Primer Substitute for .38 Super Recipe?

[Swifty Morgan]

I have a bunch of 124-grain .38 Super Laser-Cast bullets, and I have No. 7 powder. My only recipe calls for Winchester small pistol primers. It's impossible to find these primers right now, maybe because of the Obama hysteria.

I'd like to know which brand of small pistol primers is most easily available these days, and whether I can get away with substituting brands other than Winchester. Here's the recipe:

LOA: 1.220"
No.7 powder: 8.1-9.0 grains (1095 fps - 1244 fps)
Winchester small pistol primer

I use these in a year-old Colt Gov't Model, if it matters. Just for the range.

Forgot to add: I managed to find Federal primers, so if those will work, I'm fine.

 

[snuffy]

You could use small rifle primers, if they're more available than SP. Some loaders, like the IPSC boys, se SR primers all the time. Your colt 1911 should be able to reliably set them off.

 

[Sunray]

Use the Federals. The Winchesters were just what the ballistics engineers used when they developed the load. There might be some minor velocity differences, but there's no danger. If you go to Winchester primers down the road, you'll have to work up the load again though.

 

[tunnug]

One thing I have noticed is that primer type (magnum/regular) is the only time that'll make a difference when it comes to handguns, the vel/burn time will hardly be noticed and or affected by using different brand primers.

 

[bullseye308]

Use whatever pistol primers you can find, just remember to start low and work back up to where you want to be.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

Thanks for the advice. I don't have a chronograph, so I'm kind of limited in the chances I can take.

Let me ask another question. I made a bunch of .357 rounds using No. 7 and Winchester small pistol primers. The gun I made them for is an old 27-2 on which I put a weaker spring because the trigger pull was ridiculous. The ammunition was worthless. Some rounds fell on the ground after leaving the gun. I figured I had charged them incorrectly and would have to take them all apart.

While I was trying to find primers on the web, I learned that some people have complained about Winchester primers being hard to set off. Is it possible that my problem could have been caused by the Winchester primers and the new spring? I have a 686+, so I suppose I could try shooting them from that gun instead of taking them all apart.

 

[Jim Watson]

Some rounds fell on the ground after leaving the gun.

Do you mean the BULLETS fell on the ground after leaving the muzzle of the gun?

If so you have worse problems than the brand of primer and misfires from an understrength mainspring.

 

[Walkalong]

On my light .38 Super load in my comped gun, the brass just falls to the ground, but the 125 Gr bullets zip out of there around 1200 FPS.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

stevehgraham,
I'm not sure what you are saying when you said, "Some rounds fell on the ground after leaving the gun" but if you are having trouble with light hammer strikes because of light springs in your revolver those Federal primers will cure that too. Federal primers are used by most competition shooters because they are the softest. MagTech primers are also "soft" whereas CCI primers are supposed to be the hardest of them all.

 

[Swifty Morgan]

It was pretty weird. I was shooting at 7 yards. Some bullets hit the target a few inches low, and some dropped so much they didn't make it to the target. I quit after a few rounds and brought the ammunition home.

 

[Walkalong]

It was pretty weird. ........Some bullets hit the target a few inches low, and some ....... didn't make it to the target.

That is strange. Didn't drop some #9 in there did you?

 

[Swifty Morgan]

I figured they were just undercharged. I guess I should open a few and weigh the powder.