Pistol primer pressure limits?

[Newtire]

Since I have discovered that pistol primers give better accuracy in at least some of my loads, a thought occured to me.

I know that .44 magnum loads cn develop as much pressure as a .30-30 load and as such, can we ASS-U-Me that it would be safe to use large pistol primers in 30-30 rifle loads that develop up to 40,000 lbs pressure?

[felix]

Safe, yes, but accuracy, prolly not because of the length of the case is in different ball parks. Depends on the pressure curve form more than it does on the the peak pressure measurement, and thus powder speed. Make sure the gun has the ability to hit a deeper seating primer with the same umph. ... felix

[Denver]

I've used pistol primers for years in my rifle loads without problems with only one exception. I have a Swede Mauser that I rebarreled and chambered to 35 Rem. Using pistol primers in it, I will quite often get pierced primers that seem to cause no problem other than a buildup of crud inside the bolt. I think the striker is maybe longer than it should be as it is nicely rounded at the tip. Don't notice the problem when using rifle primers in it. :???:
Started using pistol primers as I was getting too many misfires when using rifle primers in my old Winchester 94.

:castmine:

[Dale53]

As Felix has mentioned above, pistol primers are not as "tall" as rifle primers. This can and does cause problems in cases that require large rifle primers.

Small rifle primers and small pistol primers are the same height, so CAN be used somewhat interchangeably. Rifle primers have harder cups and typically raise pressures. The .22 Hornet is one case, in my experience, that has benefited from the use of small primers.

Pierced primers WILL damage the bolt. That needs to be corrected.

NOTE:

The substitution of ANY primer can/may seriously change pressures. For safety's sake, when you change a primer, work up the load AGAIN. Do NOT automatically believe that pressures will be the same. "Logic" does NOT apply. Only actual results will tell you what is safe and what is not.

Dale53

[44man]

There could be a problem with old guns with softer steel when shooting hotter loads. The primer will come back some since they are not as high as the rifle primer. That can peen a bolt face or standing breech around the pin hole. Not very common but it has happened.
Modern steels can take it without a problem. I still would not load jacketed bullets with them since loads are much higher pressure then what we normaly shoot.

[Newtire]

Thanks you guys. I'll approach it carefully. I have used this rifle without any problems setting off a pistol primer even with the deeper seating. It's a Win Angle Eject M94. I'll give it a try & see how it goes & report back

Thanks again,
Newtire

[44man]

If you work a cast boolit load with rifle primers, there should not be a problem going to a LP primer and it might take more powder to get the same accuracy and velocity. But as Dale says, don't go the other way without another workup.
Sometimes a more gentle ignition will really increase accuracy because there is less pressure to move a bullet/boolit out of the case before good ignition takes place. Cast boolits and the lube make for a slippery boolit that can move faster and is the reason some have a problem with accuracy. Low case tension and high pressure primers.
Too bad they can't make very hot primers with very low pressure. We need FIRE without blowing everything foreward and trying to ignite the whole powder column. A nice progressive burn is better.

[Bass Ackward]

Pistol primers safely handle up to 45,000 psi rifle loads without problems in my guns and that's about all I use for cast. Actually higher, but that's all I'll say. Saves on headspace problems with low pressure rounds if you don't need the heat from a magnum primer to prevent powder positioning sensitivity in a large case.

[runfiverun]

i like to use the pistol primers in a couple of different situations
the first is when my rifle load is the same as my pistol load. even in a rifle case.
and if i am using a slip fit to .001 neck tension.
but around 40,k [cough] is a good stopping point.

[Newtire]

Well, I fired off a whole bunch of pistol primers in some 30-30 Ackley loads with up to 34 grains of IMR 4064 and the Ranch Dog 165 grain flatnose.

They grouped inside of an inch @ 50 yds. for 3-shots (3 groups) and no troubles with the primers blowing out like I was afeared of