I just made a "STUPID"reloading mistake. I was loading 45ACP and sized and expanded as normal. I went to install the primers, I use a RCBS hand primer and grabbed 2 100ct boxes of primers out of my ammo container used to hold all my primers. I started priming the case but noticed the handle was harder to pull to seat the primers. They seated normally so I figured it was just my hand. I did 58 cases before I realized I had been priming large RIFLE primers in 45acp case. I used WLR instead of WLP primers. I immediately stopped and separated all the RIFLE primed pistol case. Switched to the correct pistol primers on my remaining case and all was normal.
What will the rifle primers do in a pistol case? So what do I do with these cases? I suspect the rifle primers burn a lot hotter. Will that increase pressure in the case if they were charged and shot? Can I de-prime a live primer in my press?
I usually double check all steps in my loading. I got in a hurry and didn't this time. I use a single stage press. Made a STUPID mistake. Now how to I rectify the situation?

Run the cases through the depriming/sizing die again and move on.

You're going to get all kinds of responses on this and some will even be right. (Not necessarily mine!) Bumping out live primers on a press is not a great idea because of the chance of detonating them. My guess, and it is only that, is that if they are seated flush and you use them with a moderate powder load, you will be ok. The rifle primer is probably harder and your gun may not fire them. You might want to try a few primed cases before you load the rest. The absolute safest procedure would be to fire off the primed cases and start all over.

Ditto eb07, I've resized and deprimed a few cases in my time with no problem.

They are harder and a little hotter than a pistol primer.Ive deprimed a few cases in my press.Go slow and protect your eyes if you do that.

Are the LRP seated fully seated in the .45acp cases and not protruding?

Are they light loads for target shooting?

Is your gun a modern weapon able to shoot +P/

If all answers are yes then if it was me I'd load and shoot a single round as a test.

After shooting the 1 round examine the case for anything abnormal including bulging.

I've loaded small rifle primers in .38spl cases for target shooting with no problems when fired in a Models 10-6 and 19-2

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

'choot 'em!

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Old paratrooper in NC

I'd shoot them but telling another person to do it is iffy.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

The primers all seated below flush and I'm not to comfortable de-priming live primers. Sounds like a good idea to load up a couple and shoot them. If I can find the cases, I will inspect them for pressure signs. I'll load them a bit lighter than normal. I don't load to max charge anyway. Thanks for the replies.

I've found that LR Primers are a tad taller than LP . If the primer pockets are not cleaned, you get a high primer that will hinder a cylinder from turning, or maybe a slam-fire in a Semi-Auto.
I've done this once before { w/ Primers }. I would error on the side of caution and de-prime them. I feel the chances are slim for a detonation, I did 50 w/o a bang " wear safety glass's "!
We have all made a mistakes. When you catch them that's means your still paying attention.
There's a lot of juice in primers. I wouldn't risk any sort of chance blowing up a gun even if it is a slim risk.

I fall in line with StakeOut. If the primers are flush or below, then a moderate to lite load should be good to go. Load and shoot a couple. If they pass the test finish them off. Might want to make an adjustment to your primer storage procedure.

dont charge and load the cases. Pop the unloaded cases off in your pistol in safe place where you would normally shoot.

I'd load and shoot them, you won't know the difference, I use rifle primers for everything

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

This, under the above stated load conditions. ^^

If you are close to max. then I'd suggest just firing them as primed cases and starting over. You would probably be safe in de-priming them in your press with slow, deliberate operation, but since you've altered the position of the anvil in doing so, I wouldn't want to reuse them anyway.

Decapping the live primers, especially using a universal decapping die so that there's no resizing die pressure, works just fine.

If that bothers you (as apparently it does), loading the primed-but-empty cases into your pistol, firing them, and then decapping them obviously works.

If the primers are set below flush, and if you're not at a maximum load, you can probably load them and shoot them just fine with only a small risk from extra pressure.

I have safely EASED the primers out with a decapping die on more than one occasion . Just go slow and gently ease them out. Wear ear protection just in case. I have even reused the eased out primers. Use a universal decapping die so you aren't sizing and decapping, gives you a much better feel .
I have never had one pop while doing this, the secrete is be gentle and slow on the ease out. Try one or two and see if it works.
Gary

Surprising that the LR primers set flush in a LP primer pocket. My experience is that they won't, and generally stick out enough to bind the cylinder in revolvers. Maybe OK in a semi-auto. If they don't cause problems, just use them. Nothing bad will happen, but they do require a heavier firing pin strike to get sure ignition. So you may get some misfires.

Don't be an alarmist: load and shoot the darn things. Use a couple of tenths of a grain less powder, but even that probably isn't a problem. I have used thousands of rifle primers in 45 acp. Never could tell the difference. ..............

Mistake? yes, stupid?? not at all....(If that is the only reloading mistake you have ever made you are doing well indeed!)

If they are seated flush or below go ahead and use your standard load and go on from there, won't harm anything at all.

I am surprised that rifle primers would actually seat at or below the surface of the primer pocket, usually they are slightly taller as mentioned above.

As far as decapping live primers...think about it for a moment..we all know what kind of firing pin spring pressure is required to make our ammo go boom...resizing gently to deprime a casing doesn't generate even a fraction of that. Furthermore, you are not pressing on the primer face but rather on the anvil....very difficult to ignite a primer that way.

I have decapped many upside down primers as well as live primers for one reason or another and have never had a primer ignite. Used gentle prssure in doing so however....

Surely, someone on here will know someone that knew someone that heard that it might happen.

Anyone on the forum have any ACTUAL first hand (it happened to me) experience with that?

Randy

Anything's possible, I guess, but I think a slam fire in a .45acp auto is highly unlikely.
Slam fires are usually associated with free-floating firing pins (e.g., AR-15s), not with inertial firing pins (1911s) or striker fired guns (Glocks, M&Ps).

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USAF, 69-92
Vietnam, 72-73

According to ballistictools.com the minimum large rifle primer height is .1230 and the max primer pocket depth for large pistol primer pockets is .1230 so it would seem possible to seat the primers flush assuming you have primers on the very short end of the spectrum and primer pockets on the large end of the spectrum.
Assuming the primers are seated flush and you use a light load I'd feel safe shooting them. However primers seated high could cause a number of problems also.

Pistol primers installed I a rifle case are DANGEROUS, as they are softer than pistol primers... more likely to rupture at rifle pressures. however rifle primers are harder, may provide a tad more flash but are safe, as suggested above lighten the charge a tad, you'll be fine

I've never done that so I can't speak from experience on how to deal with it.

You can probably shoot it.

You can probably deprime it.

Reloading is fraught with enough danger. Being cautious is key. Why introduce variables that you may regret just to try and save time or a few pennies. What gets you in trouble is taking a shortcut then getting away with it. Then you think you can try another. Sooner or later you push the envelope too far. Make this your sooner -- no harm no foul.

It is really not all this complicated.

No, don't shoot them, yes you can deprime them.


Large rifle are TALLER than large pistol primers.

Put on your safety glasses

Put the cases with the wrong primers in the resizing die and slowly resize them popping out the primer. Put the collection tube or however you press holds the spent primers in a new container.(to keep them out of the dead primer pile)

After you deprime them all. put them back in the box and use them for rifle cartridges.

Many many, live primers have been removed with no problem. Just don't slam the lever on the press, push slow and easy, they are not going to go bang.

Click this link as the chart did not line up correctly.

https://ballistictools.com/articles/...d-diameter.php

Minimum and maximum dimensions of primer pockets
Here is a table of the minimum and maximum primer pocket and primer dimensions. Surprisingly this data isn't too easy to find, so I have done the research for you. Dimensions in inches.
Primer pocket dimensions and tolerances Pocket Type Depth Min Depth Max Diameter Min Diameter Max Small Rifle/Pistol 0.1170 0.1230 0.1730 0.1745 Large Rifle 0.1250 0.1320 0.2085 0.2100 Large Pistol 0.1170 0.1230 0.2085 0.2100 Primer dimensions and tolerances Primer Type Height Min Height Max Diameter Min Diameter Max Small Rifle/Pistol 0.1150 0.1250 0.1745 0.1765 Large Rifle 0.1230 0.1330 0.2105 0.2130 Large Pistol 0.1150 0.1250 0.2100 0.2120 It's interesting to note that while small pistol and small rifle primers are exactly the same size, the same is not true of large pistol vs large rifle. I have heard of people substituting small pistol and small rifle primers during desperate times, but one should always be careful of pressure increases and the potential for pierced primers if one resorts to such extreme measures. It's always best to use components as they were intended.
Another notable fact is the overlap in tolerances. The largest primer is taller than the shallowest pocket, and the loosest in-spec pocket is the same size as the smallest in-spec primer. It's for these reasons that we sometimes run into so much frustration with certain brands of brass and primers.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Although I have never measured them, I find it hard to believe that rifle primers are taller than handgun primers. One reason is that the 454 Casull used small rifle primers, and we all know that it is a handgun cartridge. IF the SR primers are taller that means that the primer pocket is cut deeper on a Casull case than other handgun cases. I don't believe that to be true, because the case producer would have to re-set the machining to run Casull brass, or for that matter, any case that ran pressures at rifle numbers.

It is my firm belief that you can use the cases as currently primed without any issues provided your mainspring is strong enough to set the primer off. Rifle primers have thicker cups to help contain the higher pressures. As far as brisance goes, I am not sure there is a whit of difference. (Somewhere around here I have an old Rick Jamison treatise on primers; I need to find it and refresh my memory...)

And as far as de-priming the cases, I think you will find that is accomplished without incident as well if you decide to go that direction. I have done it repeatedly and have yet to have one single detonation.

Just wear glasses and do what you wish to do.

"Believe" what you wish.

There is also a difference in the cup material, thickness, If they were the same why make different ones?

Primer & Primer Pocket Dimensions - SAAMI

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Still Running Against the Wind

Large rifle primers are taller than large pistol primers. Here is some information from Starline Brass about the 500 S&W and large rifle primers. I would remove the large rifle primers from your 45 acp cases.

"The Initial run of 500 S&W Mag (R) cases was built to use large pistol primer per Smith & Wesson and Cor-bon specifications. On July 28, 2003, Smith & Wesson and Cor-bon changed specification of primer pocket to be large rifle. Rifle primers are same diameter as pistol except they are approximately .006" taller. This was done to prevent primer from being pierced by firing pin when loaded with max loads and heavy bullets (bullets over 400 grains). It was determined that hole in primer allowed pressure to damage firing pin and bushing, kind of like a cutting torch and the harder cup of a rifle primer will prevent occurrence. All cases sold by Starline, Inc. after July 28, 2003, will contain a large rifle primer pocket to accept a large rifle primer."

Small pistol and small rifle primers are dimensionally the same. I have always used SR primers in .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and .38 Super/9x23mm Win loadings, I seldom use SP primers for anything other than 9mm, .380, and .32 ACP. Some years back, I did a test of SR vs. SP in identical .38 Special loads in the same gun. MVs were virtually identical. Also simplifies your logistics to use only SR primers.

Just this afternoon, I loaded and primed several hundred .44 Special cases. After doing so and inspecting them before charging, I found three split cases. I just eased out those primers using the deprimer in the resizing die and re-used them. Over the years I have done that probably hundreds of times. Does not seen to damage the primers if you push them out slowly. Never had one pop.

I agree: Primers aren't scarce anymore or that expensive. Time to move on.
Jim

I intentionally loaded some of my std idpa load (not max) in 45acp using rlrp, inquiring minds want to know. The pressures are quite a bit higher, based on my chrono readings. So with a load well below midrange, you should be fine pressure wise.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

I had primed some wrong one time ( I can't remember what was wrong). I asked my dad for advice, and he said just deprime them. I asked if it was safe. He just shrugged his shoulders, and said " I wouldnt look at it when I did it". With that being said wear proper safety glasses and protection. The safest thing is to throw them away and move on. Dad also said that an education costs money. A few pieces of brass and primers is not that expensive. Just add to the cost of your education.

Depriming is safe as long as you go slow. The issue is you may damage the primer anvil by doing it, so the primers should only be used for plinking ammo, if you really want to save them.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Small rifle and small pistol are the same height, but not large rile and large pistol. I don't load high primers for any reason.

I decided I'm not going to try and load them. Since the case had been expanded already I ran a few thru my crimp die. Empty and will try and chamber them in my 1991 and just fire the primers at the range. If I deprime them then I have the hassle of doing something with the primers. If this works I'll just reload the cases. This time I'll pay more attention to the details. I hope to try this tomorrow night. hope I don't break the firing pin. Thanks for all the replies.