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Old November 24, 2016, 05:22 PM   #1
retav8r
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Magnum Primers

Is it safe to use small magnum pistol primers in standard .38 special loads?
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Old November 24, 2016, 05:24 PM   #2
Jim Watson
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Made no difference in 9mm. A friend compared and found a small increase in velocity in .38. Not going to blow up your gun.
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Old November 24, 2016, 06:29 PM   #3
dahermit
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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.
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Old November 25, 2016, 09:15 AM   #4
Reloadron
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Yeah, treat them like any other primer in load development.

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Old November 25, 2016, 10:28 AM   #5
Stats Shooter
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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.
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Old November 25, 2016, 02:02 PM   #6
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This current thread on the topic has more information.
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=581681
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Last edited by Unclenick; November 25, 2016 at 04:07 PM. Reason: To prevent this being a disallowed drive-by post.
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Old November 27, 2016, 11:48 AM   #7
Real Gun
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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.
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