9mm and .223 Primers

[millertyme]

Anyone out there use the same primer for both? If so, care to share your load data? I'm back in "consolidation mode" and looking to offload a caliber or two and thought while I was at it I might as well down-size the reloading portion of my stuff. I know I still need to use different powders and all, just thought that I could either go one way or the other with the primers.

 

[TeamPrecisionIT]

It would be iffy due to the difference in hardness of the primer cups. This may be one of the places where you just can't cut a corner, but I have been proven wrong before.

Damian

 

[TonyAngel]

It depends on what primers you use to load .223. If you use the really hard cup primers, your handgun may have a problem setting them off. Standard small rifle primer probably won't be a problem. When I shot steel and USPSA, lots of guys shooting .38 super and 9X23, etc. were using rifle primers to prevent pierced primers and excessive primer flow with hot loads.

If you're going to do this, start from scratch with your loads and work back up. Just don't try this with large pistol and large rifle primers. Rifle primers are taller and you run the high risk of slam fires.

 

[evan price]

Using standard small rifle primers in pistol loads should be OK as long as the gun has not had the springs lightened up on it. Agree about double checking your load if you ae running up towards max already because the rifle primers are a bit hotter, like MAgnum pistol primer.

 

[cougar1717]

Using SR primers in lieu of SP should not be a problem, just work the load back up. Make a small batch to ensure that your pistol will reliably set off the primer. Many people who shoot 9mm major use SR primers in handguns without issue.

 

[TonyT]

A number of shooters shooting 9mm Major in open class guns at USPSA shoots use rifle primers for reloads. They only use once fired brass and do not pick up their brass for reloading.

 

[evan price]

...and that's because once that 9mm brass has done a Major load, it's not WORTH picking up to reload, it's so stretched out it's scrap metal.

 

[fractal7]

I don't know about small rifle primers in pistol rounds, but I would recommend against small pistol primers in rifle rounds. During the shortage I had the same question and basically I found pictures (I googled for a while just now and couldn't find them again) of AR-15 bolt faces that had been seriously damaged because the pistol primers couldn't handle the higher pressures and gasses seeped around the primer.

 

[jcwit]

...and that's because once that 9mm brass has done a Major load, it's not WORTH picking up to reload, it's so stretched out it's scrap metal.

Never heard of pistol brass getting stretched out so far its not worth reloading. Wonder how the guy that does pick it up manages to reload it. Are you talking about the primer pocket? In my 50 years of reloading I've only ever thrown maybe 1/2 doz. pieces of brass away because of loose primer pockets,and 99 % of my brass is range pick-up.

Regarding using using .223 primers for pistol cases, lower your load and work up again, and as long as the springs ignite the primers reliably, go for it.

 

[TonyAngel]

In the USPSA matches that I shot where we left brass, we were leaving the brass because they were "lost brass" matches. At the places where I shot, they did this to speed things up so that they didn't have shooters holding up the line to pick up their brass.

9mm major isn't particularly hard on the brass with a barrel that's been chambered right.

 

[cougar1717]

In all fairness to the OP, I was using 9mm major only as an example of reloaders who use SR primers in lieu of SP. I doubt the OP intends to run 9 major since that was not his question. I'll leave the additional discussion of reloading brass that you know has been used in over-max loads for another thread.

 

[Jim Watson]

I loaded 9mm with small rifle primers during the Post Election Primer Panic with no misfires and no signs of excessive pressure. (But I do not load to maximum, much less Major.)

You might risk misfires if you use true mil-spec primers like CCI #41 but I never had a problem with the regular stuff.

 

[TonyAngel]

Yeah, you do run the risk of misfires. What will you be shooting these out of? If you're shooting a glock or a springfield and have replaced the striker spring with something reduced powder, you might have a little problem. Most guys that ran rifle primers were also running titanium firing pins too. You can always try it and see.

 

[rhubarb]

I have used CCI Small Pistol Mag primers in an AR with moderate loads. They looked no worse for the wear than CCI Small Rifle.

Unfortunately, I had a couple thousand left over when primer prices went down and have been forced to buy a nickel L-Frame .357 to use the rest of them.

On the other hand, with the same load that the SPMag primers withstood, I had pierced primers using Win SR and Wolf SR (not Mag). I used those SR primers in 9mm with no problem.

 

[billybob44]

Small Rifle Primers??

During the primer shortage last year I was able to find Small Rifle but not Small Pistol. I loaded several different 9MM, .38Spl., and .357Mag. loads with the Small Rifle primers with good luck. I backed off the charge about 10% and worked my way back up. No problems at all. Now that they are back, I have gone back to my Small Pistol primed loads. All of my handguns have strong springs, so hard primer cups were not an issue.

 

[Walkalong]

have been forced to buy a nickel L-Frame .357 to use the rest of them.

Don't you hate it when that happens?