Small rifle vs small pistol primers

[orpington]

First, what's the difference?

I seem to have thousands of small pistol primers and have run out of small rifle primers. Is it okay to substitute small pistol primers if being loaded into a small rifle round? I am currently loading .25-20 WCF, and have rifles only in this calibre (was a .25-20 pistol or revolver ever produced)?

I'm guessing that the small pistol primer may be less powerful than a small rifle round, so okay to fire a round with a small pistol primer in rifles and pistols, but only small rifle primers in a rifle???

However, what do commercial ammunition manufacturers load with? Last time I looked, loaded boxes do not state "for pistol use only" or "for rifle use only". A round such as .44-40 is just as likely to be used in a rifle as a revolver.

 

[TonyAngel]

Look at what the load data calls for. Rifle primers are harder and hotter for withstanding the hard strikes of a rifle and igniting considerably more powder. Using pistol primers in a rifle, you may very well get some weird results, if not pierced primers.

 

[Varminterror]

Also importantly - small rifle primer cups are generally tougher than pistol cups, in deference to the much higher maximum pressure they’ll experience. Small pistols are more prone to flow into the firing pin bore or pierce when exposed to rifle cartridge pressures.

Primers are shipping every day. Place your backorder, buy the appropriate component.

 

[Grumulkin]

A .25-20 WCF is not a high pressure cartridge. If I needed to I would use pistol primers for loading for it with hardly a second thought and I highly doubt there would be any problems encountered in doing so.

 

[Demi-human]

For some pistols that can set them off, a rifle primer could be used, with the appropriate load reduction and work up.
This doesn't work the other way around, as stated, too thin. The bolt face will become pitted and etched with gas burns.

I stand corrected, @Grumulkin .
Though my Hornady manual states otherwise, some smaller lower pressure, varmint rounds do use pistol primers.

 

[Lafitte]

In a low pressure round like a 25/20 you will probably never notice the difference.
Lafitte

 

[45 long]

People swear by small pistol primers(CCI)for 22 Hornet with Lil Gun powder.

 

[Demi-human]

CCI do happen to have thicker cups than most in rifle primers. Perhaps this carries over to the pistol primers too?

What pressure does the venerable ok’ girl operate at?

 

[orpington]

All GREAT information. And very welcome...

The only small rifle round I reload for is .25-20. Everything else that I reload for with a small primer is for revolver shooting.

This, now, makes it very easy. No need to reload using small rifle primers anymore, thanks to the insight, and very well the reason why I had so few of these primers around to begin with.

BUT, for a round like .44-40, how do commercial reloading companies load these rounds, as I have never seen a box manufactured that states for use in pistols only, or rifles only, and a round such as this is commonly found in both rifles and pistols?

 

[Random 8]

In a low pressure round such as 25/20, as stated, you should be fine. Depending on your powder selection, you may get better ignition with a hotter primer.

 

[Demi-human]

BUT, for a round like .44-40, how do commercial reloading companies load these rounds, as I have never seen a box manufactured that states for use in pistols only, or rifles only, and a round such as this is commonly found in both rifles and pistols?

Good question...










If the pressure was low enough not to matter, I would load what I had most of, or use up what I wanted gone from stock. That they operate in lightly sprung revolvers would be secondary.