Desperate times..anyone ever use large pistol primers in rifle loads?

cwinner

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Apr 20, 2009
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New Mexico
I'm closely watching my supply of Fed210M primers dwindle and I just opened my last brick....I'm shooting a lot this year in local matches and burning 300-500 rounds a month in my 6.5 Creedmoor with H4350.

I have been eyeing the unopened bricks of large pistol primers on my bench and am tempted to give them a try......I know it's likely not a good idea but it got me to,wondering if anyone's ever tried this? I also have some small pistol magnum primers I've been thinking about loading up in 223 for some junk blasting ammo.

I figure I could back off 10-15% and shoot some across my chronograph and see what the velocity and SD's are.

Someone talk me out of this idea please!!....i have some buddies who have offered to loan me some or here's to hoping I can find some in the next two months. gun)
 
Large pistol primers are shallower, so even if you back off to account for the cup strength, you will likely have misfires. The amount of compound is also a bit less than rifle primers, so anything bigger than a short action standard like a 308 might not light well. Much better to wait or get your name on one of the online waiting lists. Trade with someone who needs pistol primers might be an option too. Those little buggers are rather hard to find too.
 
Not smart ---- will not stand the pressures. Not made to do this----case in point some of the super high pressure pistol rounds use rifle primes for just this reason.
 
Not smart ---- will not stand the pressures. Not made to do this----case in point some of the super high pressure pistol rounds use rifle primes for just this reason.


+1
The cups on pistol primers are thin. DONT DO IT!!!!!!!!.

J E CUSTOM
 
Another thing to consider is the fact that the shorter LP primers will back out and slam into the breach face, eventually peening a nice dent around your firing pin, happens to BP shooters sometimes as well.
SR and SP primers are the same demensions however, and many use both in .22 Hornet and the like, depending on their personal preference. I have been told that CCI SPM and SR primers are the exact same critter, not sure how true this is, but i do know several people that use nothing but SR primers for their handgun loads, worked up accordingly. My only worry about small pistol primers in a rifle would be the cup thickness, as mentioned by others. CCI primers are known for hard cups that some handguns have a hard time setting off. If CCI SR and SPM are infact the same thing, i would certainly use one for the other depending on what i could find.
 
ive done it many times with large rifle and pistol. But will admit only in the 3030s 35 rems 444 and 4570. In some cases i found i got even better accuracy with those cases and pistol primers. Granted they arent high pressure rounds though. Ill add too that i never once had a misfire doing it or a light primer hit. If i had to give advice id say to stay away from at least fed pistol primers if you do as they are real soft. Ive loaded piles of 223 using cci small pistol mags. Back in the last shortage i found two cases of them and i too found out from cci themselves that there the same as a standard small rifle.
 
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