Can you use large rifle primers in place of large pistol primers?

[Cruisers460]

The rounds that I loaded for my Redhawk I also interchanged with my 44 carbine (both long gone). The 44 magnum worked great with rifle primers, if the Redhawk had used the lightest spring that was available for it, it may well have had problems. With the factory spring and a slightly lighter one no issues. The question would be how many do you have? If you have a lot just swap them off to someone. I'm sure most of us have traded them at some time!

 

[SpeedyR]

I don't mix and match primers (have plenty of whatever I need and they are not hard to find these days). BUT I do know that there are plenty of rounds that people can and do mix and match rifle and pistol primers.

an example is the 22 hornet. there are quite a few loaders who have switched to small pistol primers in the rifle shells. depending upon the load, they are getting more accurate results with the small pistol primers than rifle.

as others have said there are also a lot of gun calibers that are intercheable between pistol and rifle. I shoot pistol primers in my rifles a lot (44mag, 357mag, 38 special, 45 colt, etc). But here's a chart with specifics..

 

[Outsydlooknin]

That chart only shows between small rifle and large rifle. If they were the same then they would just call them rifle primers and not large and small.

 

[SpeedyR]

it was the only chart I could find..

 

[ngcsugrad09]

I shoot small rifle primers with 9mm rounds all the time. The magnum or milspec (CCI 41 and 34s) are of mixed reliability though. I have also found that a worn or light striker spring/firing pin spring will cause some issues as well. You may consider dropping .1 of a grain, but if you're not running at max/above max loads you should be fine.

As with any reloading stuff, your mileage may vary and test it first before mass producing.

 

[ga_red_rider]

Rifle primers have thicker cups for higher pressure loads. Also if I'm not mistaken they are hotter to ignite larger amounts of powder in a rifle case. there are special primers for the AR15 series of rifles too thick cups to prevent ignition from the free floating fireing pin,

 

[blgreggjr]

ga red rider????? say what???? I have shot over 10k handloads with plain ole winchester small rifle primers through an ar of mine. Maybe I have a special one. Maybe my sig p226 .40 is special too shooting the same winchester small primers lol Wow people, Come on. Do some research before giving reloading advice

 

[Chuckdog]

ga red rider????? say what???? I have shot over 10k handloads with plain ole winchester small rifle primers through an ar of mine. Maybe I have a special one. Maybe my sig p226 .40 is special too shooting the same winchester small primers lol Wow people, Come on. Do some research before giving reloading advice

Sounds like good advice there to me, but for who? There are several manufactures that market primers specifically for AR and similar design rifles just as G.R.R. described. There's also large rifle primers produced that are marketed toward the .308/762 caliber selfloading rifle. I've used Winchester small rifle primers in .223 loads for the AR many times myself. As far as I'm concerned they're perfectly safe, but I prefer to use them for my precision bolt rifle loads and use the AR recommended, harder, CCI 41 for my AR fodder. I'm still waiting to hear about those Lee brand carbide full length rifle dies you spoke of having in the case lube thread?

 

[blgreggjr]

I personally think its a marketing scheme just like stainless barrels in 1911's

 

[1006]

I have done some research and the LARGE rifle primers should not be used in pistol cartridges with standard pistol brass. I don't mean a pistol chambered in a rifle cartrigde. I mean a pistol cartridge in a gun, ie: 45ACP, 44 mag, 10mm, old 38 special with large primers, and so on. Large rifle primers are taller and will sit higher in the primer pocket, this could lead to a "slam fire" or a ruptured primer. As to weather they are hotter than pistols primers, have a thicker cup, and are harder to ignite: yes, yes, and yes.

Small rifle primers are the same dimensions as small pistol primers. They are simply hotter and harder to ignite. Heck, magnum pistol are also hotter and harder to ignite.

When I say hotter, that is to say: more ignition power, Will it make the load hotter? Yes but to different degrees with each load. Their use is barely detectable in a 40S&W loaded with fast powder. The case is so short, and the powder so fast, that it will not add to the power of the load to any significant degree. A 9mm loaded with fast powder gives the same result. But, loaded with something like AA7 or HS-6, you will notice the difference.

Hope this helps - I would stick to pistol primers.