Universial or 231

[Nick_C_S]

I then started with HP-38 and found it to be a good powder for (9mm and mid to upper 38 and) 357.

For 357 Mag, I've had a different experience. With 125g JHP's, I've run into pressure problems with the Speer #14 starting load. I even loaded a second batch, in the event that I somehow made an error - same result. Then I remembered that it seemed that I tried this same recipe years ago with the same result (I didn't keep records back then, so I'm going off memory). I decided to scratch the project. No W231/.357 Mag loads for me.

AA2 on the other hand (which is slightly slower, but seemingly much more forgiving), makes some pretty impressive 125g .357 Mag rounds. Short barrel, low-flash, low-recoil. (Chrono data in a previous post ^)

[Hammerhead]

Yeah HS-6 can be filthy. At the power levels I was looking for, a 357 with a 158 jacketed bullet @ 950-1,000 fps, HS-6 was dirty. Greasy residue and unburned powder. It got a little better with mag primers.

With 4756 I use less powder and it burns much, much cleaner.

[Nick_C_S]

It got a little better with mag primers.

Agreed. I always use magnum primers with HS-6, when loading for 357 Mag.

[mjes92]

Have any of you gentelmen use small pistol mag primers on .38 spl /231 loads ?

Anyone use small pistol mag primers on .38 spl. / True Blue loads?

Several people have recommended it for .38 spl. HS-6 load recipe's.

I get the impression a lot of handloaders see a benefit to using mag primers when loading sphereical powders.

[rclark]

FWIW, I did a back to back test over the chronograph with HS-6 in the .45 Colt and it did not make me feel I needed to go to the magnum primer. The ES for regular was 62 vs 52 for the magnum which means very little difference.... And didn't change the POI either. Velocity went up by 39fps which means slightly more pressure, but not enough to matter. I'll stick with regular primers with HS-6.... That's my experience with magnum vs regular. I've also tested it in .45 ACP, .44Spec, and .357 with regular with good results in the 'medium' power category.

True Blue I've only used standard primers with very good results. Never tested in .38 special as I don't load for that caliber. My True Blue Test results . Checking over my results I do see I tested back to back when testing in the .44Spec.... Again my conclusion was stick with regular.

[Nick_C_S]

Have any of you gentelmen use small pistol mag primers on .38 spl /231 loads ?

Yes, I have done exactly that. In the peak of the craziness, I was concerned that I would run out of CCI 500's; so to be proactive, I loaded up some rounds (148 DEWC's, and 158 LSWC's - 4.0g 231 in both) for testing. (Fired though a 686 .357 Mag, so I wasn't concerned about exceeding 38 pressures.)

They worked just fine.

In fact, I even put standards and mag-primed in every other charge hole of the cylinder. Result: I could not tell any difference between the two, shooting them back-n-forth. (No chronograph at the time.)

Conclusion (as far as I'm concerned, at least): Unless you're talking a near-max-pressure recipe, I consider mag primers to be perfectly usable in standard primed recipes. No adjustments needed.

[Nick_C_S]

Several people have recommended it for .38 spl. HS-6 load recipe's.

^^ I'm one of those "several people." ^^

Yes, I always use magnum primers with HS-6 when loading revolver cartridges (38 Spl, 357 Mag, 44 Spl, 44 Mag). Always.

[rclark]

Unless you're talking a near-max-pressure recipe, I consider mag primers to be perfectly usable in standard primed recipes.

For the powders I've personally tested over the chronograph... I would agree with you. HS-6, Unique, Green Dot, just to name a few that don't seem to care. Again ... as long as you aren't on the bleeding edge of max pressures. I tested several of my go to powders due to the primer shortage just to see. Never know when you going to have to use a box of magnum primers because that's all you can get .

[noylj]

So much concern over "dirty." Don't over lube and dirty is not an issue for several thousands of rounds.
Never shot a magnum primer with 540/HS6 and never needed to. No problem doing so, just not needed.
My experience is that 231/HP38 is a very good powder in .380 with a 0.6 to 1.0gn range from start to max, which is about the same or more than most other powders. I haven't seen or felt any pressure spikes with it, unlike N310, Clays, and TiteGroup (in multiple cartridges).
If I was to use only one powder for .380, it would be Power Pistol--same for 9x19.

[Hammerhead]

I'm starting to use magnum primers more and more in handguns. I've never had the pleasure of using CCI 550's, but I'm becoming a big fan of Win. WSPM's.

I'm wondering if mag primers help reduce position sensitivity in cartridges like the .357 and .45 Colt with light bullets and fast powders.

[Nick_C_S]

CCI has always been my go-to primer brand. In fact, I've never used anything else until this craziness starting this spring. At which point, you'd grab whatever you could get. I got 2000 Winchester WSP's. And I also got 3000 of the Federal 150 (large) - you know, the ones that come in a "shoebox" lol. Both worked just fine, and I still have quite a few. But I'm going to use them up first, and eventually get back to exclusively CCI. Just like to stay consistent.

It was touch-n-go there for a while - during the peak of the craziness, I was down to just a few hundred small pistol (but holding lots of loaded rounds).

I did an inventory yesterday: I'm holding 4900 small standard, and 3600 small magnum. I'm not quite as fat on the large side, but still doing well.

I don't ever want to run out of any component. But I find the thought of running out of primers to be particularly frustrating. Never again.

(Subject deviation post - sorry.)

[mjes92]

I too fell into the primer panic trap and have a brick of mag primers I would like to use up. I have used mag primers with Universal and seen no obvious pressure issues. 50 fps increase on the chrono at best.

[Nick_C_S]

Yeah, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with 3600 magnum primers myself lol. I only use them for HS-6. I used to use them for 296, but I only load 296 for my long barrel guns (a 629, and a 686, both with 8 3/8" bbls), and I shoot my long barrel guns, like never.

3600 primers - that's a lot of HS-6 shooting