Small pistol primers

[david_r]

Hi all,

 

Just started to reload for .357 Magnums. Popped to the RFD and picked up some small pistol primers; Remington No. 1 1/2 primers. Just finished priming 250 cases, then noticed the small print on the primer box which states....

 

"WARNING: Do not use 1 1/2 small pistol primers in high intensity pistol cartridges such as the .357 Magnums......death and destruction awaits etc" Great.

 

So, are these seriously bad news? or is it just a case of over cautious labelling??

 

Do I need to pop these suckers and restart again or will they be OK? Looking to reload with H4227 and a light load if that makes any difference.

 

Thanks.

 

[Guest cookoff013]

what does the reloading recipe that you use say?

[deershooter]

you will not have problems with sensable loads

 

Deershooter

[david_r]

what does the reloading recipe that you use say?

 

I was going by the Lee loading manual, second edition. Just states small pistol primer.

[rem708]

I have reloaded thousands and thousands of these right to the limit velocity wise - Not once did I use a magnum primer. You do need slower powders so you get a fairly full case. My preferred powder at the time was Herclues 2400 - now marketed under Alliant. H4227 appears to be slightly slower so should be fine. The worst I think could happen is unburnt powder.

 

Play safe start on a recommended min load and work up.

[Imperfection]

I use normal small pistol primers (CCI,Remington or Federal) in 357mag in both medium and full power loads and never had any issues.Nine grains of 2400 is a great powder and gives approximately 914fps while thirteen is around 1400fps-both in a leveraction rifle.

 

You can get magnum primers,but these are just hotter with no overall difference in my opinion.

[david_r]

Cool. Thanks for all the responses.

[lineshooter]

I have used magnum primers in 357 with 4.5gr of GM3 powder when nothing else was available, I still have all my fingers and did`nt blow my rifle up.

[JonathanL]

I can't recall ever seeing that warning on primers. I can only assume that the use of the phrase "high intensity cartridges" suggests that they are concerned that they might rupture with full pressure loads. Again though, I've never known this to be a problem of any significance.

 

J.

[JonathanL]

I use normal small pistol primers (CCI,Remington or Federal) in 357mag in both medium and full power loads and never had any issues.Nine grains of 2400 is a great powder and gives approximately 914fps while thirteen is around 1400fps-both in a leveraction rifle.

 

You can get magnum primers,but these are just hotter with no overall difference in my opinion.

 

I don't know the details of the Remington primers but the CCI ones are definitely different. They use a hoter priming compound with the bench-rest cup which is thicker. Maybe Remington do the same?

 

J.

[Imperfection]

 

I don't know the details of the Remington primers but the CCI ones are definitely different. They use a hoter priming compound with the bench-rest cup which is thicker. Maybe Remington do the same?

 

J.

 

I have used CCI magnum primers and honestly found no difference at all with various loads hence why i buy whichever is the cheapest brand as i rattle through quite a lot of 357.

 

Im utterly convinced its a way of extracting a couple more pounds out of reloaders!

[Underdog]

357mag uses small pistol primers period. It can also use small rifle primers period.

 

More importantly, where did you get that H4227? I understand it is discontinued!

 

I developed a good load for my 94 with my last H4227 and now can't get any more, Struggling to get a good powerful and acurate load with H110 and A2400!

 

U.

[david_r]

Acquired the H4227 from Fenland Ruralsports

[JonathanL]

 

I have used CCI magnum primers and honestly found no difference at all with various loads hence why i buy whichever is the cheapest brand as i rattle through quite a lot of 357.

 

Im utterly convinced its a way of extracting a couple more pounds out of reloaders!

 

In practical terms the different primers probably make very little difference to the vast majority of shooters. The info I got from CCI was that their standard primers used a standard cup and standard priming mix, the bench-rest ones used the standard mix in the thicker bench rest cup and the magnum ones used a magnum priming mix in the bench-rest cup. This applied to small rifle primers. I don't know what the situation is with their pistol primers because there isn't a pistol bench-rest primer so don't know if the magnum one uses a thicker cup.

 

I think you are probably correct as far as pistol primers go. I recall reading somewhere that Elmer Keith, who invented both the .357 and .44 Magnum rounds claimed never to have used a magnum primer even though a lot of the early data was published to use them. I can see the point to them in large capacity rifle cases though.

 

J.

[JonathanL]

357mag uses small pistol primers period. It can also use small rifle primers period.

 

More importantly, where did you get that H4227? I understand it is discontinued!

 

I developed a good load for my 94 with my last H4227 and now can't get any more, Struggling to get a good powerful and acurate load with H110 and A2400!

 

U.

 

I think some will but a lot won't. Small pistol and small rifle primers are not the same size. Small rifle primers in most pistol cartridges can't be seated deeply enough. .22 Hornet cases can use both.

 

J.

 

Edit; Actually, now that I think about it, that I think might only apply to large pistol/rifle primers. I shall experiment soon.

Edited May 28, 2013 by JonathanL

[Underdog]

Yes sir. You are correct to correct! Large rifle are different to large pistol.

 

If you like the 4227. Get some more. It wont be around much longer! I will miss it. My 94 loves it and just about every rifle I owned it made great reduced loads for.

I believe IMR 4227 may be the same but dont know!

 

U.