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Thread: source of small pistol primer cups?

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
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    source of small pistol primer cups?

    Thanks to someone on this forum, who shall remain anonymous unless he wishes to be disclosed, I have been able to obtain a large quantity of unused small pistol primer anvils. As I am going to reload used primers, this is a huge help, because the old used anvils often perish before the cups. But the process of reclaiming the cups is quite time-intensive. Does anyone know if there is a source out there for obtaining unused or used but useable small pistol primer cups?

  2. #2
    Boolit Master

    rancher1913's Avatar
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    seems to me the process would be similar to making a gas check. maybe talk to one of the custom makers and see if they can make a really small check maker that could handle the heavier metal needed for primers.
    if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead

  3. #3
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    Look around here and ask for someone to save their SPP, and have them sent to you. When you get them, take a small dental pick and pull the anvil out, it doesn't take much just don't lose the anvil. Take a punch the size of the primer cup diameter and put it in the bottom of the cup, tap it with a small hammer and flatten the firing pin dimple. Put your primer compound into the cup, follow instructions on the primer compound then re-insert the anvil and very lightly seat the anvil. There are in depth instructions on the internet to do this. If you do just remember that the primer compounds that you can find are corrosive.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    I save all my spent primers, but every variety are usually mixed together. Most of the ones on the progressive catch bottle should be small pistol. You should be able to find someone with a big bucket of spent primers. I usually dump them in the scrap brass bucket when headed to the scrap yard.

  5. #5
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by BK7saum View Post
    I save all my spent primers, but every variety are usually mixed together. Most of the ones on the progressive catch bottle should be small pistol. You should be able to find someone with a big bucket of spent primers. I usually dump them in the scrap brass bucket when headed to the scrap yard.
    I am not quite sure how to go about asking. It would be great to find someone with a big bucket of spent SP primers!

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    If I check my progressive catch bottle and it is less than half full it will be pistol primers only, small and large. some might be magnum, but that shouldn't be a big deal. Let me look. You can have them for shipping if they are what you want.

  7. #7
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by BK7saum View Post
    If I check my progressive catch bottle and it is less than half full it will be pistol primers only, small and large. some might be magnum, but that shouldn't be a big deal. Let me look. You can have them for shipping if they are what you want.
    Thanks so much! I look forward to hearing from you. I am pretty excited about this project. I have all the chems for the H48 corrosive primer, and I am one chem away from having everything I need to make a non-corrosive primer.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    Send me a pm with your address and I’ll send you a sfrb of spent primers. They won’t be sorted, but given the detailed work you’re doing you probably want to start a stash of the other sizes anyway.

  9. #9
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by JimB.. View Post
    Send me a pm with your address and I’ll send you a sfrb of spent primers. They won’t be sorted, but given the detailed work you’re doing you probably want to start a stash of the other sizes anyway.
    Thanks! PM sent...

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    Hi newcan1 Have you done any primers yet? I'm interested in the finer details. Like are you putting in the prime as a dry powder?Wet paste? any kind of binder ? I make percussion caps and have good power out of the Prime all and FA-42 mixtures.I don't like the H-48 mixture because of the ground glass.
    n.h.schmidt

  11. #11
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by n.h.schmidt View Post
    Hi newcan1 Have you done any primers yet? I'm interested in the finer details. Like are you putting in the prime as a dry powder?Wet paste? any kind of binder ? I make percussion caps and have good power out of the Prime all and FA-42 mixtures.I don't like the H-48 mixture because of the ground glass.
    n.h.schmidt
    I am still gearing up to do them but have learned a lot already. I have also made some mistakes - eg by hammering out the firing pin dimple from the base of the cups too hard, thus mushrooming the cups and ruining them. I have all the chems for H48, but I really wanted to start with a non-corrosive primer. The easiest to prepare of those uses lead hypophosphite, but I have not been able to obtain sodium hypophosphite to make that with. I think there may be increasing regulatory issues. As far as H48 is concerned, I understand it is relatively safe to dry-pack, and use a 5% solution of shellac in alcohol as a binder (which also wettens the formula prior to inserting the anvil). I hope to get started within the next couple of weeks, but life has been getting in the way. And I would REALLY like to start with the lead hypophosphite formula, because I hate the idea of cleaning my gun with water prior to a regular cleaning. I have been prepping some cups, and when I get to 500 or so I may get started. Thanks for asking!

  12. #12
    Boolit Bub
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    Try henrykrank.com uk but will ship overseas. 100 pack of inert primers is 14 Pounds

    Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk

  13. #13
    Boolit Mold
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    Quote Originally Posted by nwfdub View Post
    Try henrykrank.com uk but will ship overseas. 100 pack of inert primers is 14 Pounds

    Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk
    Thanks for the info. That seems a high price. Fortunately, due to the goodwill of others on here, I have quite a lot of used primers now, and I think I have finally perfected the de-dimpling technique. I am still not so good at inspecting the used cups for suitability, but Marshall Thompson wrote a good paper on this, and I am sure that choosing between bad and good cups will come with experience.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy ofitg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by newcan1 View Post
    I am still gearing up to do them but have learned a lot already. I have also made some mistakes - eg by hammering out the firing pin dimple from the base of the cups too hard, thus mushrooming the cups and ruining them.
    I wonder if you could "re-size" these expanded cups?

    Drill a hole through a 1/4" steel plate with a #17 drill bit, and drive the cups through that hole?
    "Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto."

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  15. #15
    Boolit Mold
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    Well I tried using a hammer to drive them into a casing, then deprimed them again, but that didn't work. I like your idea better. I may give it a try. Thanks for the idea!

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check