Reloading 45 ACP, 2 primers sizes?

[jim Glass]

OK, bought the dies, large pistol primers, and powder to reload 45 ACP. Went to the club gun range for target practice Tuesday and noticed a bunch of fired 45 ACP shell casings in buckets of fired shells. I asked the range officer if it was ok for me to take some of the 45 shells and it was okay. Must have collected over 100 shells. Tonight I'm installing new primers and some shells would not accept the large pistol primers so I set them aside for later. The shells that would not accept large pistol primers were all
"Blazer" brand. I checked the primer pocket and it was roughly .175. I thought that number sounded familiar so I pulled out a small rifle primer and it inserted into the Blazer shell perfectly. What's going on, Does 45 ACP use 2 possible primer diameters? Thanks.

[hunter63]

I kinda ran into this a while with range brass.......
had a bucket of small primer brass....as the range officer....said no one wanted them.....
So I left them ...
Looked it up came up with this....

http://www.shootingtimes.com/ammo/sm...rimers-45-acp/

So I guess it would be fine?

I have loaded up all that I shot so wasn't looking for more....need to round up some bullets.

[natertot]

.45 acp is the on cartridge that may use small or large primers. Many brands use both, just depends on the line and lot. No problems with either type. Sort your 45 cases by primer and use the respective primer. They'll all go bang.

[jim Glass]

Spoke to a friend today that does a lot of reloading, no 45 ACP though. He says I made a mistake using small rifle primers in a pistol
case. He claims the rifle primer is hotter. He says I should take the rounds apart, save the powder and bullet and scrap the case.

Does using a rifle primer in pistol load a safety issue. I have not fire any of the Blaze shells with the rifle primers yet. I figured a primer was a primer.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

There are some rules in reloading. I do this a lot. I've been reloading for 46 years. I have all my fingers, and both eyes. #1 rule is always follow the data. #2 see rule #1.

There are some 45 ACP cases with small pockets. I usually toss them in the brass recycle spittoon. I like consistency in what I load.

Your friend is correct. Do not use the rounds with the small rifle primers loaded in them. They may work fine but why take a chance on a handgun worth some hundreds of dollars on a round that maybe cost 20 cents. The cases with the small pockets take a small pistol primer. Always follow the data.

45 ACP headspaces off of the case mouth. Case length is important. Do not over crimp, only enough to hold the bullet. You have to have the cannelure is in exactly the right place or the round won't chamber.

Remember, always adhere to the loading data.

Which loading manual are you using?

Alan

[jim Glass]

I have been reloading for 1 year. I have the Lyman Reloading Handbook, 49th edition.

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

You have, in my opinion, one of the best loading manuals. I must have ten loading manuals and I use the Lyman book almost exclusively except when I am loading something I can't find in there, which is not very often.

Jim, cases are cheap. I recycle the small pocket 45 ACP brass because I have four lifetime supplies of the large pocket brass. I don't get it very often either. The only reason to save it might be that if we have another primer shortage you will be able to load with small pistol or large pistol whichever you find available.

What you run into with pistol cartridges and rifle primers is that most pistol (handgun) rounds use a fast burning powder that gets the bullet up to speed in a short period of time. The addition of even a half grain of powder can have huge effects on pressures. Rifle primers are constructed differently as well. They are made from heavier metal to withstand the blow from a rifle firing pin. Using pistol primers in a rifle may result in punctured primers which allows gas to escape to the rear. This is not good. Using a rifle primer in a handgun may result in the striker or firing pin not having enough force to effectively ignite the primer. Rifle primers are hotter so as to reliably ignite slower burning powders. The hotter primer in conjunction with a hot load in a pistol round may result in excessive pressures.

The reality is that it would probably not produce catastrophic failures, but Mr. Murphy is always out there waiting…

The best thing to do is simply always follow the data. Have I ever deviated from the data? Yes. And I did it preparing to err on the side of caution and with educated, calculated risks considered.

If you ever have any questions post them here or PM me and I'll be glad to help or try to find out the answer to your question. That way, I learn too.

Alan

[kyratshooter]

Spoke to a friend today that does a lot of reloading, no 45 ACP though. He says I made a mistake using small rifle primers in a pistol
case. He claims the rifle primer is hotter. He says I should take the rounds apart, save the powder and bullet and scrap the case.

Does using a rifle primer in pistol load a safety issue. I have not fire any of the Blaze shells with the rifle primers yet. I figured a primer was a primer.

Small rifle and small pistol and large rife and pistol as well as magnum level primers in all four sizes.

I don't know why he would suggest you scrap the cases? You can run the empty cases through your pistol and pop the primers, then deprime them just like a regular fired case.

You will need a kinetic bullet puller for breaking down the rounds.

[jim Glass]

I pulled the bullets and saved the powder. Got the ideal of using my lathe to machine away the brass to salvage the primers. Saved myself $1.20 worth of primers. Going shooting at the sportsman club tomorrow so I'll probably collect more 45 ACP cases.

[hunter63]

....... Got the ideal of using my lathe to machine away the brass to salvage the primers. Saved myself $1.20 worth of primers. ............

Funny the things we do.....Like saving seed packs for 20 years....that I bought for .19 cents....but can't throw away.

[DSJohnson]

I really wanted to say some wise thing here but you guys beat me to all the (I think) important parts already. Dang it. I need to check in often I guess. being working with a new riding mule that is keeping me very busy, oh and mowing grass.....

[hunter63]

How long does it take to mow the grass with the mule?

[DSJohnson]

Well, see that is a whole 'nother deal. My mule is already broke to harness but I have still not even started to restore/rebuild the McCormick Deering sickle bar mower yet, (5 years back on the "got to do" list) It is all there but the tongue but I need to take it all apart and de-rust everything and sharpen the blade. Change out the grease in the gear box. repair one of the rims.

[DSJohnson]

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[Rick]

What? You have to de-rust your mule?! I better go back and re-read that.

On a more serious note. Is that lady carrying toilet paper for the mule? Now that is a crappy job! And you guys are the ones with the gloves!

[hunter63]

Well, see that is a whole 'nother deal. My mule is already broke to harness but I have still not even started to restore/rebuild the McCormick Deering sickle bar mower yet, (5 years back on the "got to do" list) It is all there but the tongue but I need to take it all apart and de-rust everything and sharpen the blade. Change out the grease in the gear box. repair one of the rims.

We have a lot of older horse drawn equipment around....Lot of Amish and Mennonites.
One Amish family , finds , fixed and resells thus stuff.

Friend got the idea to pull one with his Kubota.....
Never heard how it works out...Hummm...Guess I have to ask him.

Nice looking rig....you are ready for a EMT.