Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Testing Pistol Ammo Loaded With Small Rifle Primers vs Small Pistol Primers

Today I decided to test some 9mm ammo that was loaded with SRP's in lieu of SPP's. My science skills are minimal, but I did try to eliminate as many variables as possible.

I started with a batch of once-fired, matching headstamp brass (CCI Blazer). Next I weighed my projectiles (Berry's 115gr Hollow Base Round Nose) until I collected 50 that weighed almost exactly 115 grains. For primers, I used Winchester Small Pistol and Winchester Small Rifle. They were purchased in the same trip to Cabela's a few years ago and have been stored in the same cupboard ever since. I loaded 50 rounds (25 with a SPP and 25 with a SRP) on my single stage press, weighing each powder charge.

Because I know the mistakes I'm capable of, I didn't just simply put the rounds in separate containers; I marked them with Sharpies.


Here are my rounds, ready for testing:


I met up with a couple buddies at the range, one of whom has a Labradar chronograph. It uses doppler radar to measure speeds so it isn't sensitive to light whatsoever--which means we could use it at our indoor range. Here's my buddy, testing some ammo:


My first test gun was my Gen5 G19. The second gun was a 5" 1911 9mm. As for the outcome, out of the G19, the rounds loaded with SPP's averaged 1048 fps at the muzzle, and the rounds loaded with SRP's averaged 1065 fps. Out of the 1911 with its extra inch of barrel, the SPP rounds averaged 1131 fps and the SRP rounds averaged 1151 fps. I checked my load data, and the speed with SPP's was about what I was expecting. The speeds from the rounds loaded with SRP's were still within the zone of what one could expect. All of the rounds that were loaded with SRP's fired on the first try and were every bit as accurate as the regular rounds. Here's a shot of some of the primers:


While I don't think my test conditions or small data sample are solid enough to draw any specific conclusions, I am at least satisfied that I won't blow myself up when swapping a SRP for a SPP when using low book load data. Since I shoot primarily pistols, it helps to know I've got an extra 10,000 primers for handgun use, should I need them.