Magnum Primers

retav8r · November 24, 2016, 06:22 PM

Is it safe to use small magnum pistol primers in standard .38 special loads?

Jim Watson · November 24, 2016, 06:24 PM

Made no difference in 9mm. A friend compared and found a small increase in velocity in .38. Not going to blow up your gun.

dahermit · November 24, 2016, 07:29 PM

I shot a couple of thousand or more .38 Spl. rounds consisting of 2.8 grains of Bullseye under 121 Lee cast bullets using Federal Magnum Small Pistol primers. I also shot the same load with standard Federal Small Pistol primers...could detect no difference. Federal Small Pistol primers being hard to find, I took which ever I could find.

Reloadron · November 25, 2016, 10:15 AM

Yeah, treat them like any other primer in load development.

Ron

Stats Shooter · November 25, 2016, 11:28 AM

I once used small pistol magnum primers in my 40 s&w. My standard load used something like 7.6 grains of HS-6. The load with magnum primers used something like 7.4 grains to get the same velocity.

In other words, it is perfectly fine but I would back your standard primer load off a little and work back up.

mikld · November 25, 2016, 03:02 PM

This current thread on the topic has more information.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=581681

Real Gun · November 27, 2016, 12:48 PM

I either use what the manual says or use magnums to help with incomplete powder burns, currently SR4756 and HS-6...back and forth on IMR4227 and skeptical about totally cruddy cases with 300-MP and std primers. I don't have any science to offer, but I think I am following sound advice.

I should add that my context is revolvers with generous case capacities and powder weights, more to light up.

November 24, 2016, 06:22 PM	#1
retav8r Junior Member Join Date: April 1, 2011 Location: Utah Posts: 13	Magnum Primers Is it safe to use small magnum pistol primers in standard .38 special loads?

November 25, 2016, 03:02 PM	#6
mikld Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2009 Location: Southern Oregon! Posts: 2,891	This current thread on the topic has more information. http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=581681 Last edited by Unclenick; November 25, 2016 at 05:07 PM. Reason: To prevent this being a disallowed drive-by post.

November 27, 2016, 12:48 PM	#7
Real Gun Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2004 Location: SC Posts: 2,743	I either use what the manual says or use magnums to help with incomplete powder burns, currently SR4756 and HS-6...back and forth on IMR4227 and skeptical about totally cruddy cases with 300-MP and std primers. I don't have any science to offer, but I think I am following sound advice. I should add that my context is revolvers with generous case capacities and powder weights, more to light up. __________________ Not an expert, just a reporter. Last edited by Real Gun; November 27, 2016 at 01:05 PM.

November 24, 2016, 06:24 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 19,187	Made no difference in 9mm. A friend compared and found a small increase in velocity in .38. Not going to blow up your gun.

November 24, 2016, 07:29 PM	#3
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	I shot a couple of thousand or more .38 Spl. rounds consisting of 2.8 grains of Bullseye under 121 Lee cast bullets using Federal Magnum Small Pistol primers. I also shot the same load with standard Federal Small Pistol primers...could detect no difference. Federal Small Pistol primers being hard to find, I took which ever I could find.

November 25, 2016, 10:15 AM	#4
Reloadron Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 2016 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Suburbs Posts: 1,756	Yeah, treat them like any other primer in load development. Ron

November 25, 2016, 11:28 AM	#5
Stats Shooter Senior Member Join Date: August 26, 2016 Location: North Dakota Posts: 1,636	I once used small pistol magnum primers in my 40 s&w. My standard load used something like 7.6 grains of HS-6. The load with magnum primers used something like 7.4 grains to get the same velocity. In other words, it is perfectly fine but I would back your standard primer load off a little and work back up.