Reloading with Different Primer

[emy]

Can you use a small rifle primer on a small pistol and vise versa? what would be the danger. Also large rifle on a large pistol .

[Colt562]

I believe that the small rifle primers are about .01 taller than small pistol.

Honestly its just easier to use sp for pistol and sr for rifle.

[Divernhunter]

Pistol primers are thinner and designed for lower operating pressures. That is one reason that the 454Cassull uses a rifle primer. The rifle primer will also require a harder hammer/firing pin strike to reliablie go off. I do believe many 22Hornet reloaders use pistol primers but that is about the only rifle cartridge I can think of where it is common to do so.

[bohoki]

i use sr for everything that takes small that way i wont run out

you cant do that with large though

[GeoffLinder]

You can use SR in pistol cartridges that are same size but only downside is they are harder to ignite and you need to make sure your striker or firing pin spring is up to the task. It's an old trick for loading .38 Super and 9mm to major power factor for compensated/ported guns in USPSA where you are pushing way past SAAMI max pressures to get extra gas pressure to work the the compensator well. This prevents primer blowout in those situations.

Never go the other way, always use ONLY rifle primers in rifle cases, ALWAYS!

[emy]

I reload alot of 9mm and i shoot it out of an AR pistol, right now i'm using pistol primer, and when I reload 223 i have to switch over to rifle primer. I shoot 500rd a week with 9mm. Would it be alright to use rifle primer for both 9mm and 223 so I wouldn't have to keep changing over to different primer and just stay with rifle primer.

[NoHeavyHitter]

NO - use the correct primers as reloading data is keyed towards use with known components. And yeah, I'm sure Bubba has made the wrong primers work before, so wait until it's an absolute emergency.

[bohoki]

i did it because one day i had a flat of small pistol and then ended up with a big box of 223 brass

then i said to myself since they cost the same why not get what works in both

i load 38/357 9mm 30 carbine 223

[lapsbpbep]

I have used large rifle primes in 45 and small rifle also in 45 to see if it worked had no problem with them

[San_Diego_Shooter]

You should check out what Chuck has to say on the subject:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/primers.htm