Primer Question

blackhawk8 · October 20, 2012, 04:20 PM

Getting ready to start loading .380 Auto..i Have all kinds of small pistol magnum primers. would it be ok to use these instead of regulare small pistol primers ? Thanks

**Unclenick** · October 20, 2012, 04:26 PM

You can as long as you develop the load with them in place. They can raise pressure under some circumstances. They can also lower pressures by making enough pressure to unseat the bullet before the powder gets fully burning, thus increasing the space it's burning in. So you just have to work up while watching for pressure signs and see what happens.

tkglazie · October 20, 2012, 05:34 PM

What he said. You could use small rifle primers if you wanted to, the trouble is you would only be making loads that would work with small rifle primers.

Take care when you eventually do use non-magnum primers. If your magnum primer recipe happens to be on the low end of the primer scale, you could stick a bullet using a less powerful primer.

**Unclenick** · October 20, 2012, 06:47 PM

. . . Or, if the smaller primer fails to unseat the bullet where the magnum primer was doing so, it could also actually increase pressure. Either way, just work the load up with what you will actually use. (And note: even thought TK is right in principle about the small rifle primers, some handguns will fail to have enough firing pin horsepower to set them off reliably.)

tkglazie · October 20, 2012, 07:09 PM

Quote:

. . . Or, if the smaller primer fails to unseat the bullet where the magnum primer was doing so, it could also actually increase pressure. Either way, just work the load up with what you will actually use. (And note: even thought TK is right in principle about the small rifle primers, some handguns will fail to have enough firing pin horsepower to set them off reliably.)

wow. yet again, a good example of why this forum is my first choice when it comes to reloading information.

WESHOOT2 · October 21, 2012, 05:34 AM

I most highly recommend avoiding the use of the Winchester Small Pistol Magnum primer UNLESS igniting W296, or otherwise specified in the data.

That said, one can use magnum primers in the 380 if one ever-so-slightly reduces the charge, and starts low, and works up.

October 20, 2012, 04:20 PM	#1
blackhawk8 Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2005 Posts: 115	Primer Question Getting ready to start loading .380 Auto..i Have all kinds of small pistol magnum primers. would it be ok to use these instead of regulare small pistol primers ? Thanks

October 20, 2012, 04:26 PM	#2
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	You can as long as you develop the load with them in place. They can raise pressure under some circumstances. They can also lower pressures by making enough pressure to unseat the bullet before the powder gets fully burning, thus increasing the space it's burning in. So you just have to work up while watching for pressure signs and see what happens. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

October 20, 2012, 06:47 PM	#4
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	. . . Or, if the smaller primer fails to unseat the bullet where the magnum primer was doing so, it could also actually increase pressure. Either way, just work the load up with what you will actually use. (And note: even thought TK is right in principle about the small rifle primers, some handguns will fail to have enough firing pin horsepower to set them off reliably.) __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

October 21, 2012, 05:34 AM	#6
WESHOOT2 Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 1999 Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country) Posts: 14,324	safety worst I most highly recommend avoiding the use of the Winchester Small Pistol Magnum primer UNLESS igniting W296, or otherwise specified in the data. That said, one can use magnum primers in the 380 if one ever-so-slightly reduces the charge, and starts low, and works up. __________________ . "all my ammo is mostly retired factory ammo"

October 20, 2012, 05:34 PM	#3
tkglazie Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2011 Posts: 558	What he said. You could use small rifle primers if you wanted to, the trouble is you would only be making loads that would work with small rifle primers. Take care when you eventually do use non-magnum primers. If your magnum primer recipe happens to be on the low end of the primer scale, you could stick a bullet using a less powerful primer.