Large pistol vs Large rifle primers

[cptkeybrd]

Seeing how its impossible to get primers, I would like to know if its possible to use Large pistol in place of Large rifle for some reduced loads with cast bullets for 270 win. Thanks

[jdgabbard]

Others have been doing it. You'll just have to load up a few rounds to see if they go bang. The biggest issue i've heard others talk about is the primers being pierced by the firing pin. But for plinking loads it might be ok...

[carpetman]

cptkeybrd--It is my understanding that this is common practice amongst cowboy action shooters. They have pistol and rifle of same chambering and carry all their ammo on their cartridge belt and in the heat of cowboy acting they are gonna get switched. So they use pistol primers as the pistol might not make a rifle primer go bang with it's weaker blow. If I have it wrong someone will correct me.

[outdoorfan]

Seeing how its impossible to get primers, I would like to know if its possible to use Large pistol in place of Large rifle for some reduced loads with cast bullets for 270 win. Thanks

I know of at least one experienced senior member of this forum that prefers the LP over LR in his rifles (with cast). Should work fine. And his loads aren't reduced either.

[Jim]

Done it many times over. HOWEVER(comma) it can affect the ignition of very slow powders.

[Archer]

Does anyone know if the reverse is true?
Say using small rifle primers in the place of
small pistol primers? I have heard that the
cylinder won't turn in a revolver with small
rifle primers, but have never tried it.

[cajun shooter]

It is done in cowboy shooting but with the straight wall cases not the BN cases. It is also done in the BPCR circles with the 45-70.

[Poygan]

Archer,

Small rifle and small pistol primers are the same dimension so the cylinder will turn. I have used small rifle primers in pistol loads but I think it prudent to start at the low end of loads and work up. You can also expect harder cups so the rifle primers will need a solid firing pin hit.

[45caster]

I have used large mag pistole in 06 with 4198, 4759 , 2400,unique and have had no problems good luck

[Throckmorton]

I've been tryiing them in my Unique loads in my 30-30,and they work fine.
re:cowboy shooting,we don't use rifle calibers in our main matches,just pistol ammo.

[BruceB]

Besides the availability problem, many of us are using Large Pistol primers in cases that normally are used with the Large Rifle size for another reason.

We believe that the "ignition pulse", if I may call it that, is somewhat gentler and less-abrupt.

Whatever the truth may be, some extensive testing in my own rifles, very ordinary rifles, has indicated that accuracy can be improved somewhat by using LP primers.

Concerns about size differences are irrelevant, in my experience to date. No problems with ignition or perforation have appeared in about a dozen different rifles. For most cast bullet rifle loads these days, my first choice is now the Large Pistol primer.

Do NOT use the LP primers in semi-auto rifles, where their construction might, repeat MIGHT, lead to problems.

[TonyT]

Both large pistol and large rifle rimers have the same diameter. However, the large rifle primers are somewhat longer than the large pistol primers. One definitely cannot load LR in pistol cartridges. Over the year some individuals have stated that in the old black powder cartridges the large psitol primer with light loads provides more uniform ignition. In my limited testing I have not seen any significant difference in velocity spreads.