can you use LR primes in 45 ACP

LR primers are taller than LP primers... only by roughly .01" but that's enough.

Always heard LR primers were taller than LP. High primers are not good.

I use LR Magnum and LR Standard primers all the time for 45 acp wax bullet loads, with the flash hole drilled out to1/8".... and I've never had one that was proud of the case after properly seating the LR primer.

BUT ... I've never used LR primers in a pistol case shooting "real" ammunition.

If its TEOTWAWKI I would probably do it, with a slightly reduced load, and double checked for high primers.

I've been experimenting using drilled out 9 x19 cases with 209 shotgun primers ... loaded with wax projectiles... so I might not be the right person to ask

The fact that LR primers are slightly taller than LP primers is not an issue at all.

There are two issues you might consider. Some pistols don't strike the firing pin hard enough to ignite LR primers consistently. You will also probably have to reduce the powder charge by a grain or two.

There is no need to drill the flash holes larger for regular loads though you do if shooting wax or rubber bullets.

There is concern that the higher seated (protruding) LRPs might allow slam fires.

No. They are bigger.

Looking at the dimensions... the maximum height of a LP primer is the minimum height of a LR primer, so it gets worse from there. I think it's a bad idea. I suppose you could cut the primer pocket to accommodate the taller primer, but I don't know if that's such a hot idea, either. I would not willingly load and shoot high primers in any auto I have, and most high primers won't even allow a revolver cylinder to close... at least one that is built with reasonable tolerances.

So, actually they probably may or may not work or not work!
Lafitte

If you crush the large rifle primers .008" they will be flush. Large rifle primers are .123"-.133" tall and large pistol primers are .115"-.125". You could measure all your large rifle primers to find some on the short side of the tolerance, and measure the depth of the primer pockets to find some on the deep side and be safe. Some get away with using tall primers, but that .008" will make a difference in some guns.

I am running low on large pistol primers, so I just bought a few hundred 45 ACP small primed cases. I have plenty of 44 Mag and 45 Colt handloads and primed brass to last quite a while...
















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stoney1666 said:

so the answer is MAYBE

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I've never tried it, but given the feed back from above, "MAYBE shouldn't" is probably the best course of action. Use them as trade bait to get what you need. A lot of people are crying for LPP.

PS, after this evening, things will be better......or a lot worse

Nature Boy said:

PS, after this evening, things will be better......or a lot worse

Click to expand...

Yep. I put off building another AR until... tomorrow. Either I'll be able to, or I won't.

I just recently tried LRPs in 45 Colt loads. I used two different 454 Casull chambered revolvers, a BFR and a Raging Bull. I seated the primers extra firmly and double checked them for depth, so all primers were flush or below. The loads were using slow powder and around 25 kpsi in guns rated for double that pressure, so all was safe. I started with the BFR, and only 2 out of the first 5 went off. There were three very nervous 30 second waits for possible hang-fires before unloading the cylinder. The three that did not go off were reloaded one at a time, and not one of them fired with a second try. So then I loaded up the Raging Bull, and every one of the remaining 18 rounds went off the first time, including the three that didn't fire with two hammer falls each from the BFR. Like any thing else in reloading, you can make it safe by careful observation and attention to details, but the gun platform does indeed make a difference.

Something to consider when using revolvers is that nice recoil plate .... behind the cylinder ?
With the LR primer protruding ever so little... you are going to scratch the face of that plate as the cylinder turns.
1911 guns , Slam fires will occur. It's only a matter of time. Apply sense , LR. Only For Rifles.

LR = laugh ready , in handgun catridges.

stoney1666 said:

so the answer is MAYBE

Click to expand...

Nope. The answer is the large rifle primers and the large rifle primer pockets are different than the large pistol primers and primer pockets. I haven't been visited by the Reloading Police in a very long time, and nobody is going to look over your shoulder when you use large rifles in your large pistol applications. Ninety nine percent of the answers say "NO", and reasons are given. But if you want to stuff an oversize primer in a short pocket, try it. It's your guns, your time and your money...