.45ACP Brass With Small Primer Pocket??

[jleneave]

I have come across a couple thousand .45ACP brass. Some of the brass is marked "Federal NT .45 Auto" and the rest is Speer. I figure that the Federal NT was non-toxic loads and I am not sure about the Speer as it is only marketd "Speer .45 Auto" on the headstamp. My question is can I use regular small pistol primers or should I use small pistol magnum primers when loading this brass? None of my loading manuals list a .45ACP load using small pistol primers so I am not sure what primers to use. Any advice or a place( website or manual) that I might find an answer to my questions sure would be appreciated. Thanks.

By the way, has anyone else came across these types of brass?

Jody

[imashooter2]

Use the equivalent small primer for the recommended large primer. Book says standard large, use standard small. Books says magnum large, use magnum small.

We progressive guys hate those bastages at Federal.

[Salmon-boy]

I ran across a dozen or so of the same thing, but the cases were stamped "WIN NT".

I found it funny that Microsoft would be making odd size cases.. :-)

[osage]

imashooter2 Thanks. I have not found any of the non--toxic primed brass yet but it's nice to know that spp will fit. I just received some brass from an indoor LEO range I may very well find some in there.

[robertbank]

The SPP primed cases are a pain in the butt and why they went to them is beyond me. That said, there is no difference in performance between cartridges loaded with the same loads and bullets.

Anyting I run across one the case goes to the recycle bucket as I don't want them mixed in with my LPP primed cases.

With a large supply of them like you have and assuming you don't have access to large pistol primed cases then I would use them.

Take Care

Bob

[DLCTEX]

I have found the small primer in win. and federal cases. Sure screws up a loading session on the loadmaster press. Dale

[beagle]

Now, I'm in agreement on all that's been said.

I did a lot of testing when these hit the streets. Both with Federa NT and WW NT which are equipped with teh small pockets. If you're using these in an auto with standard loads, all is well and good. In a revolver, it's another story.

I was working with heavy bullets in a Blackhawk convertible with a .45 ACP cylinder using Lyman's 454190, 454424 and 452490 with the GC shank milled out. Heavier bullets than you normally encounter in the .45 ACP.

With the small primers, I noticed a significant reduction in pressure signs as opposed to the same loads with cases designed for LP primers.

If you're playing with a revolver, you can up the velocity quite a bit by using these cases equipped with SP pockets.

I've noticed that most .454 Casull cases are equipped with small pockets as well and also some of the so called .45/70 "magnum" load cases. The R-P cases for the 7.62 X 39mm are equipped with small pockets as teh bench resters wanted them that way.

It appears that some folks working on the cutting edge have discovered that you can get more velocity and less pressure with a small as opposed to a large primer.

This is not a new thing as the old .30 American cases used small pockets if I'm not mistaken.

Will we ever get everyone to change to small pockets? I doubt it.

Comments?/beagle

[HORNET]

The small primers theoretically give better accuracy IF you can get reliabe and consistant ignition with them. That throws case capacity (possibly case shape), powder choice, boolit (or bullet, for you heathens), and probably a handfull of other variables into the mix. Please note that the Rem. 6.8 SPC uses large rifle primers since the developers found them to be necessary for consistant performance over the required temperature range with heavily deterred ball powders under fairly low sectional density projectiles. This with a case capacity close to the .30-30 Win and 6x47. IIRC, they also had fits in cold weather with slow powders in the .22 Cheetah that used the small rifle primed Rem. .308 Basic case.
But that's in much bigger cases than most handguns. I would think that the small primers might even give slightly better accuracy in pissola cases with the easier ignited fast stick or flake powders, once the loads been tweaked to compensate for the ignition change.

[beagle]

I'll be glad to take all that anybody wants to give away. I'll instantly solve the SP/LP missmatch in your life. .454 Casull cases too. They make great .45 Colt cases./beagle

[bullshot]

I use the Federal nt 45 acp to make 400 Cor-Bon as they have small pistol primer pockets.

[jleneave]

I would like to thank everyone for the replies. I really wasn't sure how to load them and thanks to you guys now I know. This brass did come from a police shooting range, I used to be the range officer for my agency. Luckily my best friend is now the range officer and he is saving all the brass that he can get a hold of for me. Mostly .45ACP, .40 S&W, 5.56mm, and a little .38 Special mixed in.

Again, I want to thank ya'll for the information.