Primers for .357 handloads
- Thread starter HuntersStand
- Start date
Small pistol primer cup thickness varies from .017 to .020, small rifle primer cup thickness varies between .020 to .025. And as you can see below some of the primers are interchangeable.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PRIMER - A PRIMER ON PRIMERS
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=56422.0
Small Rifle Standard
CCI 400 -thin .020" cup, not recommended for AR15 use by CCI/Speer. Good for .22 Hornet, .30 Carbine. See Note 1 at the bottom of the page.
NOTE 1: According to Speer/CCI Technical Services - Both the CCI 550 Small Pistol Magnum and CCI 400 Small Rifle primers are identical in size. Both primers use the same cup metal and share the same cup thickness. Both primers use the same primer compound formula and same amount of primer compound. They can be used interchangeably.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PRIMER - A PRIMER ON PRIMERS
http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=56422.0
Small Rifle Standard
CCI 400 -thin .020" cup, not recommended for AR15 use by CCI/Speer. Good for .22 Hornet, .30 Carbine. See Note 1 at the bottom of the page.
NOTE 1: According to Speer/CCI Technical Services - Both the CCI 550 Small Pistol Magnum and CCI 400 Small Rifle primers are identical in size. Both primers use the same cup metal and share the same cup thickness. Both primers use the same primer compound formula and same amount of primer compound. They can be used interchangeably.
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I used small rifle Magnum primers in my 357 Magnum rifle.
There does seem to be a significant difference in ignition speed. I started off with the lowest suggested load and worked up to within a tenth grain of maximum
I have a lot of HS6 on hand and chose that powder for that reason alone, seeing as it has close to perfect bulk ratio for the case.
My velocities are almost identical to suggested manual velocities for a 22 in barrel, just over 1450 fps and very consistent.
I've shot a couple of hundred such rounds this spring and no failures to fire or hang fires.
I tried magnum pistol primers and the results were a few fps slower, not enough to make a difference IMHO.
I also tried standard sp primers but there was a fair bit of velocity spread out of my rifle. Likely nothing to worry about in handgun length barrels.
I only tried the srm primers out of curiosity. IMHO, they will work fine in your rifle, if you can't find smp primers
HS6 is a great powder but can be difficult to ignite consistently. When you can find a good recipe, it's one of the most consistent powders going and has quite a wide range of uses.
There does seem to be a significant difference in ignition speed. I started off with the lowest suggested load and worked up to within a tenth grain of maximum
I have a lot of HS6 on hand and chose that powder for that reason alone, seeing as it has close to perfect bulk ratio for the case.
My velocities are almost identical to suggested manual velocities for a 22 in barrel, just over 1450 fps and very consistent.
I've shot a couple of hundred such rounds this spring and no failures to fire or hang fires.
I tried magnum pistol primers and the results were a few fps slower, not enough to make a difference IMHO.
I also tried standard sp primers but there was a fair bit of velocity spread out of my rifle. Likely nothing to worry about in handgun length barrels.
I only tried the srm primers out of curiosity. IMHO, they will work fine in your rifle, if you can't find smp primers
HS6 is a great powder but can be difficult to ignite consistently. When you can find a good recipe, it's one of the most consistent powders going and has quite a wide range of uses.
It isn't easy to find and the reason I have a lot on hand is simply because it can vary quite a bit between lots.
Most folks use it exclusively for a shotgun propellant.
Nothing at all wrong with the powders you mention, other than they have a very quick pressure spike/curve, which is fine for pistols but a slightly longer curve seems better for rifles. That's where HS6 comes in and maybe why the velocities are so consistent.
notsorichguy
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I use Small Rifle primers exclusively in my 357 Mag handloads.
As with any "new to you load" work up your load, in your firearm, and you will be fine.
As with any "new to you load" work up your load, in your firearm, and you will be fine.
I loaded 300 rounds of .357 last week to work out a load for a new Marlin lever gun. Somewhere along the way, I mistakenly grabbed a package of small pistol primers and loaded 20 rounds with them. I did not even notice the mistake until I sat down to reload them again after the range. Absolutely no difference in performance, everything went bang like expected. If you clean your brass, inspect the primer hole for any debris or soot, I don’t think you’ll have a big problem regardless.
