Help with primer mistake.

NINEX19 · August 11, 2016, 10:33 AM

Yesterday I discovered in my stack of recently empty primer boxes, a CCI SP Magnum box. That would be normal and acceptable except that I have not made any magnum rounds in over six months and that box was put there by me no more than a month ago.

I appears that I inadvertently used magnum primers for non magnum primer required loads. I have never made this type of mistake before and am normally extremely careful with each process, so I am not sure how it happened, but it did.

I think I have it narrowed down to either a batch of .32 S&W Long or .32 H&R Magnum that I did last week.

What do you think I should do? Disassemble 100 rounds or shoot them the way they are. The powder used for the .32 S&W Long was Bullseye and the powder used for the .32 H&R Magnum was HP-38.

Snyper · August 11, 2016, 10:39 AM

Unless you were already loading to the maximum, I'd just shoot them and not worry much about it at all.

Reloadron · August 11, 2016, 12:14 PM

The term 'magnum" as it pertains to cartridge primers does not denote a magnum primer being used. For example if I load .357 Remington Magnum or .44 Remington Magnum that does not denote I need a magnum primer. Primers are chosen based on the load data including the powder type. Ball powders for example frequently call for a magnum primer, depending on the volume of powder and how difficult the powder is to ignite. Possible that you loaded something, handgun or rifle that used a ball powder and the load data called out the use of a magnum primer?

In several cases I have tried both magnum and standard primers in some rifle cases and seen little to no difference in velocity. Wish I could have looked at the actual pressure curves. Anyway, I would not overly worry about your find.

Ron

TimSr · August 11, 2016, 01:27 PM

Quote:

What do you think I should do? Disassemble 100 rounds or shoot them the way they are. The powder used for the .32 S&W Long was Bullseye and the powder used for the .32 H&R Magnum was HP-38.

Shoot them and you'll be fine, unless you are on the upper fringes of overload. Not a safety issue. You might notice slightly larger or smaller groups, and more or less slight variations in velocity, or you might notice nothing at all.

T. O'Heir · August 11, 2016, 01:52 PM

Magnum "rounds" have nothing whatever to do with magnum primers. Magnum primers are about the powder used and nothing else.
You might see a bit on increased pressures, but it's really nothing to worry about.
"...stack of recently empty primer boxes..." Startin' a collection? snicker.

g.willikers · August 11, 2016, 02:05 PM

Just shoot 'em.
I we don't hear from you again then we'll know we were wrong.
Seriously, during one of the many primer shortages, it was common to just use whatever could be found.
A lot of magnum primers were used for regular loads without harm.
I used them for some hefty 9mm stuff suitable for knocking down full sized pepper poppers.
Never had a problem.
With little or no difference in velocity or pressure signs over regular primers.

NINEX19 · August 11, 2016, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Magnum "rounds" have nothing whatever to do with magnum primers. Magnum primers are about the powder used and nothing else.
You might see a bit on increased pressures, but it's really nothing to worry about.

I don't think I would go so far as to say that magnum rounds have "nothing" to do with magnum primers. They obviously do or else they would not exist separate from non magnum. I understand it has to do with the combination of primer and powder. That is why I listed the powder that was used as well as gave an idea of the size of cases. I was not sure if bullseye (a relatively faster burning powder) would have an adverse reaction with a magnum primer. HP-38, being a bit slower, I felt that would probably be fine, but thought I would ask anyway from others that have more experience than I.

Quote:

"...stack of recently empty primer boxes..." Startin' a collection? snicker.

No, not really a collection. I am just having a hard time throwing away those neat little trays. Who knows what they might be useful for in the future. Come on... admit it, I can't be the only one who hangs on to those things.

Thanks for the replies. I suspected as much, but it is always good to get confirmation.

T. O'Heir · August 11, 2016, 02:41 PM

Magnum named cartridges have absolutely "nothing" to do with magnum primers. Nor do magnum primers have anything to do with magnum named cartridges. The word 'Magnum', when related to primers, is a marketing term. Comes from the winery industry and the larger bottles used by times.
Magnum primers burn slightly hotter for slightly longer(measured in microseconds) than standard primers. Their purpose is to light difficult to ignite powders and nothing more. Magnum named cartridges DO NOT require magnum primers unless they are using such powders. You only need to use magnum primers if your manual says to use 'em for a particular powder. Said cartridge does not need to have the word 'magnum' in its name.
For some daft reason, Hodgdon's site, that I suspect is managed by somebody who doesn't know his butt from his elbow(programmers are like that) give magnum primers for magnum names cartridges but not with the same powders in other cartridges. H110 in .30 Carbine and .357 Mag, for example. No magnum primer in the Carbine, but is in the .357.
Look at Alliant's site and their Bullseye data for .357 Mag. A CCI #500 primer is not a magnum primer. Neither is the Federal $110 they used for BE86.
"...having a hard time throwing away..." Pitch 'em. Trust me. You'll end up with an apartment or house full of stuff if you don't.

NINEX19 · August 11, 2016, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Their purpose is to light difficult to ignite powders and nothing more. Magnum named cartridges DO NOT require magnum primers unless they are using such powders.

Perhaps we are talking over each other and I am not interested in getting into a match with words, but I think that your above statement proves my point. Magnum primers do have something to do with SOME magnum cartridges.

I completely understand the purpose of magnum primers with slower powders in certain loads (usually "magnum" loads that use the slower powder).

I suppose I could have just posed the original question as a simple, "Would it be really bad to use magnum primers with Bullseye powder?", but I thought a bit of background would have been helpful to get a complete picture.

Obviously you did not read what I posted in my last post that should have been clear as to my understanding of the use of certain primers with certain powders and there was no further need to beat me down with your long explanation.

Quote:

I understand it has to do with the combination of primer and powder. That is why I listed the powder that was used as well as gave an idea of the size of cases. I was not sure if bullseye (a relatively faster burning powder) would have an adverse reaction with a magnum primer. HP-38, being a bit slower, I felt that would probably be fine, but thought I would ask anyway from others that have more experience than I.

Never once did I say or even imply that I was afraid that using a magnum primer in a non-magnum round was the issue. My concern was that specific powder combined with the magnum primer in those size of cases.

T. O'Heir · August 11, 2016, 03:08 PM

"...Magnum primers do have something to do with SOME magnum cartridges...usually "magnum" loads that use the slower powder)..."
No, they don't. Read your manual.

NINEX19 · August 11, 2016, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Unless you were already loading to the maximum, I'd just shoot them and not worry much about it at all.

No, they were all middle range loads using both Bullseye and HP-38.

T. O'Heir,
I do believe we are talking semantics. I assure you I have a full grasp of what you are saying. I think your confusion is in the word "magnum". I did not name this class of primer "magnum", that is just what it says on the box. I probably could have avoided your confusion by just saying "CCI 550" in place of the word "magnum".

I stand by my statement that CCI 550 primers have something to do with SOME "magnum" cartridge loads vs your statement that CCI 550 primers have nothing to do with magnum loads. This is a pretty simple and truthful statement that cannot be argued unless you are just looking for an argument. Perhaps I asked the original question a bit sloppy, but I have tried to clarify this for you on my subsequent post.

Perhaps I am flippantly using the word "cartridge", when I should use the word "loads". I don't know what set you off. I do appreciate your trying to help, I honestly do. I just had a simple question for the experts on this forum. For the most part, I got good simple answers from people that understood what was being asked without trying to read more into the question.

I get the feeling that you are interested in a war of words based on your post and your tagline of "Spelling and grammar count!". I agree, they do count, but perhaps you should go back a proof read many of your post for the hypocrisy in the grammar department.

berettaprofessor · August 11, 2016, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Come on... admit it, I can't be the only one who hangs on to those things.

Nope, sorry, I toss them. Too small to be good for anything besides making extremely small Jell-O shots.

alexcue · August 12, 2016, 12:13 PM

My LCT has a nasty little habit of occasionally launching a primer from the "safety" prime across my concrete floor. So on occasion I've resorted to looking through my opened primer trays that have only a few unused primers. So a few MAG primers have ended up in my 100 rd batches. Since I'm hardly ever at max loads, I've never noticed much of a difference in plinker loads.

August 11, 2016, 10:33 AM	#1
NINEX19 Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 2001 Location: Washington State Posts: 470	Help with primer mistake. Yesterday I discovered in my stack of recently empty primer boxes, a CCI SP Magnum box. That would be normal and acceptable except that I have not made any magnum rounds in over six months and that box was put there by me no more than a month ago. I appears that I inadvertently used magnum primers for non magnum primer required loads. I have never made this type of mistake before and am normally extremely careful with each process, so I am not sure how it happened, but it did. I think I have it narrowed down to either a batch of .32 S&W Long or .32 H&R Magnum that I did last week. What do you think I should do? Disassemble 100 rounds or shoot them the way they are. The powder used for the .32 S&W Long was Bullseye and the powder used for the .32 H&R Magnum was HP-38. Last edited by NINEX19; August 11, 2016 at 03:27 PM. Reason: added the words "primer required" for clarification.

August 11, 2016, 10:39 AM	#2
Snyper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2013 Location: Eastern NC Posts: 3,047	Unless you were already loading to the maximum, I'd just shoot them and not worry much about it at all. __________________ One shot, one kill

August 11, 2016, 02:05 PM	#6
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Just shoot 'em. I we don't hear from you again then we'll know we were wrong. Seriously, during one of the many primer shortages, it was common to just use whatever could be found. A lot of magnum primers were used for regular loads without harm. I used them for some hefty 9mm stuff suitable for knocking down full sized pepper poppers. Never had a problem. With little or no difference in velocity or pressure signs over regular primers. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

August 11, 2016, 02:41 PM	#8
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Magnum named cartridges have absolutely "nothing" to do with magnum primers. Nor do magnum primers have anything to do with magnum named cartridges. The word 'Magnum', when related to primers, is a marketing term. Comes from the winery industry and the larger bottles used by times. Magnum primers burn slightly hotter for slightly longer(measured in microseconds) than standard primers. Their purpose is to light difficult to ignite powders and nothing more. Magnum named cartridges DO NOT require magnum primers unless they are using such powders. You only need to use magnum primers if your manual says to use 'em for a particular powder. Said cartridge does not need to have the word 'magnum' in its name. For some daft reason, Hodgdon's site, that I suspect is managed by somebody who doesn't know his butt from his elbow(programmers are like that) give magnum primers for magnum names cartridges but not with the same powders in other cartridges. H110 in .30 Carbine and .357 Mag, for example. No magnum primer in the Carbine, but is in the .357. Look at Alliant's site and their Bullseye data for .357 Mag. A CCI #500 primer is not a magnum primer. Neither is the Federal $110 they used for BE86. "...having a hard time throwing away..." Pitch 'em. Trust me. You'll end up with an apartment or house full of stuff if you don't. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

August 11, 2016, 03:08 PM	#10
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	"...Magnum primers do have something to do with SOME magnum cartridges...usually "magnum" loads that use the slower powder)..." No, they don't. Read your manual. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

August 11, 2016, 12:14 PM	#3
Reloadron Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 2016 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Suburbs Posts: 1,750	The term 'magnum" as it pertains to cartridge primers does not denote a magnum primer being used. For example if I load .357 Remington Magnum or .44 Remington Magnum that does not denote I need a magnum primer. Primers are chosen based on the load data including the powder type. Ball powders for example frequently call for a magnum primer, depending on the volume of powder and how difficult the powder is to ignite. Possible that you loaded something, handgun or rifle that used a ball powder and the load data called out the use of a magnum primer? In several cases I have tried both magnum and standard primers in some rifle cases and seen little to no difference in velocity. Wish I could have looked at the actual pressure curves. Anyway, I would not overly worry about your find. Ron

August 11, 2016, 01:52 PM	#5
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Magnum "rounds" have nothing whatever to do with magnum primers. Magnum primers are about the powder used and nothing else. You might see a bit on increased pressures, but it's really nothing to worry about. "...stack of recently empty primer boxes..." Startin' a collection? snicker. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

August 12, 2016, 12:13 PM	#13
alexcue Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2015 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 134	My LCT has a nasty little habit of occasionally launching a primer from the "safety" prime across my concrete floor. So on occasion I've resorted to looking through my opened primer trays that have only a few unused primers. So a few MAG primers have ended up in my 100 rd batches. Since I'm hardly ever at max loads, I've never noticed much of a difference in plinker loads.