The change to Non-Toxic primers was the result of demands from the consumers, particularly those who only get to shoot on indoor ranges. Some indoor ranges were built many years ago, with inadaquate ventilation, and there were some serious cases of high lead levels in the blood of both shooters and employees. There were also large police departments and the military who demanded it. It was determined that the source of the high lead levels was two fold, the lead styphnate in primers, and the exposed lead at the base of the bullets.
This resulted in more common use of plated bullets, with no lead exposed, and lead free primers. As has been explained many times on this board, and others, the transition to lead free primers wasn't without it's difficulties. It went through several attempts to come up with a combination that worked, and the small pistol primer was the answer in the .45 acp, which really never required a large primer in the first place, since the volume of the case is relatively small and it's a low pressure round. In 1905, when John Browning invented the .45 acp for his new pistol, large primers were used in large cases, period.
The small pistol primers weren't used in .45 acp to screw anyone over, or to make life difficult for reloaders. It was done out of necessity. It was harder for the manufacturers to retool their brass making, and loading lines, than it is for reloaders to sort through their brass for the occasional small pistol primed case. It was also much more expensive for them.
If it weren't for the internet, most shooters would just either ignore them, or use them, without a bunch of complaining to other anonymous shooters..........
Hope this helps.
Fred