Using a regular small pistol primer vs magnum primer.

[gonoles_1980]

I have been using 6.9 gr of HS-6 with a 158 gr LSWC in my 5.5" barrel SA 357. Makes for a nice fun load to shoot. I am down to 60 small pistol magnum primers. I wrote Hodgdon and asked them if I could use regular small pistol primers with the above load, they responded saying yes, but I would lose performance. Has anyone else tried this? What is the loss of performance if you have? I'm going to load up six rounds and give it a try when I go to the range later next month.

 

[Blue68f100]

Ball powders preform better with Mag primers so you may have more variations (SD) in you velocity. This all depends on where your at in the load table.

Best to test for your self to see if there is a difference.

 

[243winxb]

With HS-6, in 38 spec, there was always residue left over using WSPM primers . I would guess more with standard primers. (Revolvers, muzzle up to extract)

 

[PO2Hammer]

With HS-6 you are certain to loose some performance, just hard to quantify.
A good crimp really helps with HS-6.

 

[Toprudder]

Consider using small rifle primers.

 

[DukeConnor]

bet you won't notice the difference

 

[gonoles_1980]

Went out today shot 15 with small pistol magnum primers and 15 with regular small pistol primers, 158 gr LSWC coated, taper crimp, 6.9gr HS-6, SA 357 5.5" barrel. I mixed the bullets so every other one would be a regular and magnum. I could tell a very slight different in feel and sound, didn't really affect accuracy. Wouldn't call it a scientific test, but I'm happy with the results.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Using a regular small pistol primer vs magnum primer

Standard small pistol primers in general have thinner primer cups and less priming mixture than the magnum small pistol primers.
For practical purposes magnum small pistol primers are the same or similar to the standard small rifle primers from the same manufacturer.

Testing reassembly of the firing mechanism of a compact striker fired pistol (Ruger PC9s) using an empty 9mm cartridge case with a CCI magnum small pistol primer (and hearing protection with my cat out of the room), I got dimpled primer no fire. I pulled the bullet from a standard 9mm factory round and dumped the powder: I got positive ignition from presumably a standard small pistol primer.

Luck for me the pistols I reload for (C96 Mauser, Ruger Security Six) have heavy hammers and strong hammersprings and fire magnum small pistol and standard small rifle primers consistently. And they have fired small pistol primers just fine also.

My concern in this primer shortage would be people short of standard small pistol primers switching to small pistol magnum primers or small rifle primers and finding their handgun won't fire magnum pistol or rifle primers due to light firing pin strikes.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Using a regular small pistol primer vs magnum primer

Standard small pistol primers in general have thinner primer cups and less priming mixture than the magnum small pistol primers.
For practical purposes magnum small pistol primers are the same or similar to the standard small rifle primers from the same manufacturer.

Testing reassembly of the firing mechanism of a compact striker fired pistol (Ruger PC9s) using an empty 9mm cartridge case with a CCI magnum small pistol primer (and hearing protection with my cat out of the room), I got dimpled primer no fire. I pulled the bullet from a standard 9mm factory round and dumped the powder: I got positive ignition from presumably a standard small pistol primer.

Luck for me the pistols I reload for (C96 Mauser, Ruger Security Six) have heavy hammers and strong hammersprings and fire magnum small pistol and standard small rifle primers consistently. And they have fired small pistol primers just fine also.

My concern in this primer shortage would be people short of standard small pistol primers switching to small pistol magnum primers or small rifle primers and finding their handgun won't fire magnum pistol or rifle primers due to light firing pin strikes.

My concern is the opposite - people using standard small pistol primers in place of magnum small rifle primers but with the usual (book or what they find on the internet) magnum rifle loads. A standard small pistol primer will most likely not be able to stand up to that kind of pressure and will fail. Probably with bad results.

 

[kidneyboy]

A standard small pistol primer will most likely not be able to stand up to that kind of pressure and will fail. Probably with bad results.

I'm curious, what happens when a spp fails in this situation?

 

[Blue68f100]

The hot gases will cut the breach face, pitting it. Damaging the gun.

 

[Walkalong]

They can also destroy a firing pin.