small pistol and small rifle primers

T

thumbs47

New member
Has anyone used small rifle primers in place of small pistol primers or small pistol primers in place of small rifle primers? Just wondering if there was much difference.

thanks
 
You can use a small rifle primer in place of a small pistol primer but keep in mind that the small rifle primer will be hotter and is similar to a small pistol magnum. As such, they should only be used in reduced from maximum loads for safety.

I would not go the other way myself, but someone else might have a different opinion.
 
When 1000 primers once went a long way, a year or so, I used small rifle primers for all pistol loads. They worked in everything except my P7 and a GP100 with a lightened spring kit. Now that I'm shooting a lot more I buy and use both. I would not use the pistol primers in a rifle, unless it was a PCC.
 
Isn’t a problem unless you consistently load to the max. During the primer shortage caused by Obama’s election people used what ever they could find. I used small rifles in my 9mm and 38 Spcl for about 2 years. I also remember reading that a lot of the compitition shooters (9mm) routinely used small rifle primers because they thought it gave them a better ignition. Like any variation, approach cautiously.
 
I have been using small pistol primers in 22 Hornet for some time now. Accuracy is excellent with 5/8" 10 shot groups at 100 yds.

Not much difference in velocity, but there is some.

Powders involved are H110/WW296, Lil'Gun, 2400, H4227.
 
There's some pistol data that calls for SR primers in SP cases. All Vihtavouri 357 data used to be SR primers, recently they switched to SP primer data and increased the max loads slightly.
SR primers used to be quite popular with the 38 Super crowd to handle very high pressures.

SP primers are sometimes used in small rifle cases like the Hornet and the Bee.

I have a copy of an old CCI primer energy chart. Can't post the photo.
#500 SP - 5.5 ft/lbs energy
#550 SPM - 8.8
#400 SR - 6.0
#450 SRM - 7.2
This is from the '90s and may be obsolete, but it shows that they are not that different.
 
Thanks guys. I was loading for a buddy and had a primer mishap. Lol anyway by the time I realized it I had loaded a couple of boxes. If they were for me I would have shot them. Anyway I pulled them and tossed the primers. Some were small pistol and some small rifle. I had no idea which was which. I had heard rifle to pistol was probably ok just harder to ignite. Pistol to rifle was a bit questionable. Thought I would ask anyway. Just go finished reloading the reloads. LOL thanks
 
Did the mistake have anything to do with having 47 thumbs? ;)

As mention, pistol primer cups are often thinner. Someone on the board called CCI who said their current 450 and 550 primers have the same priming mix. I don't know if the cups are the same.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top