Pistol loads that are not primer sensitive.

Poor storage of primers resulted in a several hundred loose primers of various makes at the bottom of the bin (Norma, Winchester, CCI, Federal, Remington, RWS etc). They are a mix of rifle and pistol primers, large and small. So I'd like to use them up in loads at pistol pressures. I can afford to throw them away, but I don't like that option. I've known times when primers were TOUGH to get. My single actions will set off rifle primers so that is where I can use them, but does anyone know of a load in a .32 Magnum pistol or .44 magnum that will work well with mixed primers? I am not a fan of maximum loads. I don't do much fire-forming any more, or I'd simply use them up doing that.
NMLRA Guy

I would try any of the medium range powders in whatever caliber you choose. I probably would stay away from the very slow and very fast choices. Pay close attention to any shot that does to sound right to you.

Large rifle primers are taller than large pistol you should be able to sort them out.

My 2¢
I wouldn't use large rifle primers in pistol brass, Large Rifle primers are taller than pistol primers and will not fully seat in a pistol case.

I have never tried LR primers in a LP pocket. The folks above indicate it's a no-no. I'm in no position to argue the point.

That being said, I have punched primers from salvage rounds, and reused them in handgun rounds. I have never bothered with trying to figure out the brand or type, to keep them separate. I just load them up and shoot.

The vast majority of my handgun shooting is low to midrange, and I have never noticed a primer causing accuracy problems. I don't shoot well enough to blame anything on primers....:bigsmyl2:.

I would separate out the LR primers, and load em up.

Read the recent thread on "what do you load with Red Dot"

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=338075



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In a pinch I use Winchester Small Rifle primers in my 38 Special and 357 Magnum with no issues. They seat just fine in the primer pocket and work fine too. I've also used Small Pistol Standard primers in my 223 Remington bolt action with equal success. Didn't change my accuracy or 100 yard zero point at all. I checked manufacturer specs once and found that for the small primers (rifle and pistol) the cup height and diameter are the same-- but the pistol primers have slightly thinner metal in the cup. So-- to use small rifle primers in a pistol you need to make sure you have a strong strike from the firing pin. Using small pistol in a rifle you need to be sure your firing pin is not so sharp as to pierce the primer (mine doesn't).

I agree with wbrco. Red dot seems to be about as easy to fire as anything. I've certainly seen no issues with it.

Question, how were these primers stored that they have become degraded?

I had a post all typed up for this topic earlier today after JonB posted, & then just "86-ed" it...
I hesitate to say anything more about what I might know or think, other than just sharing a link.

Here is a link part that is most applicable & worth "bookmarking", IF you were/are not aware of it. Helpful stuff, for those who may want to know of such things...
https://ballistictools.com/articles/...d-diameter.php

G'Luck! with your "adventures.".
;)

JB, great link. Thanks. Ed

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JBinMN

I had a post all typed up for this topic earlier today after JonB posted, & then just "86-ed" it...
I hesitate to say anything more about what I might know or think, other than just sharing a link.

Here is a link part that is most applicable & worth "bookmarking", IF you were/are not aware of it. Helpful stuff, for those who may want to know of such things...
https://ballistictools.com/articles/...d-diameter.php

G'Luck! with your "adventures.".
;)

---

thanks for the link.
Interesting, I was sure small rifle primers were taller than small pistol primers.
I guess I have never measured them? if I did measure them, I would have remembered they were the same...As I have surely measured large pistol primers and large rifle primers.
I learn something every day.
Thanks.
Jon

I did not verify all the measurements in the chart at the link I posted.

It is for your own reference if you choose to use that info & you can either accept it, or not. Verification, like anything on the internet, is up to the person who is doing the research, to decide if they want to apply the info to what they are doing or not.

This is one of the reasons I threw away my earlier post. I do not want to have someone come back & say something like, "Well that info is not right compared to what "I" measured.", or something like that.

If you notice, the fella that put that info out posted originally on 6/21/2013, & updated it 2/8/2017.

I do not know what may have changed, nor do I know if this fella checked every primer available, against the others, as well as every primer pocket dimension from every maker/mnfr.
It does not specify in that article/chart.

What I did do was to go down & measure a Winchester LPP & a Winchester LRP to see what they were in regard to "height. The LPP was .117 +/-.0005 & the LRP was .127 +/-.005. Both within the parameters set by the chart, once the primers are set( anvil compressed into the primer when seated. The anvil sticks out of the primers until seated as they stick out past the "skirt of the primers" before seating from how I see & understand things).

I do not use SRP to compare against the SPP I use. I don't own anything that uses SRP, so have nothing to use to compare.

I also did not check the dimensions of the SPP, Mag. SPP , LPP, Mag. LPP , or the LRP primers I have, from 3 other makers/mnfrs. and compare them to the chart.

I reckon that is up to the person using the chart as reference, as no different than someone using info off of the internet for load data.

IMO, it is up to each individual to verify ("vet") the info they use.

I only offered the info as per the link as a "reference" and not as a "written in stone" guide to what each person chooses to use , nor as a method to ID the different types of primers available per maker/mnfr..

Nor have I verified primer pocket dimensions.. Same reasons..

This is one of the reasons why I hesitate to offer "anything" I might know, or find out, to others here.

Because someone is gonna pitch a "*****" about something if it isn't "nailed down" as far as any specific detail about anything... Then, if one does share anything, then someone will ask, "What about this?", or, "What about that?", without doing anything as far as testing or research themselves...

I rambled & crabbed, but I see it happen & it sucks. Keeps folks from sharing info as they find out for themselves or as they find others data..

Anyway.. It comes down to , "If ya can use it, then great...", if not, "Well, that is too bad."..

Once again...

G'Luck! to All of ya in your adventures.. and "You are welcome" if what I shared helped ya out in some small way...

Mixed primers will have variable amounts of "flash".

Variability in ignition will probably increase velocity spread.

Think about loads that shoot to the same point of aim regardless of velocity spreads, and at the same time are well below gun maximums.

One example for me would be my "pop gun" handgun target loads that are pretty insensitive to velocity spreads. My 125 gr 38 specials with anything from 3.1 grs of Promo up to about 4.0 grs shoot to the same point of aim in a couple of full sized 357 guns.

Another example are the 45 acp and the 9mm glock that I load for. These both shoot to the same point of aim at "just enough to function" loads and at book max.

The next question is will you gun work with all of the primers. My Contender and my 357 Maximum revolver will set anything off. My son's Dan Wesson 357 becomes real iffy even with some brands of Magnum pistol primers.

I have "used up" batches of mixed primers with no real problems. I just made sure that the loads and the guns would do what I wanted regardless of the variability in ignition.

Ghost: The primers were/are not "degraded". They slipped out of their containers and got mixed together in the bottom of the drawer they were stored in. Your post on the other thread listing 4.6 Grains of RD in many cases strikes a real chord with me. My problem there is I am long on B'eye (some of it was made by Laflin & Rand...out of business in 1902!) and I don't have nearly as much Red Dot. My sincere thanks, Ghost.
NMLRA Guy

NMLRA Guy

I suggest 2.7 gr Bullseye in the 32 H&R Magnum under a 90 - 115 gr cast bullet. The SR primers should fit w/o problems.....at least they fit in Starline and Federal cases.

In the 44 magnum the LR primers may be too tall as mentioned. If you have cases they will fit flush in then I suggest 6 gr Bullseye under a 240 - 255 gr cast bullet.

Using standard LR or SR primers in tantamount to using a magnum level LP or SP primer.

My sincere thanks for the response. A bit too snowy/cold to pop any off just now for my taste.
NMLRA Guy

LRP are too tall to work in pistol brass BTDT. Small rifle and small pistol are interchangeable to a degree. I have a 1911 in 9x23 Win that I use srp due to the high working pressure of that cartridge.

A RCBS ram prime tool will seat large rifle primer is pistol brass. Just smash them a bit. They still fire.

Unique powder doesn't care what primer is used.

With any load below midrange pressure levels, just about any primer can be plugged into that. The std dev will be all over but they will be safe.

if I had to pick one powder that works equally well with standard and mag primers it would be 2400.