Can I use large pistol primers in rifle?

kawicrash

kawicrash

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I just got 300 Winchester WLP large pistol standard/magnum primers for free, and was wondering if they are compatible with rifle cases?
I've read that small primers can be used in pistol and rifle, with the main difference being the hardness of the cup.
Are the large pistol dimensionality different from large rifle?
 
I wouldn't unless your running low pressure. Especially using Winchester and there track record as of late.
 
kawicrash said:
OK. Not worth taking a chance to save $15.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

Now just hold on.
Those are very good primers you have, I have used quite a few and they were made well before Winchester got into cheapie material.
I have used lots of large pistol primers, not even the type you mention, in rifles with lower pressures. In particular, I have gotten better accuracy while using pistol primers in my 45-70 Marlin rifles.
Bruce
 
H4831 said:
Now just hold on.
Those are very good primers you have, I have used quite a few and they were made well before Winchester got into cheapie material.
I have used lots of large pistol primers, not even the type you mention, in rifles with lower pressures. In particular, I have gotten better accuracy while using pistol primers in my 45-70 Marlin rifles.
Bruce
Click to expand...
Maybe I'll try them. I load fairly light in my 257 Ackley fire forming loads and 303 plinking rounds.
 
I use them a lot in low pressure black powder rounds. They work very well for that application. I would not try them in high pressure smokeless loads though. Another thing to think about is that when the primer sits deeper in the brass, when the charge goes off it has a longer run at the bolt face. In the single shot rifle world there have been quite a few cases where breech block faces have been damaged by this effect. When using them for black powder many of us seat a piece of paper in the primer pocket under the primer to space the primer out a bit. This trick can often reduce the load's muzzle velocity SD.

Chris.
 
They might not seat deep enough in a rifle case.
One chap I shoot with used them in his .308 cases and found it took two strikes to set some of them off.
He theorized the first strike pushed the primer all the way home, while the second strike fired it.
 
I use them all the time in my 30-30 and 38-55 cast bullet loads. They work just fine.

It is true they are a bit "thinner", but I have had no misfires because they sit a bit deeper in the
primer pocket than do the LR types.

Dave.
 
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