Large rifle primers in 45colt for Henry rifle?

[tazman]

My neighbor and friend has asked me to load a few boolits for him as a test. He is paying for the dies and mold. I will do the loading. Since I don't currently have any cartridges that use large pistol primers I was wondering if the large rifle primers I had would work for the 45colt in his Henry Big Boy.
I expect the rifle wouldn't have any problem firing the rifle primer but I am not certain. I don't want to load ammunition up that fails to fire.
I need the benefit of your experience.
Thanks in advance.

[Scharfschuetze]

You might have a problem with the seating depth of the LR primers as LR primers are taller than Large Pistol primers. Depending on your primer pocket depth, it might be enough to prevent the action closing and in a worse case scenario may be a safety hazard. The small rifle and pistol primers are the same height, but the big boys aren't.

I guess you could uniform the primer pockets on the 45 cases with a LR primer pocket uniformer, but that's going to get pretty labor intensive.

[tazman]

I wasn't aware of the difference in size between the large rifle and large pistol primers. I have the large rifle on hand but if they won't work properly or safely I won't use them. I will just need to acquire a box or so of large pistol primers.
Thanks for responding. That will save me a lot of problems.

[Tackleberry41]

You can use pistol in place of rifle, not always, I use em in subsonic 45-70 using pistol powder. But not other way around as stated they will stick out of the back of the case.

[Bulletpusher]

The main difference between large pistol primers and large rifle primers is not the diameter or how deep it is. The difference is that with pistol primers the striking plate of the primer surface is a little thinner or softer because the firing pin strike in a revolver is lighter that in a rifle. Can you use the large rifle primer in a revolver cartridge, probably. Put that cartridge in a revolver it might not function because of the lighter firing pin strike and you might get a misfire.

The large rifle primers in a revolver cartridge may or may not function in the Henry, (yes its a rifle or carbine but it's still a revolver cartridge), because the cartridge is designed to function in a revolver or the rifle for that cartridge like the Henry and others.

Will it work, again maybe, and maybe not.

If you put a large pistol primer in a full power rifle cartridge the firing pin can puncture the primer during the firing cycle. That could cause damage to your weapon and/or even worse yourself.

Hope this helps
Bulletpusher

[yellowfin]

Also a rifle primer would be hotter than a pistol primer and that could cause the load pressure to be higher than what may be safe with the given powder charge which assumes a pistol primer.

[garym1a2]

I tried Rifle primers in the 45ACP and they where a bear to seat as they are taller. I gave up on them.

I have used plenty of small rifle primers in 9mm cases and they work fine.

[bangerjim]

I load and shoot a LOT of 45LC's in revolvers and carbines.......same primer.....LP. Never had any problems/blowbacks/errors shooting them in my long guns.

But those are MY guns, not yours! Proceed at your own caution. I watched for problems the 1st few times just to be sure. Some of the above mentioned problems could occur. I have never had any problems at all.

Back in the "olden days" cowboys bought one 45 cart for both their 6 irons and carbines so they did not have to carry two different bullets with them on the range.

All my loads are normally 75-85% max data listings.

Good luck!

banger

[w5pv]

Back when pistol primers were harder to get I shot quite a number of R91/2 in my LC without any problems.

[yellowfin]

I've heard of some competitive shooters using small rifle primers in .38 Super loads because they're trying to run them hot enough for USPSA, but that's about the only context of it being a preference.

[Dan Cash]

Rifle primers are taller and won't seat flush plus, they are a bunch hotter than pistol primers. Don't use rifle primers in the .45 Colt. Bad things will happen pressure wise and cartridge fit wise.

[M-Tecs]

Per SAAMI, the depths for small pistol, small rifle, and large pistol primer pockets are .118" to .122". Large rifle primer pocket depths are .128" to .132". Small pistol and small rifle primers have the same diameter (.175"). Large rifle and large pistol primers are also the same diameter (.210").

[tazman]

Thanks to all for responding. I was unaware of the height difference between large pistol and large rifle primers. I will not take the chance the wrong primer would cause a problem, particularly in some one else's gun.
I have since managed to get hold of some large pistol primers so the question is now moot.

[Bulletpusher]

bangerjim,

The olden days for .45 Colt in rifles or carbines is just in the last 20 or 30 years. The .45 Colt in a rifle or carbine is a modern invention. The largest combination revolver cartridge from the 1800's is the .44-40 (.44 Cal.), or the .38-40 (.40 Cal.). Colt chambered those cartridges and a few smaller ones in revolvers, Winchester & Marlin chambered them in lever action rifles and carbines. There were even a few slide action rifles and carbines that chambered them.

Bulletpusher

[1874Sharps]

I agree with the fellows above. It is much better and easier to go with the LP primer for the venerable 45 Colt. Also, if you did load up the 45 Colt with LR primers and some made their way into revolvers, you may find they misfire.

[Tackleberry41]

You can run into issues with some weapons. I have a Rossi single shot came in 44mag and 20 ga, built a 45 colt barrel for it, bought some 454 brass and cut it down due to not being able to get 45 colt. The rifle doesnt like the small rifle primers used in a 454. Have a 410 I was using to fire form 9.3x74r brass, it doesnt like to set off rifle primers.

[longbow]

Some guns will accept the taller large rifle primer... my .44 Marlin did before I knew the difference!

Many years ago I too was unaware that there was a height difference and so loaded .44 mag for my Marlin using primers I had ~ large rifle primers. No problems with loads or pressure but... I was loading with a Lee Loader then and occasionally a primer would pop. Couldn't figure out why until i did some reading.

The gun didn't seem to mind though so must have somewhat sloppy tolerances. A tight gun might cause a primer to go off at lockup so best to avoid the large rifle primer in cartridges intended for the large pistol primer.

FWIW

Longbow