wrong primers

barryhud · August 16, 2012, 02:30 PM

By mistake, I just finished priming 100 204 cases with CCI small pistol primers. Question, do I need to reprime with small rifle primers or will they shoot ok?

zxcvbob · August 16, 2012, 02:38 PM

Unless you are loading low pressure "cat sneeze" loads using shotgun powder (unlikely in a caliber that small), or maybe blanks, you need to press out the primers and use the right ones. There are all kind of problems you can have with pistol primers in rifle cases, and some of them are really bad. If you are careful you can reuse the pistol primers to load practice ammo.

If you had primed pistol cases with small rifle primers, that is safe and can actually work (it can also cause misfires) and would be worth shooting a few and see how it goes.

m&p45acp10+1 · August 16, 2012, 02:40 PM

If you are loading with Trail Boss I would say Load a couple of them up, and give them a try you should do OK. I use Large Pistol standard and Magnum for Trail Boss loads in 7.62x54R loads. Again I would say load a couple and try with caution. You may end up with a pierced primer.

Do not use those primers for rifle powder loads. You will have pierced primers. It will more than likely cost you a firing pin, and maybe the firing pin spring as well. Even Magnum Small Pistol Primers can not handle the high pressure of a .204 Ruger load with rifle powder.

jcwit · August 16, 2012, 02:52 PM

I regularly use small rifle primers in pistol rounds, but NEVER switch small pistol primers in rifle rounds. Not a heavy enough cup and to high pressure in rifle rounds.

Shootest · August 16, 2012, 04:06 PM

You stand the risk of the primer blowing out and damaging your gun if you shoot them as they are.

barryhud · August 16, 2012, 04:09 PM

Thanks for the replys. I thought I should change the primers and had not even considered the pierced primer issue. I have used sm rifle primers in place of sm pistol primers during the shortage era. I am 73 and screw up occasionally, but so far I still have all of my fingers.

dickttx · August 16, 2012, 07:06 PM

You haven't screwed up until you sign your name.

(75 year old retired CPA)

Sevens · August 17, 2012, 02:12 PM

Just to expand a bit on what the difference between pistol and rifle primers are and why removing them is the right thing to do...

Mainly two different benefits from using rifle primers in rifle loads.
1) You get a hotter, longer and more intense burn with a rifle primer which is advantageous for the larger rifle case and the (sometimes) harder to ignite rifle powders

2) The primer cup thickness and durability is much more so in rifle primers, containing the extreme pressure of rifle ammo. Standard small pistol primers are typically used in cartridges running up to 35,000 PSI max pressure. The .204 Ruger runs north of 57,000 PSI max pressure. Some odd handgun rounds that run pressure beyond 35,000 PSI usually are loaded with small rifle primers simply to combat that pressure. .327 Federal Magnum is an obvious example -- it's a handgun round all the way, but run up to 45,000 PSI max and it uses small rifle primers exclusively.

Running a small pistol primer in .204 Ruger is a BAD idea. Good on you for asking before doing, and for catching your own mistake.

August 16, 2012, 02:30 PM	#1
barryhud Member Join Date: September 7, 2007 Location: Southeast Oklahoma Posts: 85	wrong primers By mistake, I just finished priming 100 204 cases with CCI small pistol primers. Question, do I need to reprime with small rifle primers or will they shoot ok?

August 16, 2012, 02:38 PM	#2
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	Unless you are loading low pressure "cat sneeze" loads using shotgun powder (unlikely in a caliber that small), or maybe blanks, you need to press out the primers and use the right ones. There are all kind of problems you can have with pistol primers in rifle cases, and some of them are really bad. If you are careful you can reuse the pistol primers to load practice ammo. If you had primed pistol cases with small rifle primers, that is safe and can actually work (it can also cause misfires) and would be worth shooting a few and see how it goes. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

August 16, 2012, 02:40 PM	#3
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	If you are loading with Trail Boss I would say Load a couple of them up, and give them a try you should do OK. I use Large Pistol standard and Magnum for Trail Boss loads in 7.62x54R loads. Again I would say load a couple and try with caution. You may end up with a pierced primer. Do not use those primers for rifle powder loads. You will have pierced primers. It will more than likely cost you a firing pin, and maybe the firing pin spring as well. Even Magnum Small Pistol Primers can not handle the high pressure of a .204 Ruger load with rifle powder. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

August 16, 2012, 04:06 PM	#5
Shootest Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2011 Location: Just outside Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 722	You stand the risk of the primer blowing out and damaging your gun if you shoot them as they are. __________________ The private ownership of firearms is an American Heritage. Anyone who disputes that is Anti-American and unpatriotic. NRA Life Member

August 16, 2012, 07:06 PM	#7
dickttx Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2011 Location: Fort Worth Posts: 500	You haven't screwed up until you sign your name. (75 year old retired CPA) __________________ Education teaches you the rules, experience teaches you the exceptions (Plagiarized from Claude Clay)

August 16, 2012, 02:52 PM	#4
jcwit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2007 Location: Upper Indiana Posts: 609	I regularly use small rifle primers in pistol rounds, but NEVER switch small pistol primers in rifle rounds. Not a heavy enough cup and to high pressure in rifle rounds.

August 16, 2012, 04:09 PM	#6
barryhud Member Join Date: September 7, 2007 Location: Southeast Oklahoma Posts: 85	Thanks for the replys. I thought I should change the primers and had not even considered the pierced primer issue. I have used sm rifle primers in place of sm pistol primers during the shortage era. I am 73 and screw up occasionally, but so far I still have all of my fingers.

August 17, 2012, 02:12 PM	#8
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	Just to expand a bit on what the difference between pistol and rifle primers are and why removing them is the right thing to do... Mainly two different benefits from using rifle primers in rifle loads. 1) You get a hotter, longer and more intense burn with a rifle primer which is advantageous for the larger rifle case and the (sometimes) harder to ignite rifle powders 2) The primer cup thickness and durability is much more so in rifle primers, containing the extreme pressure of rifle ammo. Standard small pistol primers are typically used in cartridges running up to 35,000 PSI max pressure. The .204 Ruger runs north of 57,000 PSI max pressure. Some odd handgun rounds that run pressure beyond 35,000 PSI usually are loaded with small rifle primers simply to combat that pressure. .327 Federal Magnum is an obvious example -- it's a handgun round all the way, but run up to 45,000 PSI max and it uses small rifle primers exclusively. Running a small pistol primer in .204 Ruger is a BAD idea. Good on you for asking before doing, and for catching your own mistake. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.