found states that there is no real discernable difference between 45 loaded with small pistol primers versus those loaded with large pistol primers. If you were starting out buying brass, which would you buy? I'm leaning towards SPP brass, since 45 would be the only LPP brass I reload- but is there any reason to stick towards the "traditional" LPP brass? I'll be shooting win SPP with HP38 behind a 230gr FMJ.

sequins · Oct 12, 2020

Tough question. In the long run all 45acp will be SPP but right now only two brands seem to churn it out- Blazer & Federal. I personally only care in that I don't want a mixed lot... unfortunately I scrounge range brass so I can't help but wind up with both.

If I wasn't scrounging and only reloading my own cases, I hate to say it but I might go small.

BBarn · Oct 12, 2020

I've too have read test articles claiming little discernible difference between large and small primers in the 45 Auto. But I seem to experience more variation with light loads using fast powders when small primers are used. Within a lot of ammunition using the same case, same small primer, and same powder & charge I often experience some rounds that work just fine while others are noticeably light and fail to cycle the slide completely. I don't see those variations and issues with my large primer reloads.

My experiences suggest that there is a significant difference between large and small primers in the 45 Auto.

Howland937 · Oct 12, 2020

I haven't started loading .45acp yet, but will be soon. I've still got a lot of factory stuff and have other more pressing needs. I did sort and clean all the LPP .45 brass I had with the intent of loading them. My reasoning is that I can always go back to the SPP brass I have if needed, but SP primers I have on hand can be dedicated to 9mm and .380, LP primers to .45 and SR primers to .38 Super. In theory I'll get to shoot more without having to buy more stuff when it's hard to find.

9mmepiphany · Oct 12, 2020

Especially if .45ACP is the only cartridge you are loading that uses LPP, I wouldn't hesitate to start out with SPP. It is much easier to just buy one size of primer...I usually buy in lots of 10k..., you don't have to change your priming system when switching over, and most systems the load primer tubes are geared toward SPP.

A little discussed advantage of of loading .45ACP with SPP is that if a LPP case sneaks in, you don't mangle a priming trying to seat the wrong size. Another thing is that other .45ACP shooters will often willingly give you their SPP cases...I just got 2k this way.

I've traded away most my LPP .45ACP cases, with the exception of my Starline pile

sevt_chevelle · Oct 12, 2020

If I had to do it again I would have went with SPP, but instead when I first started doing 45 I bought about 10k worth of LPP.

Blue68f100 · Oct 12, 2020

SP are the first to disappear where the LP was available a little longer. I started out with the LP, which is all I use. I do keep the SP just encase I run out. You will give up about 15-25 fps with the SP.

Roblee1675 · Oct 12, 2020

Blue68f100 said:
SP are the first to disappear where the LP was available a little longer. I started out with the LP, which is all I use. I do keep the SP just encase I run out. You will give up about 15-25 fps with the SP.

I would use only LPP easier to find in stores and if you purchase Starline brass there 45 ACP only comes with LPP

AJC1 · Oct 12, 2020

This is mostly dependent on your primer situation IMO. I shoot both for just this reason. I was loading and shooting spp until this latest panic. Now I have options and I was buying the lonely lpp while they sat next to empty spp bins.

Toprudder · Oct 12, 2020

Most powders will show about 30fps less velocity with standard small primers vs large primers. I have seen a few powders that were very sensitive to primer size, as much as 200 fps or more difference. I started a thread not long ago about Sport Pistol powder and the large variations in velocity I saw.

As a result of the testing I have done, I generally use small magnum primers as they are closer to large primers in performance. I normally prefer using small primer brass, but lately I have been using large primer brass since I have more large primers than small, and small primers are harder to find right now.

Dudedog · Oct 12, 2020

Most powders will show about 30fps less velocity with standard small primers vs large primers

That is about what I have seen as well.
Both seem to shoot well for me.

Get whichever flavor you have primers for.
SP is nice so you don't have have to have LPs if you are not loading anything else that uses them, right now you might have better luck finding LPs compared to SPs.

Even though they shoot about the same .45 ACP brass should be LP

so I like the LP ones better.

As noted trying to put an SP in a LP case does not work to well, it's not as bad as the other way around, LPs just don't seem to fit in SP cases, tried a couple times, never got it to work

Charlie98 · Oct 13, 2020

AJC1 said:
This is mostly dependent on your primer situation IMO. I shoot both for just this reason.

Exactly right... I just bought about 3K SPP .45ACP cases because I have 5K+ SPP primers just setting around doing nothing, and I have been drawing down my LPP stash loading .41's and .45's. In reality, I use them when the likelihood of recovering my brass is low... think indoor ranges, or in mud or tall grass, etc.

I haven't did a side-by-side comparo between the two... I guess I'll just have to do that to see.

45 SPP V LPP

cardinalorange

Member

sequins

Member

BBarn

Member

Howland937

Member

9mmepiphany

Moderator

sevt_chevelle

Member

Blue68f100

Member

Roblee1675

Member

AJC1

Member

Toprudder

Member

Dudedog

Contributing Member

Charlie98

Member

Similar threads