without starting a huge debate, i would like to know if you can use rifle primes in a 357. i will not be to my dealer for awhile and would like to try to work up loads with rifle primers because i use tons of them and only use mag pistol primes in 357. personally i do not think it would be a problem as long as u work up.

Hi Ed, your rifle primers should work fine if your handgun can fire them reliably. Rifle primers are somewhat thicker and harder so they can handle the higher pressure of rifle cartridges compared to pistol primers. Test a few of your rifle primers in empty brass to determine if your pistol will fire them 100% reliably.

Regards,
Richard

Using rifle will raise the CPU on your gun most likely above the maker of the gun that set the CPU in a long run it will show up in more wear on your gun and will need some costly repairs!!! There has been some gun writers that has said this time and time and people will not head to it There is only 4 calbers that use a +p 38 38 super 9mm luger 45 auto then the 257 Roberts This was in Shooting Times July 2012 was the last one I seen it was about +p and over loading. There has been some on using rifle primers in hand gun. Most of the new powder does not call for mag primers! If it is a slow burn powder then mag is called for use your load book and you will not go wrong.

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man that loves guns Big Little X NAVY

I have used rifle primers in 45 Colt, however I only shoot that from a rifle. Give it a shot, and work up as you already safely mentioned. Good luck.

i will work up a load i usually never load max because full loads are usually never the most accurate. but it is for a 15 year old revolver, that pounds normal pistol primers almost to the point of piercing them

Occasionally, rifle primers prove more difficult to fully seat in pistol case primer pockets. Be certain that they are fully seated so a high primer won't hang up a cylinder as it revolves.

Long as you mind the seating depth and work up the loads they should be fine if the revolver will set them off dependably.

I've read numerous posts where someone was using rifle primers in a pistol case safely, be mindfull of the seating depth. Not the other way around however, don't use pistol primers in a rifle case. Not that I need to tell you all, just in case some novice is reading this post.

The way your doing no issues. Be sure they seat right, it easier to get a mis-fire.

Most of the USPSA shooters that use 38 super use small rifle primers and these people fire thousands of rounds in a year. I bet they would work in .357 mag if your gun will fire them. A chronograph would make a good tool to see what your loads were doing, load the same powder charge and just swap the primers and see what the velocity does.
Chronos are cheap now days.

You need to have some way to check the CPU so you don't get it to hot! Chronograph will NOT tell you any thing about the CPU!

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man that loves guns Big Little X NAVY

You can tell a lot from what a chrono, tells you, I was loading some .223 a while back, and using brass of various manufacturers, using the same powder charges, primers and bullets, one brand gave a lot higher velocities also the primers were a lot flatter, to me that indicates higher pressure.
If rifle primers show higher velocity with the same charge weight you need to back off a bit.

For the common user, I don't recommend it. In special circumstances it is an option but changes the characteristics of the load.

I do and have used them in rifles. It has been a necessity in some custom rifles. You may even find them recommended for special loads.

I don't think it is a wise choice for common handgun loads, but in special circumstances it is an option.

Hearty handguns, such as unaltered rugers don't seem to mind. You may have reliability problems in some handguns. Primer brands do differ, and some are more sensitive than others.

Generally, rifle primers are thicker and you may have trouble seating them. I would be cautious forcing some of the more sensitive primers. I wouldn't use a progressive press. You need to "feel" what is going on. You may also find your pockets have stretched and you will not be able to go back to handgun primers.

They also will hide pressure signs more readily in a small cartridge.

As others have said ... I would reduce loads 10-15% and stop when the velocity is the same as your previous load with handgun primers.

So yes, they may be used - but no, they are not the same.

Small rifle and small pistol primers have the same amount of primer compound. The only difference is the thickness (hardness) of the primer cup. You will get no more performance and you may find that you revolver will not set off a rifle primer reliably.
With a shortage of small pistol primers, if your gun will work with small rifle primers, stock up.
Small rifle primers are used in 9mm Major and .38 Super Major not for performance but due to loads that are so far outside of published data that the pressure is above pistol pressure and is into rifle territory. I have tried it, but pistols with target triggers don't have enough impact to reliably set them off.