Pistol Primer in Rifle cartridge?

Prof Young · March 20, 2021, 05:30 PM

If I'm using Shooter's World Precision Rifle for powder, can I use a small pistol primer instead of a small rifle primer? I'd be loading 223 in this case. I only have small pistol primers and have plenty of small pistol ammo, but would like to have a better stock of 223.
Life is good.
Prof Young

NoSecondBest · March 20, 2021, 06:28 PM

Depends on the brand. In general, the cup is thinner on small pistol primers and can lead to a rupture of the primer upon firing. Hearsay is that CCI are the same. I haven’t tried switching them but people have posted on here that a call to CCI resulted in them being told the cup thickness is the same. If you have CCI primers you can call and ask. If you have any other brands I wouldn’t suggest switching them. I do know of cases where people have substituted and did rupture the primer. What are your eyes worth?

Shadow9mm · March 20, 2021, 06:54 PM

Not recommended, especially in an AR. Pistol primer cups are generally thinner and may not hold the pressure. For ARs, at least according the CCI rep I talked to, you need to use magnums or #41s, due to the floating firing pin. I have been using regular small rifle for years, and CCI said to check the bird peck, buy, at the range pointed down range, dropping the bolt on a cartridge. If the mark was relatively small it was most likely ok. If it was large there is a risk of slam fire. With pistol primers generally being thinner, in an AR, you run an even bigger risk of slam fire. If its a bolt gun you might be ok, but you do still run the risk of blowing or piercing a primer. I would no try it.

Prof Young · March 20, 2021, 07:15 PM

Sounds like I'm gonna have to wait until I can find some small rifle primers that aren't $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ each.

Life is good.
Prof Young

Shadow9mm · March 20, 2021, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prof Young

Sounds like I'm gonna have to wait until I can find some small rifle primers that aren't $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ each.

Life is good.
Prof Young

no joke, they are stupid expensive right now.

**44 AMP** · March 21, 2021, 03:03 AM

Another point to consider is that pistol primers usually have less of the priming compound in them. For .223 where you are lighting off relatively small amounts of powder it may not make a noticeable difference, though it probably will make a measurable difference on some equipment (like a chronograph..)

Small pistol and small rifle primers are about the same size in height.

Large pistol and Large Rifle primers are NOT. The rifle primer is "Taller" and using a pistol primer might cause issues. I would not recommend using Large Pistol in place of Large Rifle, but you might get away with it with small primers and small volume cases.

OF course you'd have to work up your loads with all over again with the new primers...another thing to consider with the current scarcity of components today...

zxcvbob · March 21, 2021, 11:33 AM

See if you can find someone to trade with. There are people out there looking for pistol primers; some of them might have small rifle primers and their pistol doesn't have a strong enough spring to set them off.

hounddawg · March 21, 2021, 12:16 PM

Quote:

See if you can find someone to trade with. There are people out there looking for pistol primers; some of them might have small rifle primers and their pistol doesn't have a strong enough spring to set them off.

that is the ticket

I promise you that if there are any IDPA or USPSA matches in your area you will find a trade there. The pistol competitors go through a lot of primers and you will not have any trouble finding a trade. In fact expect a bidding war

ciwsguy · March 21, 2021, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prof Young

Sounds like I'm gonna have to wait until I can find some small rifle primers that aren't $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ each.

Life is good.
Prof Young

Last week I went to a local cabelas doing a just for giggles check of primer and powder availability. Guess what? They had five bricks of CCI 400 small rifle primers and one brick of Federal large rifle magnum primers that nobody was waiting to buy. Limit was one brick per customer per day. From what I gather, primers and powder show up there sporadically.

lugerstew · March 21, 2021, 06:17 PM

I have been using nothing but cci primers for the 6 years i have been reloading pistol and rifle. I read here that cci has the same primer thickness for pistol or rifle,I have not had any problems ever with cci, and now hearing that they have ridden another variable of thickness, I have even more confidence in CCI primers.. I cant find them anymore, like everyone else, but when I can, I will try to buy them first.

March 20, 2021, 05:30 PM	#1
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Pistol Primer in Rifle cartridge? If I'm using Shooter's World Precision Rifle for powder, can I use a small pistol primer instead of a small rifle primer? I'd be loading 223 in this case. I only have small pistol primers and have plenty of small pistol ammo, but would like to have a better stock of 223. Life is good. Prof Young

March 20, 2021, 06:54 PM	#3
Shadow9mm Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2012 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 3,977	Not recommended, especially in an AR. Pistol primer cups are generally thinner and may not hold the pressure. For ARs, at least according the CCI rep I talked to, you need to use magnums or #41s, due to the floating firing pin. I have been using regular small rifle for years, and CCI said to check the bird peck, buy, at the range pointed down range, dropping the bolt on a cartridge. If the mark was relatively small it was most likely ok. If it was large there is a risk of slam fire. With pistol primers generally being thinner, in an AR, you run an even bigger risk of slam fire. If its a bolt gun you might be ok, but you do still run the risk of blowing or piercing a primer. I would no try it. __________________ I don't believe in "range fodder" that is why I reload.

March 21, 2021, 03:03 AM	#6
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,870	Another point to consider is that pistol primers usually have less of the priming compound in them. For .223 where you are lighting off relatively small amounts of powder it may not make a noticeable difference, though it probably will make a measurable difference on some equipment (like a chronograph..) Small pistol and small rifle primers are about the same size in height. Large pistol and Large Rifle primers are NOT. The rifle primer is "Taller" and using a pistol primer might cause issues. I would not recommend using Large Pistol in place of Large Rifle, but you might get away with it with small primers and small volume cases. OF course you'd have to work up your loads with all over again with the new primers...another thing to consider with the current scarcity of components today... __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

March 21, 2021, 11:33 AM	#7
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	See if you can find someone to trade with. There are people out there looking for pistol primers; some of them might have small rifle primers and their pistol doesn't have a strong enough spring to set them off. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

March 21, 2021, 06:17 PM	#10
lugerstew Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 2019 Location: Colorado Posts: 260	cci primers I have been using nothing but cci primers for the 6 years i have been reloading pistol and rifle. I read here that cci has the same primer thickness for pistol or rifle,I have not had any problems ever with cci, and now hearing that they have ridden another variable of thickness, I have even more confidence in CCI primers.. I cant find them anymore, like everyone else, but when I can, I will try to buy them first.

March 20, 2021, 06:28 PM	#2
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	Depends on the brand. In general, the cup is thinner on small pistol primers and can lead to a rupture of the primer upon firing. Hearsay is that CCI are the same. I haven’t tried switching them but people have posted on here that a call to CCI resulted in them being told the cup thickness is the same. If you have CCI primers you can call and ask. If you have any other brands I wouldn’t suggest switching them. I do know of cases where people have substituted and did rupture the primer. What are your eyes worth?

March 20, 2021, 07:15 PM	#4
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Okay. Good to know. Sounds like I'm gonna have to wait until I can find some small rifle primers that aren't $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ each. Life is good. Prof Young