Using magnum primers in standard loads?

[Hawkertactical]

I met a nice guy today that was essentially a walking Encyclopaedia on reloading info, when I mentioned the obvious issue of not being able to find any small pistol or small rifle primers he told me to just use small magnum primers and decrease my powder charge to compensate for the extra pressure. This sounds good in theory but I was curious if other people have done this same thing? I'm loading 9mm and 223

 

[gunsnjeeps]

Work up your load with the magnum primer just like a new load. They throw a hotter, larger flame which may change your powder burn rate.
Winchester used to make rifle primers and pistol primers, they didn't have standard or magnum. Conventional thought was reduce a load by one grain of powder for the magnum primer. To me it means start a little lower and work up. I have an out of state friend loading 9mm with rifle primers right now.

 

[Hawkertactical]

Work up your load with the magnum primer just like a new load. They throw a hotter, larger flame which may change your powder burn rate.
Winchester used to make rifle primers and pistol primers, they didn't have standard or magnum. Conventional thought was reduce a load by one grain of powder for the magnum primer. To me it means start a little lower and work up. I have an out of state friend loading 9mm with rifle primers right now.

Right on, thanks!

 

[spife7980]

small rifle magnums are the hardest to find right now but ok

 

[6brshooter]

What spife said. Small rifle or small mag rifle can be used in pistols, guys that shoot 9/38s major use them, but do not use small pistol primers in rifles. Pistol primer cups are thinner and only have to deal with 18kpsi, whereas rifles produce 50-60kpsi.

 

[isofahunter]

What spife said. Small rifle or small mag rifle can be used in pistols, guys that shoot 9/38s major use them, but do not use small pistol primers in rifles. Pistol primer cups are thinner and only have to deal with 18kpsi, whereas rifles produce 50-60kpsi.

And small pistol primers in a rifle can produce poor powder burn which can result in a delayed/secondary BOOOOM that is hard on the firearm and the person shooting it.

 

[gunsnjeeps]

Good points for pistol primers in a rifle. Also large primers are not the same in pistol and rifle. Large rifle primers are deeper.

If all you have is rifle primers then you use rifle primers.