.45 ACP small primer vs. large primer

[kferguson]

Just bought some new .45 ACP (for my new pistol that Canada Post is bringing to me ) rounds and I was surprised that they are small pistol primer!? Learn something new every day. Anyway is there, in your experience any difference between LP and SP .45 ACP rounds? Performance wise, I mean, I get the component part

More importantly, is the data in manuals interchangeable ie. if the data says LP is it safe to use with cases set up for SP, or vice versa?
Thanks!

 

[Melnibonean]

No difference. In any way (performance, load data, etc...). Not sure why they change happened, although I heard it was because of cost and availability.

I shoot both and reload for both and prefer SPP only because I'm too lazy to change over the primer seater on my Dillon 650 when I move from 9mm/40S&W to .45. But there is no difference whatsoever besides the dimension of the actual primer.

....and if you don't reload or if you don't want the SPP brass, shoot me a PM and I'll buy them off of you

 

[daBear]

Most SPP will be crimped in place so prepare your cases first if reloading. Reason being when lead free primers werre introduced they were only avbl in SPP. Seems to be the case still.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

Most SPP will be crimped in place so prepare your cases first if reloading. Reason being when lead free primers werre introduced they were only avbl in SPP. Seems to be the case still.

That's my understanding of the situation.

I treat it exactly the same with regards to powder charges, etc. I sort them after cleaning and when I have enough, I will do a run of small pistol brass.

 

[nevanevan]

I shot some small pistol and large last weekend. It appeared that with the same powder charge the large pistol had a slight edge in recoil. Albiet, this is all subjective and the POI was the same for both cartridges.

 

[kferguson]

Thanks! Very helpful info. How can I tell if the primers are crimped in place? These aren't surplus rounds I bought, they are Blazer brass (reloadable cases) 230 gr. fmj. BTW, I do reload Melnibonean, so do intend to reuse these

 

[sunray]

The small primers came out of the Winchester NT ammo. Only thing is don't mix large and small if you're reloading(dawned on me I left that out as soon as I logged off. The 90 minutes per day library limit sucks) Otherwise, it's ammo.

 

[daBear]

Originally they appeared in Win NT but other manufacturers are now using them as well. Blazer brass, as the OP has indicated as well as Federal, Speer, and Fiocchi. I am sure there are others. Not all are not crimped.
dB

 

[ted_dent]

While there should not be any difference performance wise I would recommend against keeping them both. Sooner or later you are going to get them mixed up & try to squash a large primer into a small primer pocket and that is a formula for a primer kaboom. Decide which primer size cases you want to stick with and then sell off the others. Often people will swap you 1 for 1 and you avoid potential accident problems.

This is another one of those "what the hell were they thinking" products that were an answer to a question no one was asking.

 

[Garand]

I have reloaded both Small primered and Large primered .45 acp brass with absolutely no difference in performance. As most of my brass is of the Large Primered variety, I save all my small primered brass to use in matches in the US that are considered "Lost Brass matches" where because of the large number of competitors brass pickup in not allowed.

 

[ted_dent]

As most of my brass is of the Large Primered variety, I save all my small primered brass to use in matches in the US that are considered "Lost Brass matches" where because of the large number of competitors brass pickup in not allowed.

I have saved up about 700 small primer brass (nearly all Blazer) but they will probably never see the light of day. The only reason I keep them is that 45 ACP is my fav cartridge and in the event that another primer shortage should occur and large pistol primers aren't available, if I have some pistol primers and the 45 SP brass I'm still in the 45 ACP business.