Rifle vs Pistol Primers
- Thread starter rightside
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wgaynor
Member
I use started using small rifle primers in place of small pistol primers during the not-so-distant shortage. There are two drawbacks. One, is that they may require a harder strike from the firing pin/striker/hammer than is normal from a pistol. Two is that they may ignite a bit hotter (not sure about either one).
To be safe, i started my loads at the minimum and worked up.
NEVER USE PISTOL PRIMERS IN PLACE OF RIFLE PRIMERS. <------------!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To be safe, i started my loads at the minimum and worked up.
NEVER USE PISTOL PRIMERS IN PLACE OF RIFLE PRIMERS. <------------!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scimmia
Member
Small, yes. They are the same dimensions and work fine, they are similar or the same as small pistol magnum primers. Large rifle primers are deeper than large pistol primers, so you probalby couldn't fully seat them in pistol brass.
Jim Watson
Member
Lots of IPSC shooters use small rifle primers in their overloaded .38 Supers to light off the large powder charge and not perforate at the high pressures.
I used SR in standard 9mm during the Obama Primer Panic. They all fired.
Large rifle primers are taller than large pistol and may not seat flush in a pistol primer pocket. Not recommended.
I used SR in standard 9mm during the Obama Primer Panic. They all fired.
Large rifle primers are taller than large pistol and may not seat flush in a pistol primer pocket. Not recommended.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
looks like there's nothing left here to do. Small rifle yes, large rifle no...
longdayjake
Member
It depends on the primer. I bought some wolf 5.56 primers that are too hard to go off in most any pistol that I have shot them through. Now I'm thinking I need to buy a 9mm AR to shoot off the 800 rounds I made.
Hondo 60
Member
I tried 1 small rifle primer & my S&W Model 10 refused to set it off.
gamestalker
member
During the little shortage, I tried substituting standard primers for magnum and didn't get very good results. But so far as pistol v.s. rifle, I've never tried it before. I've since stocked up well so I won't find myself running out when the next panic induced shortage happens.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
Primers are supposed to seat slightly below flush with the case, not completely flush. You might have crushed the primer slightly but they will probably fire fine anyway.
Grumulkin
Member
I have used large rifle primers in handgun loads with no issues except the powder charge may need to be reduced a bit with large rifle primers and WILL need to be reduced with large rifle magnum primers.
FROGO207
Member
I use the small rifle in my Ruger BH 357 loads as the hammer strike is good enough to light them off. I also use them in my 9MM loads for the BH with 9MM cylinder, also the 9MM rounds that are loaded hot for my MP40 ammo. The regular 9MM pistols need pistol primers as they will not light off with rifle primers. Pistol primers will not handle the pressures of rifle rounds without rupturing. I have a 500 S&W and the brass has both LR and LP primer type. The LR primers will not seat properly in the cases that need the LP primers. They sit proud and might fire upon loading so my advice is to not use large size primers for the wrong application either way. As noted some substitutions are able to be done but it is always better to use the intended component for the round as that will always produce safe ammo. YMMV
After a closer look and comparing the rifle primers to pistol primers I loaded, the rifle primers do (as some mentioned) sit just a hair high.
I did shoot the few loads I had made using rifle primers and they all fired fine 100%. I did inspect the cases after using both rifle/pistol primers and the only difference I can see is the depth of the firing pin strike.
With a boat load of rifle primers I am glad to use some of them up on my pistol loads.
Thanks
I did shoot the few loads I had made using rifle primers and they all fired fine 100%. I did inspect the cases after using both rifle/pistol primers and the only difference I can see is the depth of the firing pin strike.
With a boat load of rifle primers I am glad to use some of them up on my pistol loads.
Thanks
zxcvbob
Member
Large rifle primers are taller than large pistol primers. This is a bad thing in both directions. Don't substitute them.
Small primers are all the same size. I use SR primers in .357 Magnum and 9mm if I'm low on SP primers or just bought a bunch of SR's cheap -- save my SP primers for .38, .380, etc.
Small primers are all the same size. I use SR primers in .357 Magnum and 9mm if I'm low on SP primers or just bought a bunch of SR's cheap -- save my SP primers for .38, .380, etc.
ArchAngelCD
Member.
rightside,
Don't you know anyone who might want to trade primers with you?
Don't you know anyone who might want to trade primers with you?
Say what you will. I had a supply of .45ACP brass that was imported, and featured deeper primer pockets that when loaded with LP primers would often not fire, no matter what gun they were shot through. I solved the issue by using large rifle primers, and never had any trouble. Most of those reloads were shot in a carbine that had a blow-back action, and the brass was usually beat pretty hard. A few 1911's also ate it up with no problems, and it was perfect ammo to take to classes and events where the brass was not easily recovered.
I will probably end up trading or keeping for future use the LRP and getting LPP for my pistols. Just to be sure......
Thanks
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