.45 ACP large versus small primers?

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  • Kharstin

    Cruffler
    Feb 15, 2012
    154
    Baltimore, Maryland
    Greetings everyone,

    While reloading some .45 ACP I received from a friend, I discovered some of the cases require a small pistol primer (instead of the usual large pistol primers). How common are this variant of .45 ACP cases? Additionally, has anyone noticed a performance decrease when firing the cartridges with the smaller primers?

    Thank you everyone.
     

    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,118
    Northern Virginia
    Not a problem unless you're running a progressive press, then it throws a monkey wrench into the works. Sort out the small ones and do them separately.
     

    DocAitch

    Active Member
    Jun 22, 2011
    687
    North of Baltimore
    I have also run across these cases. The are generally Blazers. I segregate them and will load them separately.
    I haven't accumulated enough to make a run on my Dillon because it requires the small primer set up. I don't anticipate an issues other than that.
    If I do have the occasional one show up in a run of larger primers, I can pull them by "feel". After a lot of rounds through a Dillon, you can tell when there is too much resistance to a primer.

    DocAitch
     

    Sticky

    Beware of Dog
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 16, 2013
    4,502
    AA Co
    They have been around a while now and becoming more prevalent as time goes on. I acquired most of my 45 brass before they went to small primers, so I keep them all large primers to make things easy, but... the small primer cartridges perform exactly as the LP cartridges, so there is really no issue other them sorting them to prime. ;)
     

    chale127

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 5, 2008
    2,629
    Brooklyn, MD
    I have also run across these cases. The are generally Blazers. I segregate them and will load them separately.
    I haven't accumulated enough to make a run on my Dillon because it requires the small primer set up. I don't anticipate an issues other than that.
    If I do have the occasional one show up in a run of larger primers, I can pull them by "feel". After a lot of rounds through a Dillon, you can tell when there is too much resistance to a primer.

    DocAitch

    This... I think ALL the ones i have are Blazer, i just pull them out and when i have a box or two worth of brass i run them through
     

    j_h_smith

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 28, 2007
    28,516
    I don't reload them. It's more a convenience thing than anything else. Once the reloader is set up, it's pain having to deal with them. I put them in a box and store them. I can say, I've only come across a few when I police my brass at the range. I don't buy them so I don't have that many.

    Jim Smith
     

    camobob

    Active Member
    Feb 18, 2013
    482
    I load 100% small primers in 45. Not that it's better or worse, just that you have to pick one or the other. There's no easy way to sort other than eyeballing each case. Too much time and too many mistakes. If there's a difference in performance, I can't find it.
     

    Caeb75

    Full fledged member
    Sep 19, 2007
    1,054
    Aberdeen
    I load small primer so I dont have to switch over the primer feed. Toolhead, shellplate and casefeed parts and go...
     

    rico903

    Ultimate Member
    May 2, 2011
    8,802
    When buying 100 rd val packs at WM last year I noticed that the Winchesters were large primers and the Federals were small primers. Seems like some others are also. I just keep separating until I start reloading for .45.
     

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