Primers ID

Got a couple of bags of primers.
All mixed up.
How do you tell small rifle/small pistol, and large rifle/large pistols????

hight

rifle will be slightly higher / taller (drawn cup) then pistol.



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almost impossible. OD of rifle and pistol are the same, heights are close, LRP is about 0.005" taller than LPP. Cup metal is thicker on rifle primers and explosive is visually identical.

I have a small bowl of mixed primers and I use them for low pressure plinking loads in whatever gun I'm using.
Simply because I can't identify them other than large and small.

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You'll have to sort through them twice to get them completely sorted:

Boxer primers for the United States market come in different sizes, based on the application. The types/sizes of primers are:
• 0.175" (4.45 mm) diameter small pistol primers, and a thicker or stronger metal cup small rifle version for use with higher pressure loadings in weapons with heavy firing pin impact.
• 0.209" (5.31 mm) diameter primers for shotgun shells and modern inline muzzleloaders, using a Boxer-type primer factory-assembled inside a tapered, flanged brass cup.
• 0.210" (5.33 mm) diameter large rifle primers, and a thinner or softer metal cup large pistol version for use with lower pressure loadings in weapons with light firing pin impact. Large rifle primers are also up to 0.008" taller than large pistol primers. [4] [5]
• 0.315" (8.00 mm) diameter .50 BMG primers, used for the .50 Browning Machine Gun cartridge and derivatives


Rifle Primer Dimensions
Thickness Diameter Height
________________________________________
Small Rifle
CCI 400 .020" .1753" .109"
450 .025" .1750" .113"
BR4 .025" .1755" .109"
Federal200 .019" .1757" .111"
205M .0225" .1744" .1075"
Remington 6 1/2 .020" .1753" .109"
7 1/2 .025" .1752" .110"
WinchesterSR .021" .1750" .109"
Large Rifle
CCI 200 .027" .2112" .118"
250 .027" .2113" .118"
Federal 210 .027" .2120" .117"
215 -- -- --
Remington9 1/2 .027" .2100" .119"
WinchesterLR .027" .2114" .121"
Mag .027" .2114" .121"

The rest will be Pistol Primers.

Some manufacturers plate the cups with nickel, some with brass. You MIGHT be able to judge which manufacturer to assign the various primers to, so that you get some consistancy to the lots.

Not a job I envy. Hope this helps.

Small primers, I load in 38 Special with 3.1 grains of 231
Large primers, I load in 45 ACP with 4.0 grains of Bullseye
Cast Boolits, of course :)

What fun, what fun

Mike

A couple years ago, I bought several different factory packages (100 count) of various primers at a gunshow. they were all in one box, which must have had a rough ride, as some of the 100 ct packages opened and spilled some primers...so I had a mix of primers in the bottom of the box. I was able to sort them by size...and then by primer compound and/or anvil color, to match them to primers that were still in the packages.

To my surprise (and to the point of my post), some didn't match up to any packages in the box, or didn't match to any in my extensive collection of other primers in my stash. So I have set them aside for use as Texas by God mentions, "mixed primers and I use them for low pressure plinking loads" and/or firing forming loads

The foil visible beneath the anvil will help sort them but may not be much help in identifying them. Primers in bags = accident waiting for an initiating event IMO. Not a safe way to store them. As I understand the OP you may have received them already in the bags.

i wouldnt waste my time with them. also agree with the previous post.