Pistol primer in rifle tested.

[wesson357]

Hi,
Cause of the primer shortage, I decided to try my unused large pistol magnum primers in my 6.5x55 light 1500fps cast load, using red dot.
The primer sit a few thousand deeper in the brass. All fired well with equal accuracy.
I've noticed the firing pin depression deeper than usual. I would guess it's caused by the primer been pushed back against the firing pin by the pressure.
So, my conclusion, I could use my large pistol primers in low velocity cast rifle load. Not ideal but usefull awaiting large rifle primers.

[dannyd]

I did the reverse test; drilled out 357 magnum cases and used Large Rifle primers. Got some of best numbers off the chronograph all standard deviations under 40 fps most under 15 fps. Used Large rifle in 45 acp same thing good numbers really could not tell the difference.

[gwpercle]

Hi,
Cause of the primer shortage, I decided to try my unused large pistol magnum primers in my 6.5x55 light 1500fps cast load, using red dot.
The primer sit a few thousand deeper in the brass. All fired well with equal accuracy.
I've noticed the firing pin depression deeper than usual. I would guess it's caused by the primer been pushed back against the firing pin by the pressure.
So, my conclusion, I could use my large pistol primers in low velocity cast rifle load. Not ideal but usefull awaiting large rifle primers.

LIKE !
Gary

[Kraschenbirn]

Several weeks ago, I raised this same issue; that of using LP primers in place of LR for reduced pressure loads. Tinkered with load development a bit and, yesterday, finally got around to setting up my Chrony. Both 7.65x53 (1902 fps/SD 16) and 8x57 (1849 fps/SD 24), off sandbags using issue barleycorn sights, printed consistent 2" or better 5-shot groups @ 100 yds. Group size from the Argie was about same as with LR primers but groups from the M48 Yugo were slightly better than I normally expect with cast (and significantly better than surplus Turkish ball ammo). As mentioned previously, primer strike was deeper than usual but no piercing was noted. On the downside, 30-30 was a disappointment: a 170 gr. FP @ 1560 fps/SD 18 and groups from my scoped Savage 340 were a consistent 'minute of paper plate'.

Bill

[Shuz]

I tried some Remington 2-1/2's in my Savage mdl 16 in .250 Savage with a Saeco 25-100 boolit and 14.3g of Reloder 7 . I was shocked to see a 5 shot group at 100 yards that was just a scosh over 1". On top of that it was a powder coated boolit and SANS check!!
I gotta try that again to make sure it wasn't a fluke.
I don't know the velocity but the same load with a gas checked non powder coated boolit gave me 1695fps a few years ago.

It was a fluke! I shot the same load again on Friday 4/29 and got lousy groups of 3 or more inches!

[beemer]

I have been using LP and LPM primers in cast rifle loads for years. I have never ran them across the chrono but if they are accurate a few feet one way or the other makes no difference.

[Willie T]

Dimensionally the large pistol primer cup is a few thousandths shorter than a large pistol primer. The primer cup is also softer which accounts for the deeper primer strikes. Be cautious with full house loads as pierced primers are a possibility. I would be particularly cautious of using them in auto loaders. Not admitting to anything but slam fires in an auto loader will get your attention. Small pistol primers and small rifle primers are the same size dimensionally. Again the primer cup on a pistol primer is softer than a rifle primer. I suspect there has been a lot of “experimental priming” recently in light of the current supply situation….
Willie

[Shiloh]

Good to know.
Going through boxes to downsize. Found five 100ct packs of CCI small pistol magnum primers.

Shiloh

[Freischütz]

I've used large pistol primers in the 30/06. I used 10.5 gr of Red Dot and 311291 - had lots of pierced primers. Tried them in the 35 WCF too. Unfortunately there results there were similar to the 30/06.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have been using Federal LP primers in all my BPCR's and cast boolit loads for some years.

In BPCR, chronographing prooved that LP primers gave magical results in my 45/70 with a recorded deviation of just 5fps (over 5 rounds). While not important at 100yds, the reliable ingnition at longer ranges 200 &300yds has removed vertical stringing on targets.



Even my 50/70 performs well with LP primers because in the short stubby case I tend to load the finer grades of black powder (3FG).



For cast rifle loads where you are igniting smaller charges of fast burning powder, LP primers are more consistant. In my 30.06 the standard variation was recorded at just 16fps and I am convinced that result contributed to this sub-MOA 10 shot group from my A3O3. For those that don't chronograph loads, LP primers tend to flatten at near maximum loads (approx 2000fps)

[wmitty]

BAW
Would you be willing to post the load you used to shoot that group with your 03 A3? Nice grouping!

[Bad Ass Wallace]

BAW
Would you be willing to post the load you used to shoot that group with your 03 A3? Nice grouping!

The boolit is a Lyman 311284 (208.2gn) with 28.9gn of our local powder 2206 (equiv to Du Pont 3031) and chronographed at 1740fps with 16fps deviation. Boolits, sized to 0.310" are seated to engage the rifling by 0.015" The rifle has a 1944 Remington barrel 1:10" twist and 4 grooves.

At the time I was recovering from heart surgery and I fired over 600 rounds in 10 shot groups, getting 6 & 8 shots in a cluster and an annoying flyer. Then one day I shot two sub MOA groups! The break through came when I swapped Winchester LR primers for Federal LP primers.

My next challange will be to do the same with a FN military Mauser in 7x57 which has shown promise.

[PositiveCaster]

Years ago I tried Remington pistol primers in my .300 Savage Contender (j bullets). With powders like H322 and H4895 I saw low ES values and tighter groups than with LR primers - even down to 30*F temperatures. Note that these loads did not exceed 40,000 psi, which is close to the top pressures that LP primers are probably designed for. Personally I would not try them in higher pressure loadings - even though some Hodgdon data lists pressures exceeding 49,000 psi (.475 Linebaugh) using LP primers.



.

[wmitty]

BAW
Thanks for posting the specifics on your O3 A3 load; heaviest .30cal design I have is the .30-180-FN RCBS, which I haven’t tried in my Remington two groove barrel. I do have some 3031 and will try to duplicate your load and see how it shoots in the Remington with pistol primers.

[abunaitoo]

I've done that before.
The pistol cup is thinner, so sometimes I would get pierced primers.
Could be because I shot them in old military rifles.
Read someplace that it would get better accuracy.
I really didn't notice any difference.

[Jack Stanley]

I've used Winchester small pistol magnum in the .223 Remington with 55 grain cast and Alliant 2400 . No problems and reasonable accuracy .

Jack

[fredj338]

Hi,
Cause of the primer shortage, I decided to try my unused large pistol magnum primers in my 6.5x55 light 1500fps cast load, using red dot.
The primer sit a few thousand deeper in the brass. All fired well with equal accuracy.
I've noticed the firing pin depression deeper than usual. I would guess it's caused by the primer been pushed back against the firing pin by the pressure.
So, my conclusion, I could use my large pistol primers in low velocity cast rifle load. Not ideal but useful awaiting large rifle primers.

No its the softer primer cups. While you can use pistol primers in lower pressure rifle loads, you risk a pierced primer which is not good for the bolt face.

[truckjohn]

I will pile on. Tried it and got blown primers everywhere.

I think for very reduced loads it may be fine, but I couldn't get them to hold up to "regular" cast bullet loads in rifles. Test before you load a pile.

[leek]

I have been loading 110 grain Hornady V max jacked bullets with 16.8 gr of IMR 4227 in my 270 using federal lg pistol primers. Velocity 1600 fps with 1 inch groups at 100 yds. A nice practice load and no problems in my Mauser custom rifle.

[lar45]

I've been using lp primers for light rifle loads for decades without any problems. I used to shoot wc820 quite abit, but now it's mostly 2400, 5744, 4759...