.45 ACP - small or large pistol primers?

[bluemike807]

Which are better to use? Im going to be reloading .45ACP, and want to get consistency in the primers I use; should I be buying brass fitted for large or small pistol primers - and which is better? which do commercial loads tend to use?

 

[khoeep]

Most commercial loads use large pistol primers. IIRC Winclean ammo uses small pistol primers. You should probably sort your brass based on the primer pocket size, and use the primer the fits in there nice and snug.

I'd highly recommend you wait for someone to confirm what I've written, since I haven't started reloading .45 ACP yet.

 

[Kevin M.]

I bought 5,000 small pistol primer brass the first time I got brass for my .45, with the expectation of spending less on primers.

Bad decision, at least for me.

I use a progressive press, so there was big problems when large pistol primer brass from the range that got mixed in wit my small pistol primer brass.

Sorting the two apart is a nightmare, because you have to inspect every piece of brass in great detail to determine primer pocket size before loading.

It was too much of a hastle for me in the end, I sorted them out one final time and sold all my small pistol primer .45, sticking with the more common large pistol primer brass.


It's just a PITA if you ask me.

 

[Antoine22]

Doesn't matter, as long as they don't get mix together like Kevin said.

 

[Ganderite]

Large primer is most common, so the best bet.

 

[cbabes]

One benefit that can come from using the small primer .45 cases is if you also reload 9mm on a progressive.

 

[MrSchultz]

They made a HUGE mistake making 45 brass with small primer

but like cbabes said, it sure makes it easier when loading 9mm... you don't have to change the primer set up on a progressive

I'm not sure how easily other presses change primer systems, but I have a dillon 650, I just find it a hassle to change from one size primer to another.

 

[rumrunner64]

Been loading .45 acp with small primer of over a year now.
230 RN over 6 grains of unique. Works for grate me.
I don't sort out the large primer brass. It is very easy to tell the primer is not seating properly. Then trade off the large primer brass for small primer. This way I can load my 9mm and 40 s/w and never have to change primmer system on my Dillon 650.

 

[adriel]

Keep your small primer brass separate and just do them in a separate run if/when you get enough of them.