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anotherred
03-17-2013, 09:24 AM
Will over sized flash holes pose a problem? I've been cleaning and sorting my range picked 45 ACP brass. As I've been sorting small primer from large primer cases I've been finding a few of the large primer shells have the flash hole drilled over size. I'm not talking the regular variation but drilled to what looks like 1/8". Keep in mind I load soft reloads (5.0gr. W231 under 180gr), but IF I miss one of these and reload it what kind of problems could it cause.

ReloaderFred
03-17-2013, 11:24 AM
It worked for the first firing, so it will work for subsequent firings. The enlarged flash hole was one of the experiments to tame the higher brisance of the DDNP non-toxic priming compound. The end result was small primers crimped into the primer pocket.

You can just load those as normal.

Hope this helps.

Fred

Doc Highwall
03-17-2013, 11:56 AM
A long time ago I read about drilling out the flash holes for shooting either wax or plastic bullets powered by the primer only for cheep indoor practice.

ReloaderFred
03-17-2013, 03:57 PM
The enlarged flash hole is to reduce the pressure from the primer so it won't back out and stay out. It's done for blanks, wax bullets, plastic bullets and DDNP large pistol primers. With blanks, wax bullets and plastic bullets there isn't enough pressure generated to reseat the primer. With the DDNP priming compound, the primer is driven back so fast and hard, it flattens against the bolt face before the case is driven back to reseat the primer, which is why NT primers almost always look like the result of high pressure.

They've moved beyond the enlarged flash holes now by going to crimping and small pistol primers in .45 acp and 10mm NT loadings.

Hope this helps.

Fred

anotherred
03-17-2013, 06:55 PM
Since I've been collecting 45 brass (not very long) 2/3 have been Lrg. primer and 1/3 small pistol primer. Messed me up at first, but now I'm used to sorting them. I did read (and tried the drilled flash hole, primer and glue stick) but was surprised to find some in my uncleaned range picked brass. I never noticed these before, but then again I was only looking at primer pockets, not flash hole size. I just wanted to know that the ones I probably missed will be ok to reload, and/or shoot with out a problem.

km101
03-17-2013, 06:58 PM
None. I have reloaded and shot humdreds of these "large flash hole" cases in .40 S&W and .45acp. They were all loaded normally and performed normally. No noticeable difference.

Reloader Fred gave me the same advice months ago that he has posted above. It has proven to be true. Reload 'em and shoot.

anotherred
03-17-2013, 07:03 PM
Cool, and thanks for the reassurance guys!

ubetcha
03-17-2013, 07:43 PM
I was just going through some 45acp stuff that I have to give to a friend of my brother and notice also that some had rather large holes.They were all Winchester cases that had the large holes