Wrong primer

Dennis6474 · January 15, 2015, 03:36 PM

I was reloading some 7 mm Rem. mag and ran out of primers so I opened a new package and used one primer. When I was cleaning up I went to put the primers away and noticed that instead of large RIFLE primers I had used a large PISTOL primer. No way to tell which one.

That is a new one for me. I thought that I had made all the mistakes that could be made. I found a new one.

What should I expect to happen if I shoot that one? Should i break down a days work or just be aware that one is going to make a different bang.

Smoke & Recoil · January 15, 2015, 03:48 PM

Myself, I wouldn't worry about it, as long as you are sure it was only one and
not the whole lot. Were the primers all the same color ?

jmhyer · January 15, 2015, 04:04 PM

Unless you plan to use this batch in a target competition, you should be fine. Just practice/plink with that batch. It'll still go BANG.

hoghunting · January 15, 2015, 04:20 PM

If you loaded your 7mm mag close to the max, I would pull them apart and replace the primers. The metal in pistol primers isn't meant to handle the increased pressures of a rifle cartridge, you run the risk of blowing a primer.

Dennis6474 · January 15, 2015, 04:21 PM

They were all CCI so same color. I was concerned that the rifle may penatrate the pistol primer or result in a squib.

They will only be used hunting.

AllenJ · January 15, 2015, 04:27 PM

Pistol primers generally have thinner cups meaning you risk your rifle's firing pin piercing the primer. This could cause all sorts of issues including pitting the bolt face.

William T. Watts · January 15, 2015, 04:31 PM

That primer will probably fail, it could damage the bolt face or you could get a face full of gas. There's no way to know what will happen, if it were me I would pull all the bullets dump the powder and punch out the primers. I wouldn't risk it.. William

parttime · January 15, 2015, 04:41 PM

I do believe that the case with the Large Pistol primer should have the primer set a llittle deeper than the cases with the Large Rifle primers. Approximately
.010

wogpotter · January 15, 2015, 04:41 PM

It only takes one big bang to spoil your day. I'd suggest erring on the side of safety.

Blindstitch · January 15, 2015, 04:44 PM

How many shells did you reload? Could mean a difference 10 vs 100.

Dennis6474 · January 15, 2015, 05:09 PM

I think that I will pull them and chalk it up to another error I hope not to make again.

I would always have it on my mind when ever I fired that lot. Peace of mind is cheap if I am only out the time.

Thanks for all the advice.

Gadawg88 · January 15, 2015, 05:54 PM

I would also pull them, but you may not have to pull all of them if you are sure you only used one large pistol primer. Large pistol and large rifle primers have different heights. See link: http://ballistictools.com/articles/p...d-diameter.php

I would inspect each case and look for any that seem like the primer is seated deeper. You can try and measure but that has always proved difficult for me. Start with the one or ones that look deeper. Deprime one at a time and measure the primer height. Measure a KNOWN LPP and a LRP of the same brand for comparison. Maybe you will get lucky and only have to pull a few. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out. Maybe we could start a pool and take bets on how many you pull before you find it.

Dennis6474 · January 22, 2015, 12:16 PM

Sorry for taking so long to get back to the forum. I pulled all of them for my peace of mind. Thanks for all the advice.

Blue Grass · January 23, 2015, 09:16 AM

You did the right thing.

Wreck-n-Crew · January 23, 2015, 04:15 PM

I once opened a new brick of primers to finish off a batch of 300+ 9mm loads I was working on. just as I opened the second 100 pack I realized they were the magnum primers. I had just mixed up 280 primed brass with 180 SPP and 100 SPMP. No way to tell them apart and trying to work up a new load with an unfamiliar powder I counted my loses.

HiBC · January 23, 2015, 06:35 PM

I went shooting with someone who made the same mistake loading .308.Only,it went undiscovered.
I shot a few of them in my DPMS.Picking up the brass after shooting my first target,I habitually looked at the primers.Each had a hole through the center.

The little cookie blew back into the bolt.It had potential to foul the FP to a fixed FP,which could cause out of battery ignition.

I did not know exactly what was going on.I stopped shooting that rifle immediately.Later investigation showed pistol primers stocked in the wrong place.

I saw light etching under magnification of the FP tip.I replaced it.

Good idea not to take chances.

Gregory Gauvin · January 24, 2015, 10:12 PM

I loaded a large rifle primer in a .45 acp. It went bang.

Pistol in rifle shell? Pull it.

jimbob86 · January 24, 2015, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Sorry for taking so long to get back to the forum. I pulled all of them for my peace of mind.

Good plan. Pierced primers are not fun. Goofy stuff happens when 50K+ PSI gas gets going the wrong direction. When one of my guns did it, it sent the cocking piece raking across my thumbnail...... bad bruise under it, and back where the nail grows ..... eventually lost it, and it took almost a year to grow back right..... you don't know how important your thumbnail is ..... until you dont have it!

hgmeyer · January 25, 2015, 12:39 PM

My primers are kept separated by type in sealed bins in the storage area. Not perfect plan, but I have to make a mistake twice to end up with the wrong primers on the bench.

January 15, 2015, 03:36 PM	#1
Dennis6474 Member Join Date: October 6, 2011 Location: Florida Panhandle Posts: 84	Wrong primer I was reloading some 7 mm Rem. mag and ran out of primers so I opened a new package and used one primer. When I was cleaning up I went to put the primers away and noticed that instead of large RIFLE primers I had used a large PISTOL primer. No way to tell which one. That is a new one for me. I thought that I had made all the mistakes that could be made. I found a new one. What should I expect to happen if I shoot that one? Should i break down a days work or just be aware that one is going to make a different bang.

January 15, 2015, 04:41 PM	#8
parttime Member Join Date: August 25, 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 83	I do believe that the case with the Large Pistol primer should have the primer set a llittle deeper than the cases with the Large Rifle primers. Approximately .010 __________________ The wants of the many DO NOT outweigh my needs. Last edited by parttime; January 16, 2015 at 07:10 AM.

January 15, 2015, 03:48 PM	#2
Smoke & Recoil Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: East shore of Lake Michigan. Posts: 717	Myself, I wouldn't worry about it, as long as you are sure it was only one and not the whole lot. Were the primers all the same color ?

January 15, 2015, 04:04 PM	#3
jmhyer Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2012 Location: MS - USA Posts: 910	Unless you plan to use this batch in a target competition, you should be fine. Just practice/plink with that batch. It'll still go BANG.

January 15, 2015, 04:20 PM	#4
hoghunting Senior Member Join Date: March 27, 2006 Posts: 1,559	If you loaded your 7mm mag close to the max, I would pull them apart and replace the primers. The metal in pistol primers isn't meant to handle the increased pressures of a rifle cartridge, you run the risk of blowing a primer.

January 15, 2015, 04:21 PM	#5
Dennis6474 Member Join Date: October 6, 2011 Location: Florida Panhandle Posts: 84	They were all CCI so same color. I was concerned that the rifle may penatrate the pistol primer or result in a squib. They will only be used hunting.

January 15, 2015, 04:27 PM	#6
AllenJ Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2009 Location: Northern California Posts: 1,766	Pistol primers generally have thinner cups meaning you risk your rifle's firing pin piercing the primer. This could cause all sorts of issues including pitting the bolt face.

January 15, 2015, 04:31 PM	#7
William T. Watts Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2010 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 1,074	That primer will probably fail, it could damage the bolt face or you could get a face full of gas. There's no way to know what will happen, if it were me I would pull all the bullets dump the powder and punch out the primers. I wouldn't risk it.. William

January 15, 2015, 04:41 PM	#9
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	It only takes one big bang to spoil your day. I'd suggest erring on the side of safety.

January 15, 2015, 04:44 PM	#10
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,694	How many shells did you reload? Could mean a difference 10 vs 100.

January 15, 2015, 05:09 PM	#11
Dennis6474 Member Join Date: October 6, 2011 Location: Florida Panhandle Posts: 84	I think that I will pull them and chalk it up to another error I hope not to make again. I would always have it on my mind when ever I fired that lot. Peace of mind is cheap if I am only out the time. Thanks for all the advice.

January 15, 2015, 05:54 PM	#12
Gadawg88 Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2013 Location: Georgia Posts: 241	I would also pull them, but you may not have to pull all of them if you are sure you only used one large pistol primer. Large pistol and large rifle primers have different heights. See link: http://ballistictools.com/articles/p...d-diameter.php I would inspect each case and look for any that seem like the primer is seated deeper. You can try and measure but that has always proved difficult for me. Start with the one or ones that look deeper. Deprime one at a time and measure the primer height. Measure a KNOWN LPP and a LRP of the same brand for comparison. Maybe you will get lucky and only have to pull a few. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out. Maybe we could start a pool and take bets on how many you pull before you find it.

January 22, 2015, 12:16 PM	#13
Dennis6474 Member Join Date: October 6, 2011 Location: Florida Panhandle Posts: 84	Sorry for taking so long to get back to the forum. I pulled all of them for my peace of mind. Thanks for all the advice.

January 23, 2015, 09:16 AM	#14
Blue Grass Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2009 Posts: 398	You did the right thing.

January 23, 2015, 04:15 PM	#15
Wreck-n-Crew Senior Member Join Date: March 8, 2013 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,820	I once opened a new brick of primers to finish off a batch of 300+ 9mm loads I was working on. just as I opened the second 100 pack I realized they were the magnum primers. I had just mixed up 280 primed brass with 180 SPP and 100 SPMP. No way to tell them apart and trying to work up a new load with an unfamiliar powder I counted my loses.

January 23, 2015, 06:35 PM	#16
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,314	I went shooting with someone who made the same mistake loading .308.Only,it went undiscovered. I shot a few of them in my DPMS.Picking up the brass after shooting my first target,I habitually looked at the primers.Each had a hole through the center. The little cookie blew back into the bolt.It had potential to foul the FP to a fixed FP,which could cause out of battery ignition. I did not know exactly what was going on.I stopped shooting that rifle immediately.Later investigation showed pistol primers stocked in the wrong place. I saw light etching under magnification of the FP tip.I replaced it. Good idea not to take chances.

January 24, 2015, 10:12 PM	#17
Gregory Gauvin Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2009 Posts: 368	I loaded a large rifle primer in a .45 acp. It went bang. Pistol in rifle shell? Pull it.

January 25, 2015, 12:39 PM	#19
hgmeyer Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 2013 Location: Elgin, IL Posts: 147	My primers are kept separated by type in sealed bins in the storage area. Not perfect plan, but I have to make a mistake twice to end up with the wrong primers on the bench.