45acp Primer Hole Question

[Vacek]

I have cleaned up and resized several hundred 45acp brass I purchased from my gun range... pick up brass they sort and sale. Many of the Winchester brass has flash holes twice the size of the rest. What gives????

 

[atblis]

There are two sizes of pistol primers

Large pistol
and
Small pistol

 

[Walkalong]

As far as flash holes go, they went to small flash holes with the new primer that's good to shoot inside. I forget what they called it. The larger flash holes they had been using caused problems with the new "clean" primer. It makes virtually no difference. Load them and shoot them. I used to segregate them, but no longer do.

Something like that anyway. My brain is still asleep. Bottom line is don't worry about it.

 

[atblis]

Oh, the flash holes. Was thinking pockets obviously. Huh that is interesting.

I thought they were calling them NT (Non Toxic).

 

[jcwit]

He's talking flash holes not primer pockets. Large flash holes means the cases came from the new safe non toxic primers usually used in indoor ranges.

Beat me to it Walkalong!

 

[BigBob3006]

Vacek,

Just my wild guess, but doesn't the +P ammo line of ammo come with a larger than normal sized flash holes? That's the only thing I can think of. Check the face of the case , I think +P would be indicated.

 

[rcmodel]

Winclean NT and other brands of lead-free ammo uses Sm Pistol primers with very large flash holes.

The lead-free primer mix is much more violent then normal primers, and early on, they were causing breech face peening in some guns with Lg primers & small flash holes that built up too much pressure in the primer pocket.

They then went to small primers, 1/8" or larger flash holes, and crimped primer pockets to lower the primer pocket pressure and prevent gun damage from primer set-back.

You can load them normally.
Just don't mix Sm crimped & Lg primer cases in your Dillon case feeder!!!

rc