What can happen if reloading casing meant for small primers with big primers?

john777

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Would it go BOOM!?

Sorry for the noob question. Better safe than sorry.

I'm a few weeks away from purchasing Dillon XL650. Going to look for reloading books now.

Thanks!
 
My best guess is he is asking what would happen if you reloaded a Large primer into a primer pocket meant for a Small primer. Best guess anyway... Sounds like he should start with a single stage and lots of reading...
 
I marked my Lee small rifle primer seater with an S. I marked my large rifle primer seater with an L. Did this on both sides.

In reality the you might insert a SRP in a large seater, which would not hold in the case, but I can't see how you would fit a LRP in a small seater.

So you should not have to worry about that imaginary problem cropping up. ;)
 
Recently someone posted about an accident while repriming. It was a .45ACP which Winchester now makes with a small primer pocket & obviously takes a small primer. Most of the .45 brass is large primer however & now we have to check & sort & be careful.
He missed one & tried to put a large primer into a small primer pocket. It exploded & burst the light fixture above his bench.

It could have been a lot worse if it had set off the other primers in the tube.
 
It would be very hard to shove a large primer in a small primer pocket. You will notice your press jamming. If you ignore that and force the primer anyways, then you are asking for trouble.
 
The 650 loads the primer by pushing the handle past top dead center. There isn't a huge amount of leverage involved, and a fair amount of feel involved. Don't fear. If it ever happens that you get a small primer pocket while trying to load large, you will notice the difference immediately.
 
Recently someone posted about an accident while repriming. It was a .45ACP which Winchester now makes with a small primer pocket & obviously takes a small primer. Most of the .45 brass is large primer however & now we have to check & sort & be careful.
He missed one & tried to put a large primer into a small primer pocket. It exploded & burst the light fixture above his bench.

It could have been a lot worse if it had set off the other primers in the tube.

I missed that thread but... Someone posted on another thread and warned me about brass that should normally be for large primers may actually use small. Never mentioned the consequences so that is why I'm asking this noob question.

I can sort out casings I pick up at the range (or buy once fired), but I could make a mistake in sorting.

Thanks for the answers. So it can go BOOM! Note taken.
 
The 650 loads the primer by pushing the handle past top dead center. There isn't a huge amount of leverage involved, and a fair amount of feel involved. Don't fear. If it ever happens that you get a small primer pocket while trying to load large, you will notice the difference immediately.


I haven't bought reloading books yet, but don't think I'll find info like this. You guys are great!

Cool... That sure helps getting an understanding of the mechanics envolved in reloading. If something feels weird, I'll stop. Thanks!

Yeah, my technical jargon is way off, but you guys get the jest of it. Only time I want my ammo to go boom is chambered in firearm and pointed downrange. :)
 
Would it go BOOM!?

Sorry for the noob question. Better safe than sorry.

I'm a few weeks away from purchasing Dillon XL650. Going to look for reloading books now.

Thanks!

Consider the guys have been pretty easy on you, for that question.
The most important thing in reloading, as in everything, is common sense.
Look at the large primer and the small primer pocket. Does it make sense to you that the large primer would go into the small primer pocket?
 
In a few types of ammo, there are some cases with small primers when most are large. 308 and 45 acp come to mind.

I blew up a Autoprime trying to shove a large primer into a small pocket in a 45ACP. Got a bit of Autoprime in my gut. I waer glasses, otherwise it could have been worse.

A tweezers and a new set of underwear and I was good to go.
 
It should be pretty obvious that the primer won't go in if you try to seat a large primer in a small pocket. Don't force it if you feel any resistance.
 
I've recently discovered that Remington makes thier 7.62 x 39mm cases with small primer pockets instead of the standard (And what everybody makes thier primer pockets) large.
Discovered this while reloading on a progressive press and it was easy to tell when the primer would simply not go in. Kinda like trying to put a primer in a case that still has a primer in it.

Scott
 
Consider the guys have been pretty easy on you, for that question.
The most important thing in reloading, as in everything, is common sense.
Look at the large primer and the small primer pocket. Does it make sense to you that the large primer would go into the small primer pocket?

NO, obviously not.

I just wanted to know if there is enough pressure in the press to make primers detonate.

Not only I got a bunch of good answers, I now have a good idea how to 'feel' it out incase I do make a dumba$$ mistake.

I know some of my questions asked here already are total noob and I already admitted to it. I appreciate the help when search function didn't help me.
 
I know some of my questions asked here already are total noob and I already admitted to it

We all have to start & the best way is to read, listen & ask questions.
With guns, reloading & related issues there are no stupid questions.
 
I'm a relative newbie to reloading, and I spent hours on here reading threads, reading a couple of manuals, and cruising websites before I began reloading. I still do all those things, and I'm still learning. Just take your time and make sure you truly understand what you're doing.
These days I'm doing load development on my target .308, and I'm really enjoying this aspect of shooting.
I use a single stage press, and I weigh every single powder charge.

Good on ya for not being afraid to look a tad silly. Read enough of these threads, and you'll see many where people have done dumb things, or made assumptions, or got distracted during the process, and then had to correct their mistakes.

Welcome to reloading. :D
 
stevebc: Thanks! I've been reading about reloading on and off since April. After hours and hours of reading and researching... 90% questions solved... Just 2 or 3 left... So I asked. LOL!

My other big concern is double charging and I couldn't figure out how this could happen on a progressive press. I mean, could it be user error or machine error or both and how it could happen. Answers I gathered is both, but mainly user error. At any rate, my first press will likely be the XL650. So I better know what I'm doing from the get go. I have to ask a bunch of noob questions to make sure what to look out for incase I screw up and I probably will. Let's just hope it's minor. I don't want a double BOOM! Well, nobody wants that. LOL

I hope my recent threads bring light to other noobs that didn't ask or thought of these questions. :)
 
There's lots of good mentors here willing to help out, but it's not without home work reading and with lots of due diligence.
A dillon 650 is a major investment and comes with small and large priming systems that are inner changable pending on what your loading.
Get the video, read the books, ask lots of questions and by all means play safe.

Driller
 
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