.45ACP ammo - Mixed Primers

[gobe]

I was changing over from my .45 Colt setup in my Dillon 550B to .45 ACP. Just got the new set of dies for the ACP's. Had a bunch of brass all cleaned up and ready to go.

After cranking only two cartridges through the deprime/resize station 1, I had a problem seating the primer ... just wouldn't go. I thought that maybe it had not deprimed, so pulled the case. Primer pocket was empty and a large pistol primer was in the proper position! The primer pocket looked a little small. Upon further examination, I found that I had both Winchester and Federal brass. Setting them side-by-side it was obvious that the Winchester had the larger primer pocket, which worked fine with the large pistol primers. The Federals were definitely excavated for small pistol primers. I now have them sorted and the Federals in quarentine.

Stopped by Dunn's to get some reloading stuff and mentioned it to one of the Gurus there. He said, "I'm hearing that more and more lately. The problem is that there doesn't seem to be any reloading data out for the brass with the small pistol primers, so I'd just set 'em aside until somebody comes out with the data."

Anybody know of any reloading data for the .45 ACP's with the small pistol primers?

 

[gerryb158]

.45 ACP brass with small pistol primers started to show up a few years ago with the introduction of "lead free" or so-called "non-toxic" ammunition. Check the head stamp on your brass to see if it has the "NT" marking. I think there are a couple of manufacturers. Also, the .45 GAP uses small pistol primers and is (essentially) just a slightly shortened .45 ACP case. I've read that some persons just discard the .45 ACP brass with the small primer pockets but I think that weather to get rid of them or not might depend on the quantity on hand. If I had a lot of them I'd be reluctant to throw them away. As far as reloading them I'm cetain that the same data given for "standard" .45 ACP loads would be fine with the small pistol primers. Or, as an alternative, you might use data that is specific to the .45 GAP. Best wishes. Gerry

 

[WESHOOT2]

All information I've gathered suggests there is absolutely no difference between the two.

I believe-but-cannot-prove that is true, as long as one remains within SAAMI standards.

 

[Tam 212]

+1 to WESHOOT2.

I have encountered small primer .45 Auto in these brands, so far:

Federal Champion (WM5233 aka Walmart Federal)
Blazer Brass

According to the Speer #14, you can treat them essentially the same HOWEVER, it should be noted that pressures will likely be slightly lower so I would assume so would velocity.

Perhaps be careful you don't go with too low of a charge and leave one in the barrel?

 

[Donaldjr1969]

I've had great results with small primer brass in my P90. Loading it to max or near max charges seems to give no appreciable differences in accuracy between the two primer sizes. A pet load I have for the P90 is a 200g LSWC from the Lyman 452460 with 8.4g HS-6. That shoots very well with Winchester Small Pistol standard primers.

 

[mikld]

dbl post

 

[mikld]

I read an article about small vs large pistol primers in .45 ACP. Less than 25 fps average slower with small primers in a side-by-side test. I don't have any problems with smal vs large primere 'cause I inspect my brass...

 

[WIL TERRY]

LET'S NOT MAKE MOUNTAINS OUTTA MOLEHILLS HERE.
There is absolutely no difference in the loading data between the SPP and the LPP in the 45ACP case.
FURTHERMORE, no one should be surprised by this as you're loading as you should have picked up ANY changes in your case inspections before starting load the batch of brass. PAY ATTENTION !!!
Class dismissed.
And so it goes...

 

[edfardos]

I recently reloaded 1000 range pickups of 45acp for a friend, less then 1% used a small pistol primer, specifically headstamp "Win NT" (for NonToxic). I junk'm. A 45ACP with a small pistol primer pocket is not a 45ACP, not by any definition or saami specification.

--edfardos

 

[Donaldjr1969]

I've seen small pistol primers in Federal American Eagle, CCI Blazer, and CCI Blazer Brass. And they are not NT loads either.

 

[WESHOOT2]

I sort, and load.

Screw SAAMI.



ps: brass has scrap value, and you never know when you might run out of large primers....

 

[Donaldjr1969]

I sort, and load.

Screw SAAMI.

I fully agree. Many of us reloaders have already gone outside of SAMMI specs. Heck, merely using a 310+ grain cast bullet in loads for 44Mag and 45Colt will get us outside SAAMI specs merely due to its length.