Small primer .45ACP

hodaka · May 5, 2013, 05:42 PM

Well, I had been throwing the small primer brass away or leaving it lay but a few months ago I began saving it. I now have a coffee can full of mostly Blazer brass so I decided to load some up this afternoon. I must admit that it is easy to switch between 9mm and .45 on the Dillon if you don't need to fool with the primer apparatus. I may grow to like the damn small primer brass after all. I will shoot them this week and see how they do. Using Tula small rifle primers and the same load of 231 under a 200 SWC that I have always used. The only problem was that a couple of large primer brass ended up in the can. You can feel it right away and it wasn't an issue.

spacecoast · May 5, 2013, 05:52 PM

Don't throw them away, they work just fine.

Misssissippi Dave · May 5, 2013, 06:00 PM

I use small pistol primers with the same powder load as I do with the same bullet, powder and large pistol primers in normal cases. I have never tried small rifle primers. I would think the pressure would increase using them and light strikes might be possible.

m&p45acp10+1 · May 5, 2013, 06:30 PM

I save the small primer brass till I have enough of them to take up 100 primers. I shoot them when I know I will not be able to pick them all back up.

Slamfire · May 5, 2013, 08:37 PM

Be careful not to get the stuff mixed up if reloading on a progressive. I don't have the pictures but a gentleman loading 45 ACP brass on a Dillion 1050 basically blew his press all to pieces when he tried to put a large pistol primer in a small primer 45 ACP brass.

This guy said he was using federal primers in a Hornady LNL and he tried to force a tight primer. It was not the same situation as a large primer in small primer brass, but just look at the fun he had!

hodaka · May 6, 2013, 11:48 AM

"One man's ceiling is another man's floor."

I have a hard time visualizing how a forced primer can set off the tube on a Dillon press, at least a 550. The primer seating function is about 2 inches laterally from the primer tube.

Anyhow, I fired my first 50 with the small rifle primers. I could not tell any difference from my normal load. I think I'm with M&P and will use them when it is too much trouble to recover the brass.

BTW- I only use small rifle primers in all small primer applications and have for a number of years. One less thing to keep up with.

PS - I bet it was due to using One Shot!

STW · May 6, 2013, 04:21 PM

Apparently I'm not the only one that sees small primer 45ACP as "when you have to leave it on the ground anyway" fodder.

May 5, 2013, 05:42 PM	#1
hodaka Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,010	Small primer .45ACP Well, I had been throwing the small primer brass away or leaving it lay but a few months ago I began saving it. I now have a coffee can full of mostly Blazer brass so I decided to load some up this afternoon. I must admit that it is easy to switch between 9mm and .45 on the Dillon if you don't need to fool with the primer apparatus. I may grow to like the damn small primer brass after all. I will shoot them this week and see how they do. Using Tula small rifle primers and the same load of 231 under a 200 SWC that I have always used. The only problem was that a couple of large primer brass ended up in the can. You can feel it right away and it wasn't an issue.

May 5, 2013, 06:30 PM	#4
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	I save the small primer brass till I have enough of them to take up 100 primers. I shoot them when I know I will not be able to pick them all back up. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

May 5, 2013, 08:37 PM	#5
Slamfire Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2007 Posts: 5,261	Be careful not to get the stuff mixed up if reloading on a progressive. I don't have the pictures but a gentleman loading 45 ACP brass on a Dillion 1050 basically blew his press all to pieces when he tried to put a large pistol primer in a small primer 45 ACP brass. This guy said he was using federal primers in a Hornady LNL and he tried to force a tight primer. It was not the same situation as a large primer in small primer brass, but just look at the fun he had! __________________ If I'm not shooting, I'm reloading.

May 6, 2013, 04:21 PM	#7
STW Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2002 Location: Montana Posts: 147	Apparently I'm not the only one that sees small primer 45ACP as "when you have to leave it on the ground anyway" fodder. __________________ "What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter." - Terry Pratchett

May 5, 2013, 05:52 PM	#2
spacecoast Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2009 Location: Sunshine and Keystone States Posts: 4,461	Don't throw them away, they work just fine.

May 5, 2013, 06:00 PM	#3
Misssissippi Dave Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2009 Posts: 1,411	I use small pistol primers with the same powder load as I do with the same bullet, powder and large pistol primers in normal cases. I have never tried small rifle primers. I would think the pressure would increase using them and light strikes might be possible.

May 6, 2013, 11:48 AM	#6
hodaka Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,010	"One man's ceiling is another man's floor." I have a hard time visualizing how a forced primer can set off the tube on a Dillon press, at least a 550. The primer seating function is about 2 inches laterally from the primer tube. Anyhow, I fired my first 50 with the small rifle primers. I could not tell any difference from my normal load. I think I'm with M&P and will use them when it is too much trouble to recover the brass. BTW- I only use small rifle primers in all small primer applications and have for a number of years. One less thing to keep up with. PS - I bet it was due to using One Shot!