Primers

[1000yards]

These screwed up times might require some screwed up solutions! Don't see it being a safety issue and probably a dumb thought, but has anyone used large pistol primers in place of large rifle in any of the smaller rifle cartridges? I realize they are about .010 shorter. Enough fire in say a lightly loaded 243 or similar?

 

[pointy sticks]

Tag

 

[DJ Fergus]

Bump

 

[aushunter1]

Pistol primers generally have a thinner cup, large pistol primers being .020, large rifle primers are .027 so rifle is thicker.
Large pistol primers are also shallower by .008 so will seat deeper, the effect of this??

I would not be chancing it as if you puncture a primer in a heavy cartridge may not end well!

Another thing to think about in the above is that even a .204 ruger produces up to 57,000 PSI compared to say a 260 Rem up to 59,000 PSI.

A 338 Lapua as much as 63,000 PSI.

Where as something like a .45 ACP only produces 20,000 PSI!

 

[1000yards]

Pistol primers generally have a thinner cup, large pistol primers being .020, large rifle primers are .027 so rifle is thicker.
Large pistol primers are also shallower by .008 so will seat deeper, the effect of this??

I would not be chancing it as if you puncture a primer in a heavy cartridge may not end well!

Another thing to think about in the above is that even a .204 ruger produces up to 57,000 PSI compared to say a 260 Rem up to 59,000 PSI.

A 338 Lapua as much as 63,000 PSI.

Where as something like a .45 ACP only produces 20,000 PSI!

Good points all! Would only consider a light round as I said. Wonder how this thought stacks up in the big pistol cartridges? Say 500 S&W or 460.

 

[aushunter1]

Good points all! Would only consider a light round as I said. Wonder how this thought stacks up in the big pistol cartridges? Say 500 S&W or 460.

As mentioned above a light round like a .204 ruger still produces a lotof PSI!

The other thing is(and I am assuming) the strike force of a pistol firing pin would be way less than a rifle, this coupled with the thinner cup thickness would be my concern.

Also poor accuracy would be another by product!

I have never seen it happen thankfully but I know of reports from ranges where people's actions have exploded & bolts being blown back due to reloader error or similar problem like barrel blockage etc.

I just think its a bad idea but by all means give it a go, its not my head just millimeters behind the rifle action.

 

[XSIVSPD]

Just fyi, 460s&w runs at a max 65,000psi so you'd think could handle the same pressures in a rifle

 

[RT2506]

In the case of the large 460 S&W, 500 etc. they are designed to be loaded with large RIFLE primers. My Hodgdon annual manual calls for large MAG RIFLE primers in their data. Don't try to use pistol primers for rifle loads.

 

[XSIVSPD]

In the case of the large 460 S&W, 500 etc. they are designed to be loaded with large RIFLE primers. My Hodgdon annual manual calls for large MAG RIFLE primers in their data. Don't try to use pistol primers for rifle loads.

Good looking out. I didn't catch that part. Just remembered hearing about their pressure.

 

[bpcrshooter]

In BPCR shooting there are a few that swear by pistol primers in there rifle, there are also others who have had damage from shooting them. The primers slam back against the face and wear away at it, some have found pitting, some found cracks by the hole in the block. With that said.....even at 18k psi damage can still happen. shooting 100 or so probably not, but a steady diet....... its your rifle, for me I would just find rifle primers.

 

[fmuguira]

I think when OP says 'light' round he's referring to a low pressure load; not a full power smaller cased load. ie: maybe a reduced H4895 load in 243, 308, etc.

Your challenge might be getting a 20000-25000 cup rifle load to approximate large pistol pressure.