Due to the panic buying, as we all know primers are hard to find. I need some large pistol primers and all I have found are large rifle. In a 41 mag or 45 colt would you be ok using rifle primers? Why or why not? 3,2,1,...blastoff.

I saw lots of primers at Bruno Shooter Supply. Good luck.

Regards, Keith

quote:

Originally posted by Keith1:
I saw lots of primers at Bruno Shooter Supply. Good luck.

Regards, Keith

Quite pricey primers...

One problem you may find is that the rifle primers are thicker and it takes more force to ignite the primer.somewhere there are specs for force to ignite primrs. If you want to play with primrs test them first .

LR primers are taller than LP primers. You will not be able to seat them flush let along below flush.

quote:

Originally posted by steve4102:
LR primers are taller than LP primers. You will not be able to seat them flush let along below flush.

Have you ever actually tried to seat large rifle primers in cup of a pistol case? Do you actually know what the difference in dimensions are?

I would think no because I have used large rifle primers in pistol cases and they DO seat flush.

It is true that some large rifle primers, i.e., CCI, are harder than large pistol primers and some handguns might fail to ignite them dependably. Also, when I was testing large rifle magnum primers in 44 Remington Magnum cases with H110/Winchester 296 I had to reduce the load by about 1.5 grains compared to when I was using CCI 350 primers.

Primer dimensions
Primer pocket dimensions

The tallest large rifle primer in the shallowest large pistol primer pocket will be standing proud .016 per the SAAMI data.

Due to the higher pressures, some pistol cartridges use rifle primers. The 357Max is one, maybe the 460/500S&W? The 357Max uses small rifle primers. As previously stated the cups of rifle primers are harder and/or thicker so you may want to prime a few cases and make sure your pistol ignites them. If ignition is reliable AND you can get them to seat, you should be able to use them.
It goes without saying you will have to reduce your charges and work up.

quote:

Originally posted by SR4759:
Primer dimensions
Primer pocket dimensions

The tallest large rifle primer in the shallowest large pistol primer pocket will be standing proud .016 per the SAAMI data.

Yes, that would be 16 thousandths of an inch "proud." Whatever; I've tried rifle primers in handgun cases quite a few times and there is no visible proudness.

The 460 S&W Magnum has been SAAMI rated for 60,000 psi since its inception and originally used large pistol primers. Cases of current manufacture use large rifle primers. The 500 S&W Magnum currently uses large rifle primers; I don't know whether or not the first cases made used pistol primers.

quote:

Originally posted by Grumulkin:

quote:

Originally posted by steve4102:
LR primers are taller than LP primers. You will not be able to seat them flush let along below flush.

Have you ever actually tried to seat large rifle primers in cup of a pistol case? Do you actually know what the difference in dimensions are?

I would think no because I have used large rifle primers in pistol cases and they DO seat flush.

.

Actually yes I have.
My primers, my Micrometer/calipers.

Fed LR, 210M= .1265
CCI LR BR-2= .1260

Fed LP #150= .1185
CCI LP #300= .119
Win LP = .117

I have only tested LR primers in my 45 brass.
Fired and sized case= .895 from base to case mouth.

Same case with Fed 210M seated hard = .900 inches.
That's .005 proud. Not a lot, but still proud as stated earlier.

Thanks for the replies thus far. Good news is that a friend found me a 1000 large pistol magnum primers today so hopefully I will not have to resort to using rifle primers. That brings up another thought. Large pistol vs. large pistol magnum vs large rifle. I would guess they would get hotter in that order? I had used std primers in mild plinking loads (cast bullets with unique) but thought large pistol mag would be better than std rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by dsmit50:
I had used std primers in mild plinking loads (cast bullets with unique) but thought large pistol mag would be better than std rifle.

The only way to tell is by trying it.

quote:

Originally posted by dsmit50:
Large pistol vs. large pistol magnum vs large rifle. I would guess they would get hotter in that order? I had used std primers in mild plinking loads (cast bullets with unique) but thought large pistol mag would be better than std rifle.

You thought correct as the LR primers are to tall and will be seated proud. Use the Mag LP primers, just start your load development over.

We can believe primer makers make them all the same but label them different just to jerk us around or we can believe there are valid reasons they make different primers for specific needs.

SR4759's chart tells the story.

Primers vary, "hot" as such, is hardly relivant.