Sm rifle primer VS sm pistol primers

[VaFisher]

Are there any differences in the sm rifle VS sm pistol primers. The seem to be one in the same to look at. If there are differences could you supply specs for these.

[mc223]

I have not been able to find information regarding small pistol primer cup thickness variation or any real studies of actual force between mfgs.
I do, however use small rifle primers in some of my higher pressure loadings for 38 Super and 357 mag.

The following links deal with rifle primers, but are interesting none the less. I would guess that there would be similar differences within the small pistol primer world.

http://usera.imagecave.com/PCSNaples/Primers/

Scroll down for the primer info.
http://www.radomski.us/njhp/cart_tech.htm

[dirty habit]

Not being a smartass but one is for use in pistol cartridges and the other for rifle cartridges. Im sure the differences, whatever they are, would be enough for the primers which look the same to be classified differently?

[Jim Watson]

Small rifle primers have thicker cups to take the higher pressures and more mix to ignite the larger powder charges than small pistol primers.
You can use small rifle primers in pistol cartridges if you redevelop the loads from a reduced starting charge. There will be some risk of misfires if you have a reduced power mainspring or other source of marginal ignition.

I have found that a small rifle standard primer will give higher velocity than a small pistol standard but less than a small pistol magnum.

Federal used to recommend small rifle primers in .357 magnum before they made a magnum pistol primer.

Use of small rifle primers is common to disguise signs of overload in .38 Super raceguns.

[Number 6]

Use of small rifle primers is common to disguise signs of overload in .38 Super raceguns.

Well, I don't know about the "disguise" part, but that's what started me using SR primers in handgun loads. I stopped even buying SP primers and now use SR primers in my .40 and .38 Super as well as my .223 loads.

NOTE: This does NOT work for LARGE rifle in pistol cases - the rifle primers are deeper and their use in a pistol case is begging for a slamfire.

[VaFisher]

Thanks for all the kind replies. I have been wondering about this for awhile now and wanted to use some to work up a load for a 357sig.

[hodaka]

I, also, have given up on small pistol primers. I have been using CCI small rifle in 9mm, .38 and .357's with a bunch of different, although modern pistols and revolvers. The advantage is that with my Dillon, I don't need to worry that I have pistol primers in the tube when I switch to load .223's. Not a misfire yet in over a year.

[Thesenator]

I've used small rifle primers for all my small primer applications for years.

[Crazy4nitro]

My Glock will not reliably light off a small rifle primer. My Mod 10 S&W .38spcl will with no issue at all.

Keep stuff like that in mind.

Crazy4nitro

[jamaica]

Personally I use pistol primers in pistols and rifle primers in rifles. No exceptions.

Primers are made differently for different purposes. I keep different primers separate and labeled.

[amamnn]

I would normally agree with jamaica, but my local supplier has be unable to get my federal gold medal pistol primers for so long that I ran out. The only ones he could get were of the only brand I will not use under any circumstances, so being old enough to remember when Federal did not make a magnum primer, I have been using FGM small rifle primers in my .32 HRM and .357 M loads temporarily.

The change has not done me any good, nor can I claim it has hurt my aggs. Still, it's not going to be a permanent change for me.

[mc223]

FGM being Fed Gold Medal MATCH, Right.