.45ACP small and large primers ?

[tercel89]

I am still new to reloading and I am presently reloading 9mm. I am about to get me a set of .45ACP dies to reload .45acp .I have a few hundred .45acp rounds now and I just noticed some have small primers and others have large primers. My questions is are company's moving toward smaller primers in .45acp or what ? I would have never noticed this until now since I am reloading .

[Garufa]

Federal is notorious for using small primers.

[173rdABN]

Haha welcome to that crap. Sorting the different types before loading gets old, fast.

They will always make both types. Nature of the beast.

[Lowpower]

I think it was more of a test phase to go to the small primers. Some target shooters think the small primers do a better job of ignition which gives them tighter groups. I've been reloading .45's for years and whenever I come across small primer pocketed ACPs I just toss them in a separate jar. One day Imight actually reload them but probably not. When I get enough of them I'll see them to the guys that want them. Trying to jam a large pistol primer intosmall primer hole ruins the primer and slows down the whole operation. After you find out you can't stick a square peg in a roundhouse, so to speak, you will sort or toss one or the other. 

 

The good news is there are always lotsa folks shooting .45s who don't reload and let you have their mt's'

 

Brass manufacturers are also messing with target rifle brass. Again going to small primers for big (small) cases like 6mmBR and .308.

Some target shooters swear by the itty bitty ones. Papua comes to mind for lil primer pockets on some of their reloading brass.

 

Lp

Edited March 7, 2015 by Lowpower

[Raoul]

Federal is notorious for using small primers.

And Blazer.

 

Just be careful sorting them. I've loaded both. Not much difference in performance for plinking ammo.

[Garufa]

Some target shooters think the small primers do a better job of ignition which gives them tighter groups.

 

That makes about as much sense as "A" brand magazine being better than "B" brand magazine when they both work flawlessly 100% of the time.

[MphsTiger1981]

I'm sort of the outlier here. I actually prefer to use the smaller primers. Since I don't load any magnum calibers or rifle, the only primers I have to keep in stock are the SPP. I still buy the LPP from time to time just to have them on hand, but I haven't noticed any performance issues using them. 

Edited March 7, 2015 by MphsTiger1981

[Grayfox54]

I find them mostly used in the "clean burn" ammo designed for indoor ranges to hold down the fumes. You tend to come across them in range pick-up brass or when buying bulk once fired cases.  It is a pain to have to sort them out, but the small primers work just fine. I go ahead and load them and then use that ammo for IDPA matches where I don't really have the time to pick them up anyway.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I prefer small primer 45 ACP. Not because it is more accurate but because I use the same primers for it as I do for my 9mm, 223 and 300 Blackout. Makes keeping track of supplies easier.

[Jonnin]

you could sort it slowly by looking at each one.   you could run it on the press and if the primer won't fit (or falls back out, depending), toss it in a bucket and sort it that way....    just don't try to force a large into a small, if it wont go in easily, stop!

 

the story I heard was the large use more lead and are more toxic at indoor ranges and in general.   Which I don't buy -- lead exists in nature, all over the place, its in the water, its in the ground, and any good indoor range has this thing called ventilation ---   but whatever.  We are stuck with it, whatever the reason.  Its probably just cheaper to make with small for the big companies.

[DWARREN123]

Too much trouble for me to separate out, I just toss them.

As said I think most SP 45 ACP is the clean burn type for indoor range use.

[AECS]

All small primer .45 go into the recycle bucket....

[txbrown]

If you need to "recycle" them, I'll take em. :woohoo:  I usually use the large primer but have collected enough now to justify loading them too. My problem is I am so anal about reloading, I sort head stamps and am so cheap, my shooting buddy calls me a "brass whoxx". Funny thing though, he likes shooting my ammo.....

[Dirtshooter]

Hey txbrown, I would then let my buddy sort them for ya!! Give him something to do instead of just holding the chair down. LOL

[Patton]

Well, small primer 45acp was unheard of many years ago, but now even Speer has some out there. To me it is an advantage because normally SPP disappear on shelves before LPP. At least .45acp guys can have the option of both. It just requires separating.

[frankmako]

i reload lots of 45 acp.  have been for many mango seasons.  i like picking up range brass and sometimes find the small primer 45 acp brass.  i just throw them in a can.  just don't need to mess with them at this time.