Perfect Union banner

Small pistol primers in some .45 acp?

3K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  Indyarms 
#1 ·
It appears that some of the brass for .45 acp uses small pistol primers. Is that correct?
 
#2 ·
Yes!

Fiocchi, CCI Blazer, Sellier & Bellot, Federal, Winchester NT, and others.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Marlin 45 carbine
#4 ·
No difference between large and small STANDARD primers. Use whatever fits into the primer pocket. Magnum primers should only be used when the selected powder (usually ball) calls for them.

Anytime you substitute a magnum primer where a standard primer is usually called for you need to reduce the powder charge AND stay away from powder charges listed at the top of the charts.

Magnum primers burn faster and hotter than standard; and this will cause ignition pressures to rise; consequently, if you're using magnum primers where they aren't really called for you need to back-off on the powder. The only time I've heard of this being done (successfully) is with low and mid-range powder charges.

Normally if a certain load calls for a standard primer, then that's what you should use. The physical size of the primer doesn't matter. (Got it!) :)
 
#6 ·
How long will this go on? Doesn't this question come up at least once a month for the last three years?

If only the world didn't do stupid things like change primer size.
Reportedly, it was done for two reasons:
1) For the new "green" crap primers that are supposed to save us from lead
and
2) One ammo plant that decided that with the huge increase in orders, it was cheaper/faster to make small primer .45 cases than to change the machines from small to large primers.
You will also find cases with very large flash holes, not conducive to accuracy, because that was also a change made for "green" primers.
 
#9 ·
How long will this go on? Doesn't this question come up at least once a month for the last three years?
I would guess as long as people need an answer. I reloaded back in the early eighties and had no problems with discerning primer size. I have been researching the reloading process as I have recently decided to get back into it and discovered that .45 ACP brass these days is produced by some manufacturers with different size primers. LPP and SPP. I immediately started researching the issue to see how it would affect the process of setting up for reloading again and have yet to find a good straight answer to my questions. From what I understand Federal Champion is produced with SPP. The Federal Champions I have purchased from wally world over the past several months have LPP. The other brass I have WWB and Geco also have LPP.This is confusing to me so I am sure it would be to someone just starting out with reloading. The why does not really concern me although it is interesting. What I need to do to adjust is my concern. From what I have surmised I will just have to keep LPP and SPP on hand but I did have to research and ask questions to come to that conclusion.:)
 
#10 ·
This question may come up each year; but, having just progressed into reloading 45 ACP, I ignorantly followed my reloading manual without paying attention to the primer pocket. It's a good thing I accidently selected 6 cases with LPP experiment for incremental .02 gr. loads with WAP powder. Having read this discussion, I see I too have Federal cases with SPP and LPP. Imagine the results if I tried to cram a LP in a SPP! Thank you, mikeingeorgia for bring the question forward (again). Now I will watch my brass!
 
#11 ·
Imagine the results if I tried to cram a LP in a SPP! Thank you, mikeingeorgia for bring the question forward (again). Now I will watch my brass!
The results would have been a lot of force and a crushed primer. It wouldn't take more than a second to realize something wasn't right but it would not likely cause the primer to ignite. I have crushed more than one trying to force them in crimped military brass that I didn't quite swage enough. I just ran them back through the decapping die and swaged them little more.
 
#13 ·
I was separating my brass by headstamp and realized I've actually picked up a few dozen of these cases that use the small primers. Just the other day I was going through a bag of tumbled .223 cases and discovered a 5.7x28 shell had gotten mixed in with them. Gotta keep an eye out for that one detail you missed!
 
#15 ·
I do LOT of brass from range pickup... and typically i ONLY get .223 when scrounging... but once in a while.... a naughty little .222 remington magnum case pops up and mixes in... they are pretty close in size/dimension to the .223 except they are shorter and have a longer neck... The other ones I find when tumbling/sorting .223 are the .204 Ruger brass... Those are almost identical, just longer than .223... I reload the 204 also, so they are a nice bonus to find at the range... :)
 
#14 ·
The main "problem" happens when reloaders don't inspect the brass they are using and dump them into the case feeder of their progressive press. When a small primer pocket case gets to the large primer priming station things get jammed up! Then the operator has to stop, cuss a lot and blame Al Gore, and unstick the offending case.

The reason for the small primer, according to my research, started with "green primers"; no lead or toxic materials. The large "green primers" didn't ignite the powder sufficiently, so the flash holes were enlarged, but that caused primers backing out also. Finally a small primer was designed to ignite properly, and used also to differentiate between standard and "green". And that's my story and I'm stickin' to it...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top