Small Rifle Primers ......Any Size Variances ?

[Pete G]

I have recently loaded some 222Rem Mag brass with Remington Number 7 1/2 Small Rifle Bench Rest Primers.
When seating these primers,I noticed that they did not seem to fit as snugly as when I seat large rifle primers for other calibers I reload for.
In fact one primer fell out after carrying cartridges around in my pocket during a recent coyote hunt.
Has anyone noticed differences in fit for small rifle primers?
I guess that I am looking for suggestions of a small rifle primer which is maybe a little bigger than these Remingtons.

I know that when loading shotshells that the Fiocchi primers fit more snugly than any others I have used.....so in shotshell primers, I know there are slight variances.

 

[ted_dent]

I have recently loaded some 222Rem Mag brass with Remington Number 7 1/2 Small Rifle Bench Rest Primers.
When seating these primers,I noticed that they did not seem to fit as snugly as when I seat large rifle primers for other calibers I reload for.
In fact one primer fell out after carrying cartridges around in my pocket during a recent coyote hunt.
Has anyone noticed differences in fit for small rifle primers?
I guess that I am looking for suggestions of a small rifle primer which is maybe a little bigger than these Remingtons.

I know that when loading shotshells that the Fiocchi primers fit more snugly than any others I have used.....so in shotshell primers, I know there are slight variances.

There are two possibilities:
1. primers are slightly undersized
2. primer pockets are enlarged

An easy way to check is to mic another brand of primer if you have any and see if there is a difference in diameter from the Remingtons. If the brass has been fired a few times it is possible that the primer pockets have opened up slightly. You will only get a definitive answer priming new brass as there are too many variables with fired brass.

I do know there are acceptable industry tolerances and it's possible the primers are on the small side. The converse of that is that possibly the primer pockets are a little bigger even if the brass is new. I personally haven't run into oversize primer pockets on newer brass but don't like reloading S&B large pistol primer brass because the pockets are tighter than other brands. It's not too bad when hand priming but when I load the S&Bs on a progressive I always have to check the loads for high primers.

In any event a micrometer and caliper are your friends.

 

[Trinimon]

 

[Pete G]

Trinimon, Thank you for that chart.

Thanks to all for posts and PM on this topic.