rifle vs pistol primers

[ammo.crafter]

Just checked by stock of primers and note very few large and small pistol primers.

I do have a significant amount of both small and large rifle primers.

Can I use rifle primers in p,lace of pistol primers?

 

[Unclenick]

They usually have thicker cups for higher rifle pressures, so some handguns can't ignite them as reliably as pistol primers. Some of them are hotter than some pistol primers, so you have to reduce your powder and work the load back up to matching velocity to be sure about using them.

 

[Schlitz 45]

As far as I know yes, provided you aren’t loading your pistol cases to max loads. Not good to reverse that as a pistol primer in a rifle case may be to thin and be pierced where the firing pin hits & release gases. Just have to load a few up & see. I always load small rifle in my 454 Casull loads & as long as your striker or hammer sets them off you should be good.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=610087

 

[Reloadron]

These are standard primer dimensions for primers and primer pockets:

While large rifle and large pistol share the same diameters they do not share the same primer height or pocket depth.

Rifle and pistol primers also do not, as mentioned, share the same cup thickness.

In some instances depending on gun they can be swapped around to an extent but not in all cases.

Ron

 

[ammo.crafter]

Thanks for the charts. They answer my questions.

 

[Unclenick]

You'll also find the primers and their dimensions illustrated in the current SAAMI standards. In the Pistol Standard, it is on the page numbered 26, though you have to enter page number 35 in the Acrobat reader page counter to get to that page. It disagrees with Ron's table on maximum primer height by a little bit, giving 0.126" for the small primers and the large pistol primer, and 0.136" for the large rifle. But otherwise, it is a match.