Primer issue

cdoc42 · October 13, 2022, 03:49 PM

You never grow old enough to have learned everything. I found Remington small pistol primers for $89.99/1000 and CCI 500 for $99.99/1000.

Ten bucks is ten bucks, right? It wasn't until I got home and put them away that I noticed they were Remington 1-1/2 small pistol primers, which were not the same as the 5-1/2 primers I've been using that also say "Small Pistol."

I did read the warning that the 1-1/2's should not be used in high-pressure cartridges like .357 Mag, .357 Sig and .40 S&W. www.Remington.com has a spec sheet that lists primers for various calibers and that, of course, agrees with the boxed warning. Some reloaders have considered 5-1/2 to be magnum primers, as they are the primers to be used in .357 Mag, .357 Sig and 40S&W.

The 1-1/2's are for 9mm Luger, .380 Auto, .38 Spec and other "low-pressure" cartridges. But this link: https://www.ssusa.org/content/reming...istol-primers/ discusses all this and raises a flag that the 1-1/2 cups are thinner and even in high-end 9mm the pressure is in the same range as the .357, et.al. and can produce pierced primers.

I never knew there was a Remington 1-1/2; all I ever used was 5-1/2 because the box never said "magnum" primers.

HiBC · October 13, 2022, 04:02 PM

I was advised by an Old Gunsmith those Remington Pistol primers were the primer to use if your double action revolver "Action Job" light pull also gave you light primer strikes.
Of course, the "Common knowledge" of products from 30 years ago is subject to change. Manufacturers change specs.

The priorities of light pull/ light primer strikes/ handgun reliability are a different topic. Depends on what YOU want,I suppose.

I'd choose "Go bang every time with any primer" myself.

markr6754 · October 13, 2022, 04:22 PM

I've loaded thousands of Rem 1 1/2 primers in everything from 380 Auto to 45 ACP, the majority being 9mm as well as 40 S&W. Never had an issue. Found out fairly recently that one shouldn't use them in 40 S&W, but I'd already used up my stash. Now that I have a couple of bricks again I'm likely to ignore the precautions, just because.

I don't load to maximum.

Having said that, Barnes data for 40 S&W 125gr and 140gr loads appears to prefer Rem 1 1/2 over other primers.

cdoc42 · October 13, 2022, 10:07 PM

You know, the question of the "potency" of magnum vs standard primers has rested upon the advertised presentation. Only recently, perhaps one, if not the only benefit of Covid, has enlightened us to appreciate that at least CCI admits SPP = SRP (of course, depending on your load).

totaldla · October 14, 2022, 10:21 AM

You do know that 9mm and 40sw run at the same pressure?

cdoc42 · October 14, 2022, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by totaldla

You do know that 9mm and 40sw run at the same pressure?

I mentioned that in the 4th paragraph of my post above. That is the drift of the article I linked above. If you load 9mm on the high end of max, the pressure is the same as 40 S&W, .357, etc. and that's when the primer might puncture. It might also be the author wasn't talking about 115gr bullets, but rather 124 or 147 grains which are closer to the .357 (I don't know about 40 S&W as I don't load that).

totaldla · October 15, 2022, 12:47 PM

I've not used a lot of Rem 1 1/2 primers, but I used 1k of them in 9mm +p (using Silhouette) and high-end 40SW (using Longshot) with nary a problem. I did compare them to CCI500 and found the Rems to give slightly higher velocities.

kilotanker22 · October 16, 2022, 04:20 PM

I just realized that I have about 1500 of these primers.

October 13, 2022, 03:49 PM	#1
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,687	Primer issue You never grow old enough to have learned everything. I found Remington small pistol primers for $89.99/1000 and CCI 500 for $99.99/1000. Ten bucks is ten bucks, right? It wasn't until I got home and put them away that I noticed they were Remington 1-1/2 small pistol primers, which were not the same as the 5-1/2 primers I've been using that also say "Small Pistol." I did read the warning that the 1-1/2's should not be used in high-pressure cartridges like .357 Mag, .357 Sig and .40 S&W. www.Remington.com has a spec sheet that lists primers for various calibers and that, of course, agrees with the boxed warning. Some reloaders have considered 5-1/2 to be magnum primers, as they are the primers to be used in .357 Mag, .357 Sig and 40S&W. The 1-1/2's are for 9mm Luger, .380 Auto, .38 Spec and other "low-pressure" cartridges. But this link: https://www.ssusa.org/content/reming...istol-primers/ discusses all this and raises a flag that the 1-1/2 cups are thinner and even in high-end 9mm the pressure is in the same range as the .357, et.al. and can produce pierced primers. I never knew there was a Remington 1-1/2; all I ever used was 5-1/2 because the box never said "magnum" primers.

October 13, 2022, 04:22 PM	#3
markr6754 Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2018 Location: Centerville, OH Posts: 347	I've loaded thousands of Rem 1 1/2 primers in everything from 380 Auto to 45 ACP, the majority being 9mm as well as 40 S&W. Never had an issue. Found out fairly recently that one shouldn't use them in 40 S&W, but I'd already used up my stash. Now that I have a couple of bricks again I'm likely to ignore the precautions, just because. I don't load to maximum. Having said that, Barnes data for 40 S&W 125gr and 140gr loads appears to prefer Rem 1 1/2 over other primers. __________________ “Draw me not without reason, sheath me not without honor.”

October 14, 2022, 10:21 AM	#5
totaldla Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2009 Location: SW Idaho Posts: 1,297	You do know that 9mm and 40sw run at the same pressure? __________________ Lee Auto Bench Prime Castor Oil Case Lube

October 15, 2022, 12:47 PM	#7
totaldla Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2009 Location: SW Idaho Posts: 1,297	I've not used a lot of Rem 1 1/2 primers, but I used 1k of them in 9mm +p (using Silhouette) and high-end 40SW (using Longshot) with nary a problem. I did compare them to CCI500 and found the Rems to give slightly higher velocities. __________________ Lee Auto Bench Prime Castor Oil Case Lube

October 16, 2022, 04:20 PM	#8
kilotanker22 Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2012 Location: North Central, PA Posts: 2,117	I just realized that I have about 1500 of these primers. __________________ “We do not seek peace in order to be at war, but we go to war that we may have peace. Be peaceful, therefore, in warring, so that you may vanquish those whom you war against, and bring them to the prosperity of peace. – St. Augustine

October 13, 2022, 04:02 PM	#2
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,289	I was advised by an Old Gunsmith those Remington Pistol primers were the primer to use if your double action revolver "Action Job" light pull also gave you light primer strikes. Of course, the "Common knowledge" of products from 30 years ago is subject to change. Manufacturers change specs. The priorities of light pull/ light primer strikes/ handgun reliability are a different topic. Depends on what YOU want,I suppose. I'd choose "Go bang every time with any primer" myself.

October 13, 2022, 10:07 PM	#4
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,687	You know, the question of the "potency" of magnum vs standard primers has rested upon the advertised presentation. Only recently, perhaps one, if not the only benefit of Covid, has enlightened us to appreciate that at least CCI admits SPP = SRP (of course, depending on your load).