Using Small Rifle Primers in place of Small Pistol?

[bikertrash2001]

Ok, don't flog me too bad for asking. I have a box of small rifle primers but I'm just loading 9mm right now. If times were any different, it wouldn't be a issue, I just wouldn't do it. Since primers are such a hot commodity, I thought I would ask you guys. I have a nice recipe of of 6.0g of Accurate #5 and a 115 FMJ that shoots great though my PX4. I was wondering if I tried back at like 5.6g and the SRP since they are a little hotter.

[Jonnin]

I cannot tell any difference at all apart from the words on the box.  But yes, you can do this, and backing off a bit is a safe approach.

 

Side note: given the AR craze, I would *suspect* that SRPs are worth more than SPP.

Edited February 20, 2013 by Jonnin

[Guest Nutts&Bolts]

I've always used them in my .38 Super IPSC loads...I figure your pressure would be higher than with pistol primers

[bikertrash2001]

I cannot tell any difference at all apart from the words on the box.  But yes, you can do this, and backing off a bit is a safe approach.

 

Side note: given the AR craze, I would *suspect* that SRPs are worth more than SPP.

 

I had thought about loading .223 and that's why I have them. I'm not doing the AR thing anymore, but it seems like components

esp bullets for .223 are easier to find than 9mm right now. I would gladly trade my brick with someone who had SPP.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I don't need them, but if you don't get what you need, before too long, get back with me. I will swap them with you. Got cases of both.

[frankmako]

you can use them with your current load without any problems. 

[AMSting]

This is something I did not know.  Does the same go for using large rifle primers instead of large pistol?

[LngRngShtr]

last I checked large rifle is taller cup than a large pistol resulting in a primer depth issue either a high primer ( rifle in a pistol pocket) or a deep set ( pistol in a rifle pocket which would be dangerous )

 

SPP and SRP are same depth just a thicker cup in the SRP Load my .357 Mags,.40S&W and my .38 Super with the SRP

 

John

[chances R]

I have read that SRP are thicker and more resistant to deformity.  In turn they don't flatten and seal the primer pocket completely, thereby letting hot gases leak around the edges of the primer and will etch the bolt face of a pistol.  The pistol pressures are by in large a lot lower than the ones the rifles produces therby producing the forementioned effects.

[Guest Fruit jar]

I don't think I would be using anymore pressure seating a primer in a pistol case or rifle case. Mine are all hand primed.

 

Load a box and shoot them. If they shoot good, load more.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I have shot a lot of small rifle in pistols and have had zero problems otehr than some guns will not ignite a rifle primer. I have not seen any face cutting and have not seen any dirt or debris come out. This tells me they are sealing just fine.

 

Dolomite

[chances R]

I don't think I would be using anymore pressure seating a primer in a pistol case or rifle case. Mine are all hand primed.

 

Load a box and shoot them. If they shoot good, load more.

It is not the pressure at seating, it is the flattening at ignition which seals the pocket.  Simply do a little google search.  It isn't that you can't use them, but maybe they are different for a purpose.

Edited February 24, 2013 by chances R

[Chas.]

A member of another forum contacted CCI technical during the shortage of 4 +/- years ago and this is the exchange:

 

"I called not to complain about availability, but rather to
discuss the technical differences between their primer types. I was put in
touch with one of their tech reps who was very happy to discuss their primers.
BTW, She mentioned that she had worked there 38 yrs and never seen anything
even close to this kind of demand.

Then she said that they can produce 3 million primer per day
flat out (which they are currently running) but have currently over 1 Billion
back ordered. Unfortunately, that means that if all new orders stopped
completely today. Everything; ammo, gov't, and component, it would take almost
a year running flat out to catch up.

 

Anyway, I was asking about the cup thickness, formula
differences, and formula amount differences between their #500 (SP), #550
(SPM), and #400 (SR). She had me hold a minute to get the detail specs up on
her screen and this is what she said.

 

Cup thickness: The #500 has a thinner cup than either the
#550 or #400, however, both the #550 and #400 have the same cup dimensions
(including thickness).

 

Flash powder formula: All three sizes use the same formula
for the flash powder.

 

Flash powder amount: The #500 has a slightly smaller amount
(3 micrograms) than the #550 or #400 which both have the same amount.

 

I asked if the SR primers could be used as an acceptable
substitute for the SPM primers. She compared the #550 and #400 and then replied
that yes, they appeared to have the same specs, same dimensions, same cup
thickness, same formula, and same amount of flash powder. She even noted that
the SPM primers were slightly taller than the SP primers and were spec'd the
same dimensions as the #400.

 

I asked if she knew any reason not to just use SR primers
for both magnum pistol and rifle applications based upon that information and
she said that many there only bought rifle primers and used them for all their
reloading, magnum or not. The only exception being for custom pistols where the
thicker rifle cup contributed to misfires, which she said only occurred in
custom race pistols."

[chances R]

Interesting. Looks like light strikes could be an issue. Also doesn't answer the "sealing" question . But desperate times . .......if that was all that was available I'd use them.

[bikertrash2001]

Well, in my quest for knowledge, I have a Chrony on the way and maybe I can see what happens. I going to load the same bullets, power and charge. I'll do about 20 with SPP and 20 with SRP and see what the velocity difference is. I'm very excited to see the results. But then again, if a particular gun can hit it hard enough it's a non-issue. I'll be using a Glock 17 with stock springs.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Well, in my quest for knowledge, I have a Chrony on the way and maybe I can see what happens. I going to load the same bullets, power and charge. I'll do about 20 with SPP and 20 with SRP and see what the velocity difference is. I'm very excited to see the results. But then again, if a particular gun can hit it hard enough it's a non-issue. I'll be using a Glock 17 with stock springs.

 

You will not have any issues with Small Rifle Primers.

 

 

Interesting. Looks like light strikes could be an issue. Also doesn't answer the "sealing" question . But desperate times . .......if that was all that was available I'd use them.

 

I have shot a lot of SR in pistols (9mm and 45 ACP) and never seen evidence it was not sealing.

 

Dolomite

[chances R]

Well nothing like the voice of experience. I would use Them as my 2nd choice. Still got to say they are different for a reason though.

[RichardS]

I've used CCI 400 small rifle in my 9mm loads and they work fine in my Springfield XDm's.  I've shot a few hundred of them so far and no issues with light strikes and I see no evidence of gas leaking past primers.  Over my chrono the 400 small rifle primers produced slightly higher velocities than the same bullet/powder combo using 500 small pistol primers.  I backed off 0.1 grain of powder when using 400's after those measurements and velocities are now approximately the same as with the 500's.

 

That said, I'll buy the 500's again when I can.  Last time I was looking I could not find them but got a deal on a bunch of 400's.

[RichardS]

I've used CCI 400 small rifle in my 9mm loads and they work fine in my Springfield XDm's.  I've shot a few hundred of them so far and no issues with light strikes and I see no evidence of gas leaking past primers.

 

Following up on my previous post, I have now experienced several failures to fire with the CCI 400s fired from 2 different XDms.  All did fire on the second try so I'm assuming they were light strikes.  Never had any such failures in the past so there is a good possibility that the 400s have a harder cup and the XDm striker is just not strong enough to always set them off.  I'll have to wait to verify until I can get my hands on some CCI 500s again and shoot a bunch of them.  The pistols seem OK mechanically and I even tried stronger striker springs which helped some but I am still getting 1 or 2 failures per 100.  Not sure what changed, could striker pin wear, warmer temperatures, or maybe I was just lucky with the first few hundred.

 

For now the ammo I have loaded with 400s is for range use so I'll just accept the 1 or 2 in 100 that fail to fire and chalk it up as practice on clearing failures.  But wanted to post this correction and recommend folks with striker fired pistols fire several hundred before considering them for competition or defensive use.

[bikertrash2001]

I was wondering what popped this thread back up. I think I've run about 500 rounds through my G17 with SRP primers and I have never had a fail to fire. Maybe the Glock has just a tad heavier striker spring. I finally scared up some SPP pretty soon after writing this and just used the SRP for FMJ bullets and reduced loads. I did run 20 rounds each of the same powder charge with each primer and then Crony'd it and surprisingly there was very little difference. I know 20 of each isn't conclusive, it did show me not to worry. It was surprising that the SRP had a smaller Sd. 

 

That said, the "your mileage may vary" holds true.

[DWARREN123]

I have not done this but have heard others say they have.

Only advise I can give is that any time you change components drop your charge down and start over to find the best powder charge for your needs.

Always be careful!

[robbieg19]

I have used SRP instead of SPP but it wasn't on purpose. I was in a hurry and grabbed the wrong box. I loaded up 100 before I realized my mistake. I knew what this load usually ran so I took 10 and chroned them. I noticed a slight increase in average velocity (15 fps) but my low and high were very close to the same load with SPP. I shot the rest of these out of a Glock 34 and had no problems.  This was with a light load, 130PF so I couldn't say what might happen if you were at or close to max.

[HvBikeWlTravel]

Both my Sierra Reloading Manuals(70s and 80s) address the POSSIBLE issues of substitution. And we all know they err on the very cautious side. I remember substituting many years ago and finding the SRPs harder to seat with Lee Hand Primer. Don't remember what cartridge I was playing with.