Perhaps a dumb question
- Thread starter OctaRon1
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Most who have never done it will tell you it shouldn't be done, is dangerous etc etc. I have used Federal LP primers in a 243 Handy Rifle that was having problems with miss fires. Solved the problem, and didn't have any issues with the primers.
That said, primers are cheap, and there are a lot of variables with case capacity, how easy various powders ignite etc. So it is prudent to just buy the proper primers.
Personally I wouldn't have an issue using LP in light loads, when using faster powders like 2400, unique, etc. But you accept some risk when you go into uncharted territory.
That said, primers are cheap, and there are a lot of variables with case capacity, how easy various powders ignite etc. So it is prudent to just buy the proper primers.
Personally I wouldn't have an issue using LP in light loads, when using faster powders like 2400, unique, etc. But you accept some risk when you go into uncharted territory.
I have used them in lower pressure rifle loads [30-30, 38-55] without any issues at all. The slightly shorter dimension seems to have no effect on reliability, either.
I would be cautious if you are using a high pressure load in a rifle, however. Dave.
Depending on the pressure it may puncture the primer, it happened with my 500mag and as a result messed up my firing pin. Also as others have said they will seat deeper then a normal large rifle primer. If they are just light plinking loads I would try it.
You might go the other way - rifle primers in pistols - but if you're loading standard - to - hot rifle loads, I wouldn't use a pistol primer. The difference, if I remember correctly, is that the rifle primers are made much tougher, to withstand the much higher pressures in a rifle. So a rifle primer in a pistol might not even fire (especially if your trick titanium firing pin can't hit hard enough to even dimple it), and a pistol primer in a rifle would likely rupture.
I heard an amusing story about the Walther P-38. The P-38 was the first mass-produced DA/SA; and was made by the Germans because the Luger was so expensive to make. It also had the first floating firing pin - the firing pin didn't reach all the way from the hammer to the primer; the hammer gave it a good swat and it flew forward until it struck the primer. A good safety feature on something that could be carried safety-off and hammer-down on a loaded round; otherwise, if you dropped it and it landed on the hammer, it would go-off and shoot straight back up at you.
The problem was that German officers were reloading their P-38's from boxes of SMG ammo. SMG's fired from the open bolt, and as a result they hit their primers a real good hefty whack; so the SMG ammo was manufactured with very tough primers, the better to resist piercing. Striker-fired Lugers had no problem with this - but the floating firing pins in the P-38's couldn't hit the SMG primers hard enough to set them off.
My heart bleeds for the poor Germans who found this out the hard way...
I heard an amusing story about the Walther P-38. The P-38 was the first mass-produced DA/SA; and was made by the Germans because the Luger was so expensive to make. It also had the first floating firing pin - the firing pin didn't reach all the way from the hammer to the primer; the hammer gave it a good swat and it flew forward until it struck the primer. A good safety feature on something that could be carried safety-off and hammer-down on a loaded round; otherwise, if you dropped it and it landed on the hammer, it would go-off and shoot straight back up at you.
The problem was that German officers were reloading their P-38's from boxes of SMG ammo. SMG's fired from the open bolt, and as a result they hit their primers a real good hefty whack; so the SMG ammo was manufactured with very tough primers, the better to resist piercing. Striker-fired Lugers had no problem with this - but the floating firing pins in the P-38's couldn't hit the SMG primers hard enough to set them off.
My heart bleeds for the poor Germans who found this out the hard way...
Totally agree Eagleye and have done it myself, small pistol primers have a cup thickness of .017, large pistol primer cup thickness is .020.
And small rifle primers vary between .020 and .025 and large rifle are .027
Warning from Remington
"In rifle cartridges, the 6-1/2 small rifle primer should not be used in the 17 Remington, 222 Remington or the 223 Remington"
NOTE, besides the 6 1/2 the CCI 400 small rifle primers also have a cup thickness .020 and are not recommended in high pressure cartridges.
(but how many of you have used them in high pressure cartridges)
Below a good read on primers.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PRIMER - A PRIMER ON PRIMERS
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/?topic=56422.0
Depends on the gun, I have accidentally used pistol primer in my AR 223s when I first started.
The firing pin punctured the primer for a few rounds and that was enough for the plasma to damage the tip of the firing pin.
The firing pin punctured the primer for a few rounds and that was enough for the plasma to damage the tip of the firing pin.
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