Small rifle primers in pistol application

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Gleevo

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Anyone use small rifle primers instead of small pistol primers given current availability? I've done a lot of searching but can't find anything definitive on whether it's interchangeable or not. I do realize the size is almost the same and they will fit in the primer pocket but some say you need to lower your charge, others say there is no difference, also have heard it can cause breech face pitting. Some first hand info would be great.

Thanks
 
I was at the competitive pistol shooting forum of Brian Enos and the subject came up, the real problem is "IF" the primers will go off due to the rifle primers having thicker cups and the type pistol you have. And "YES" you will need to work up new loads with rifle primers.

Having said that in 46 years of reloading I have never needed to use small rifle primers in handgun ammunition. BUT if you must use them then get the primers with the thinnest cup thickness to make sure they go bang.

As you can see below the .019 and .020 cup thickness primers would be the best choice. The .025 thickness small rifle primers are recommended for rifles like the AR15 that have free floating firing pins to prevent slam fires. Meaning the primers are much harder and some pistols might not fire them.

calhoonprimers02.png


At the link below you will see the competitive shooters are using small rifle primers in their pistols. BUT if you do a search at the same forum you will find some shooter are having failures to fire problems. As an example a striker fired Glock with a lightened firing pin could have problems or revolvers that had spring mods done.

Who uses small rifle primers for pistol?
http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=168841&hl=+small%20+rifle%20+primers
 
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During a prior primer famine, some of the IPSC crowd acquired some Fiocchi small rifle primers to use in .38 Super. (They normally used other brands).
The common practice at that time was to use small rifle primers in .38 Super because of the very high pressures developed.

Alas, they found that the Fiocchi small rifle primers had relatively thin cups and are were not a good match for the pressures developed.
I jumped at the opportunity to get their surplus for an attractive price and used them for 9mmx19 (normal pressures)
in a Glock 17. No ignition issues encountered by me with the standard weight springs I use.

If you switch primers, redevelop your loads if you're anywhere near max with your current powder charges.
 
Thanks for the input so far. Basically the situation is locally 1000 CCI pistol are $59.99 (seriously), online S&B rifle are $29.99 so obviously the savings would be huge on several thousand. I just finished up the 5000 S&B small pistol with no issues and began reading on using small rifle in my 40 loads
 
small rifle is what I use for ipsc major loads in a 40s&w
Velocity increased as well as a big spread
Use them for 9 as well
 
One time I came across a large amount of Small rifle primers for very little money. As I mostly shoot cast reduced loads in revolvers they worked just fine. One or two of my guns would not always fire the primer but the problems were few and far between.

Graydog
 
What are you going to shoot the ammo that you load with SR primers out of?
Some guns have notoriously weak mainsprings and won't do it.
Others - no problem - or you can change the mainspring to make it work.

As for the load, do like you would when you change any component - download a bit - test and work up.
 
Freedom Ventures said:
What are you going to shoot the ammo that you load with SR primers out of?
Some guns have notoriously weak mainsprings and won't do it.
Others - no problem - or you can change the mainspring to make it work.

As for the load, do like you would when you change any component - download a bit - test and work up.
Click to expand...

Its an M&P, which I've read the striker fires are particularly troublesome but also read glock owners who had no such issues. Unless I hear anything negative I'm going to have to try it.
 
Last year I tried small rifle primers in about 20 9mm pistols. I wanted to test the ignition, to see if any were marginal. If the hammer/striker is strong enough to fire a rifle primer, it has more than enough for 100% reliability with pistol primers.

All but 2 were fine with them.

I also use rifle primers to test ignition when backing off the hammer spring in a revolver.

But if a load is near max, drop the charge and re-develop the load.
 
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