Small rifle primers in small pistol... The results

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JesseR

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I've been going through small pistol primers like water. Having a number of small rifle I wanted to see what the results would be.

Loaded up some 9mm FMJ with my normal data (4.5gn Titegroup) and ran them through the chrono. Results were 20-30fps faster.

Loaded some lead with 4gn of WST and found 20fps faster.

No case stresses, no case damage of any kind. With such a minimal chance in velocity, I feel safe in loading my pistol the surplus of small rifle (5.56) primers I have.

I wanted to post this because I read on a number if forums a variety of opinions with out any real world experience.

My experience has been good for the first 500 rds of testing.

Anyone else have input?
 

Grumulkin

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I've used large rifle and large rifle magnum primers in a 44 Rem. Mag. with no problem. The load does have to be decreased about 1.5 grains though. All the stuff about primers being too high, etc. in my experience really haven't been true in real life. Some rifle primers are too hard to shoot reliably in some handguns though.
 

mr ed

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I loaded them for years. The only problem I ever had was the primers seemed tougher and a gun with a real light action job would not set them off. A little thicker metal for rifles higher pressures I always assumed?
 

MoBoost

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I've noticed it too - rifle primers are a bit "hotter" and have thicker cap: which brings me to the next point - don't use pistol primers in free-floating firing pin rifles.
 

TonyT

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Small pistol and small rifle primers have the same height and can be interchanged. I have also expereinced about a 15 to 30 fps increase in velocity when using the small rifle primers.
Large rifle primers are higher than large pistol primers and will not readilly interchange - I would not advise attempting to to do. I did try some experimental loads in 45 ACP and there was a ca 30 to 50 fps velocity increase.
 

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