Home Forums Reloading Reloading Software Rifle and pistol primers interchange?

Will large rifle and large pistol primers interchange?
whats the difference,if there was a serious problem should they be color coded' idiot prooff since they look the same size ?

Years ago I heard that the metal was softer in pistol primers.

I also used to have a Ruger 77 in .308 Win that wouldn't fire large rifle primers, so I loaded it with large pistol primers and they worked just fine.

Thanks

Rifle Primers have greater cup thickness and larger amounts of compoun. They are are longer than pistol primers. Rifle primers seated in pistol brass may not be able to be seated flush or below flush which can lead to rounds seizing up in revolver or slam fires in a semi auto. Also rifle primers may or may not function in a handgun due to a lighter firing pin strike.

Pistol primer used in a rifle,may result in pierced primers.Not a good thing.

No need to color code as idiots should not be reloading anyway.

"Rifle Primers have greater cup thickness and larger amounts of compoun. They are are longer than pistol primers. Rifle primers seated in pistol brass may not be able to be seated flush or below flush which can lead to rounds seizing up in revolver or slam fires in a semi auto. Also rifle primers may or may not function in a handgun due to a lighter firing pin strike."

This applies only to Large Rifle and Pistol, for the most part. Small rifle and pistol are identical in dimension.

Friend of mine loaded pistol primers in a certain rifle cartridge and got misfires. Primers went-off all right, but they only scorched the powder granules just inside the primer vent.

I have used small rifle primers in lieu of small pistol primers for years, without any issue. I have, on occasion, used small pistol in .223 bolt gun loads, and have never had a failure to fire. I have, however, had pierced primers a few times.

I no longer buy small pistol primers. I use small rifle in everything, except for my tuned .38 revolvers, and they get Federal SP from the stockpile.

I reload .357 Magnum for rifle (Marlin 1894C) and pistol. Mostly have always used H110 for these rounds but it is very scarce and virtually no where to be found around here. A couple weeks ago I stumbled on a bottle of Vih N110 powder at a gun show and bought it. I looked in my "One Book/One Caliber" reloading manual and found this quote from Vihtavuori Powders. "With very slow burning powders such as N110, small rifle primers are recommended." Obviously Vihtavuori thinks SRP's will work in pistols, at least for the .357 Mag. As I also load 38, & 9mm, and can't find any SPP's less than $100/thousand, I went looking for this same question on the web. Found your forum, joined and just want to thank you for the info. Plenty of SRP's available. Why the big shortage on SPP's? Anybody know?

Why the big shortage on SPP's? Anybody know?
Same as it was in '08- 09
The gubmnt is buying up HUGE lots.
And drying up the supply chain.

Agencys like the Interior are stock piling pistol ammo.

I stocked up last year, but now wish I had doubled my supply.


Like I did back when they were $0.01 each!

I reload about 36 different calibers for my family and a few friends. I follow the recipies very closely, and do not go outside the grains chart. I don't reload for any old guns, only newer production ones. I haven't swapped any pistol or rifle primers like you are talking about, but with primers getting hard to find, it's been tuff to reload.

I was going to buy/use Remington 6.5 primers for an AR15 (223 caliber) and the owner said that Remington does not suggest it, and will not stand behind there product if there was a problem or malfunction. IS THIS CORRECT??? First I have heard of it, but I normally use Winchester primers not Remington.

Mic McPherson's new handloading metallic cartridges book from Safari Press has an impressive number of pictured kabooms from under ignition. A major rifle kaboom is not just blowing down and back through the magazine well like many a Glock - no indeed. The narrative runs that less fiery primers tend to be more accurate but also that inadequate ignition - powder at the front of the case then a standing wave then many parts and pieces flying in no longer close formation - is a terrible thing to have happen so..... Also mentions a lab test of all small primers with a 40% pressure swing in one Bluedot load from lowest pressure primer to highest pressure primer. Lots of useful information out there for folks who will take the time and trouble.