Need help, CCI small pistol primers got CCI Magnum small pistol primers

[russs]

Does anyone know how much difference using CCI Magnum small pistol primers instead of CCI small pistol primers would make?
I got home from a gun show and just saw I bought Magnum primers by mistake.
Russ

[Petrol & Powder]

Not a big deal unless you are at or near maximum loads. The chicken little types will tell you that the gun will blow up or the case will fail. If I was loading high pressure cartridges near the maximum possible loading, I would worry about magnum primers but in mid-range loads, I've never seen a difference. use a little common sense and you'll be fine with them.

In the FWIW category, I chrono'd some loads years ago and saw no difference in velocity with mag primers but DID see a reduction in the standard deviation of the velocity, however that didn't seem to translate into better accuracy.

[fryboy]

umm help you say ? ummm i dont suppose that help would include me shootin'em up for you ? ( dratz a feller can hope )

every load is subjective and the variables too immense , as petrol and powder stated alot depends upon where you're at on the load scale , if you follow ye olde mantra of starting small and working safely they should be fine , barring that my biggest concern would be a gun with a light firing pin strike may fail to touch it off ( magnums usually have a wee thicker cup ) a factory gun ( no lightened hammer spring etc ) shouldnt be a problem

[Sgtonory]

Did the same thing. I use it for +p 38 special loads and work great.

[fatelk]

I just bought a bunch of Winchester small pistol magnum primers last weekend. I finally found some at a gun show that were almost halfway reasonable in price ($28/k), so I bought several thousand. Magnum was what they had left. I'll be loading light .38 special loads and I'm sure they'll work fine. I've been known to use small rifle primers in pistol loads, too. I'm not a good enough shot to tell any difference in accuracy.

Short answer (looks like everyone agrees): work up your loads carefully and use them up - no problem!

[Zymurgy50]

The CCI magnum small pistol primers are exactly the same as standard small rifle primers, so if you load for a rifle cartridge with small primers use them n that also.

[bobthenailer]

As long as loads are mid range or worked up to max with mag pistol primers there should be no problem !
I personaly used 15,000 fed lpm that i bought at a excellent price in the 45 acp that i was using fed lp with the same mid range load , with excellent results.

[Petrol & Powder]

I don't know how many tens of thousands of rounds I've loaded with magnum pistol primers but I've never had a problem. Use some common sense and you'll be fine.

[DukeInFlorida]

Being as magnums are same price as standard, I always buy magnum primers when I can get em.

All of my pistol rounds are at starting load.

So, magnum primers give me about same performance with starting load as midrange powder load with standard primer. So, it's like getting some free powder with every shot.

As has been said, stay away from MAX loads with magnum primers. Start at start load, and work up, always looking for signs of excessive pressure.

[lkb]

Agree
Don't sub Meg's into your finished loads. Work up with mags and you are good. I use mags on slower powders.

[russs]

Thanks to everyone for the reply's. I shoot starting loads so I guess the primers will work fine.
Russ