Small Pistol vs Small Rifle primers 223

Bolivar

Bolivar

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Hey all

I just started loading 223 for my AR. I realized that I still have about 500 WSP primers laying around that I have no other use for now that I got rid of my 38.

Can I use these in place of WSR primers for 223 or will there be a change that could be significantly negative?
 
No, don't.

The difference is in the thickness of the cups, and the small pistol primers will likely rupture, venting hot gas into the firing pin channel.

Small pistol primers can be used for mild .22 Hornet ammo, but for the most part they can't be used in rifle ammo.

The opposite is not true. While many loads are not benefited from the hotter primers, some high pressure pistol loads benefit from the thicker cups. You can't simply substitute, but when working up a load you can use rifle primers instead of pistol.
 
As a bit of a history lesson....

In the late 80's, early 90's guys shooting IPSC with .38 Super were having trouble. Cases were blowing, and the firing pin channels were filling up with brass flowing from primers stressed by very high pressures.

In trying to get the flattest possible trajectory, and the most efficient working compensators, guys were trying to push ever lighter bullets at ever faster velocity. The power factor was 175, and guys would try to hedge a bit higher.

Running a 115 gr bullet at 1500 fps using Win 540 or AA#7 was getting the job done. The guns shot flat, but at a cost. Ramped barrels and tighter match chambers helped keep the brass from blowing. Slightly stronger +p brass helped as well. Longer firing pins with tips sized for the hole, with minimum clearences helped, as well as the use of the thicker cupped rifle primers.

Eventually, IPSC decided to drop the power factor a bit, from 175 to 160. Many of the lessons learned are still practiced. Some of the lessons learned then have helped keep the .40 S&W's running with fewer problems.
 
I agree with Canuck223 after my own learning's. I used to run magnum small pistol primers or small rifle primers in my IPSC 38 Super - it was like gaining half a grain of powder in a case already full of powder (I was running IMR4756 IIRC), but the pistol and the +P brass could handle it (other than the bulge where the ramped barrel met the chamber, I had no issues).

On the flip side, when primers were short back in about '93, I ran small pistol primers in my AR - always a risk of slam fire, but they did the job when small rifle primers could not be found.

Having said this - I was running Federal primers. Winchester primers are a different animal (hotter and more suited to ball powder by some anecdotes).
 
Okay, thanks guys.

Like I said, I am just trying to use up primers I otherwise have not use for. However, if I am likely to get pierced primers or slam fires it is not likely worth the risk. I'm not right pretty to start with and a face full of hot gas won't help.
 
The loading books are loaded with so many theories. Pistol primers thin skinned, pistol primers can't stand the pressures of rifle cartridges, and on and on.
In the real world, the pistol primers are designed to be used in each of the 357 and 44 magnum revolvers. The loading books for these cartridges go to pressures of 42,500 and 40,000, respectively.
The pressures given for the 30-30 in loading charts go to 38,000.
Why wouldn't a large pistol primer be OK to use in rifles, such as the 30-30, or other rifles using lower pressures?
The theorists will say it's because the rifle firing pins hit harder.
What? Do they mean the hammers of the old 30-30s hit harder than the hammers on the big frame S&Ws and Rugers?
 
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