Magnum primers

[nonferrous]

I realize that much has been said regarding magnum primers. The posts seem to run both ways as to the safety issue in substituting them for regular primers.
My supply of small pistol primers is getting low and I have several k of magnum primers of all sizes on the bench as well.
I do not load enough .357 and .44 magnum to use them up, so I would like to burn them in .38 Special and .44 special.
There is no loading data that I can find regarding the crossover, but I have seen much discussion on the subject.
Would it seem like a satisfactory test to load some .38 Special, 158 or 148 gr at about 850 fps and drop the powder at least 10 %.
I could shoot them in an 'L' frame and I think it would handle it.
Thanks

[fredj338]

In my own tests, a 10% reduction in powder charge isn't required. For most powders & in several calibers, swapping them out directly poses little problem. If your load is already pushing max. then a 5% reduction is prudent. in light to midrange loads, I have seen very little vel. increase which tells me there ius very little pressure increase as well.

[nonferrous]

Thank you for the info. Based on that, it will keep the wolf away from the door for quite a while.
Thanks again

[Char-Gar]

I agree with Fred.. as long as you are not hard up against the pressure red line, you won't have any problems.

[lurch]

I'd agree with the suggestions as well.

Where I see the benefit of magnum primers is in full house 357 and 44 loads with 2400 and H110/296. I get better velocity consistency, more complete powder burn and less flash, especially in the 357. Of course these loads are worked up using the magnum cap. Maybe it's the way I reload. I try to use as little crimp as I can to keep the boolits from coming out of the case with recoil. Maybe I'm kidding myself, but all the case failures I get are splits at the mouth. Seems to me that working the brass less in that area can't but help prolong case life.

[nonferrous]

Lurch,
I hear you on the full house loads, thats where I have been using them and getting good results and a lot of fun. Problem is, I will never use up as many magnum loads as I have primers for, but will probably run out of standard primers before the crazyness ends.
With what I have heard here, I can stretch my supply a little farther into the unknown future.
Thanks

[leftiye]

Heck, I'm always trying to use standard primers in loads instead of magnum primers. If your powder requires a magnum primer, then either the powder is too hard to ignite, or there isn't enough of it to produce pressures that that powder will burn in. Remember, the softer the KITA the primer gives the powder, and hence the boolit, the more uniform thangs are apt to be from then on (as well as a slower pressure curve so as to not deform yer boolits).

[GabbyM]

I had a customer last year getting leading in a 45 acp. gasp. When we went over his load he was using mag primers. Switching to standard primers solved the leading issue. Not scientific but that was the report. A softer boolit may have also worked. Theory is the primer pushes the bullet out of the case before powder burns enough to get up to pressure. Thus no obturation. Causing leading in the first inch or two of barrel as when you've to hard a bullet.

If you've a bunch that need burned up just give them a try. If they don't work in your gun trade them off. If you can find a needy person with a 357 or 44 mag using H110 , WW296.

[nonferrous]

Thanks,
I have been using them for 357 loads but I load way more slow stuff and I will probably never use them all in magnums.

[wallenba]

Some Speer data specifically calls for magnum primers with HS-6, some contention in the Lee manual about reduction of charge by 10%. Most useful in cold weather.

[Bass Ackward]

You may find that velocity actually gets lower with a magnum primer in smaller capacity cases. A guess is that no more powder can actually be ignited from the back and the force blows the powder and bullet forward effectively increasing case capacity.

[JohnH]

You may find that velocity actually gets lower with a magnum primer in smaller capacity cases. A guess is that no more powder can actually be ignited from the back and the force blows the powder and bullet forward effectively increasing case capacity.

What I experienced with 45 ACP was groups loosing up though I attribute it to this.

[MtGun44]

With 2400 in .44 mag, I get more fliers and larger groups with mag primers, same with
Unique. Not unsafe, just messes up my groups. Helps with H110/W296 loads.

I'd worry about a high pressure load of Bullseye or Titegroup or Clays in a large cap case maybe
lighting all at once and spiking pressure a bit. With the more medium speed powders like
Unique or slower, it apparently is safe, but not optimum for accy.

Bill

[nonferrous]

I think that I will load a few to start with and shoot them in an 'L' frame and see what happens.
When you look at what the measure throws with 3 grs of "Clays", the pile is so small, you can almost count the flakes in the scale pan.
I have been loading 1 oz. 12 Ga. trap loads for a long time with about 18 gr's of Clays and that's a pile of powder you can see ok.
Anyways, back to the bench and we will see how they group.
Thanks, Len