I saw an ad for used brass (I don't need any) however, it made no mention of primer size. It stated mixed head stamps, etc.

I have not bought brass since before the small primer thing started. Are you taking a chance on getting some of both?

If it is range pick up brass, I would say most likely you will get a mixed primer size batch.

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S&W factory revolver armorer

Unless the seller say's there is no way to know. It could be mixed head stamps and all large primer but maybe not. I know Everglades reloading has some range brass for sale that they say could have both size primers. They also sell new that is all large primers. I would think a mix would be mainly large primer but who knows and then you get to go through and separate it all. I have a bag of small primer brass that I have separated from range brass over the last few years.

I purchased two boxes of 500 each PRIMED 45acp fully processed cases with small primers a while ago for a total shipped(!) of about $75.00!

Primers alone were going for about $35/1K at the time.

I have yet to determine any performance difference between small & large primer reloads in 45acp.

Looking back I certainly wish I had bought more...

Bought some Starline 45 AutoRim nickel cases once: all my other 45acp large primer cases have been donated and are in the minority.

Cheers!

Is there a reason that this 45 case went to two different size primers ?

It seems weird that they would mess with people's minds and make you look to see what the heck you have in front of you.

What is up with that?

I shoot 45ACP brass with either large or small primers. Most of my brass is range pick-up for the past 50 years. I've noticed the small primer brass only within the past maybe 10 yrs or so. Either way, makes no difference to me since I clean it and sort it by primer size; I don't usually care about makers marks (I do not load hot loads; if I did, I would segregate by manufacturer as well). I notice no difference between cases with small or large primers. My humble speculation in why the switch to small primers would be just to save a few pennies per case (which adds up quickly to a new LearJet for the CEO of the company).
IMHO,
J.

Hillary says, "At this point, what difference does it make?"

Either primer is fine with me. I inspect it all and sort by primer size. No biggie.

Size matters!

I cull any sp .45 brass.

I have many other calibers to feed with the small.

Very happy with my decision now.

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GOA
USA Shooting Supporter

I shoot both and can see no difference in the primer size. I just bought a large lot of range brass and it was mixed. About 25% was small primer. I have noticed that Blazer and Speer brand is the ones seen mostly with small primers.

I had about 2500 pieces of 45ACP brass that I used since the mid 80's. It had some wear on it with an unknown number of times reloaded (50+?). I shot a lot of 45 in the early 90's. I shot all of it leaving it at the range back when Blazer came out with the SP brass. I bought 1k rounds of the Blazer and shot it. That 1k has grown to about 2k as I trade with other reloaders at the range. Any LP I have I will pass along and I get SP brass back. I am up to just under 2k of SP brass. I cycle the brass about once a year as I shoot 45 just to stay proficient and it has been cycled about 5 times. I like not having to change the priming system when I want to load 45.

I do still have about 300 rounds of LP with the "ash tray" 200gr JHP +P "zombie" loads that are in nickel plated cases put back to be used as needed. I haven't seen any SP nickel cases.

I have more 45 acp brass then I will ever wear out and plenty of large pistol primers so I just put the small primer brass in storage and save those primers for other calibers and load the large primers in the 45 acp.

I scrounge all of my brass at my range. I don't separate it before I load it. If there is too much resistance when I prime I check for small primer and throw it away if I find it. The reason is I'm not going to load two sizes of primers for 45 ACP and I get so few of them it isn't worth my time to separate the different sizes before I load. I hate the stuff and wish covid on whoever thought it was a good idea. It's a royal PIA.

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That's just somebody talkin.

Pretty sure it is because of trying to reduce airborne lead. i believe CCI /Speer started this with their .45s. Someone with more time to research will probably be along to add to or correct me.
A LPP isn't needed for the small charges of powder in a .45 ACP.
I think John Moses and the government arsenals figured since it was based on a cut down 06, they could prime using the same machinery for both. Thats my theory anyway

For large pistol primers I use Winchester primers they fit standard and magnum loads. I seperate large primer cases and small primer cases. Same load for both anyway.

In these scarce primer times, I can see an advantage to having a quantity of both sizes separated and stashed away someplace.

Dang, I'm running low on Large Pistol primers.

No problem, I have a bunch of Small Pistol primer pocket .45 ACP brass around here someplace.

Winchester and Federal use small pistol primers in the non-toxic lines of ammo. I think the use of small primers in 45 ACP brass will slowly become more common.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I, as well, don't know the reasons why but, for me, it's a pain. I've reloaded for years in 45 and within the last 10 years or so I've come across small primer pockets picking up range brass. Some SD ammo also has small pockets. Since all of my practice rounds are large I give the small ones to my dad. There aren't many but, unfortunately, I think it will be more common. Doesn't mean I have to like it. SP primers are hard to get the way it is to feed other calibers...

Personally, I was raised with the belief that 45s require LPP. While I have not knowingly fired 45s with SPP, I can definitely see the advantage to SPP 45 brass with the current shortages. In my net surfing over the past few months, when I have seen primers available, it has only been SPP or SRP. At the moment, I am down to just over 3k LPP, which are reserved for the 4x cartridges. I have a few k more of SPP, and a few k of SRP that can be used for the midbore cartridges. Not that I want to, but I am contemplating purchasing some SPP 45 ACP brass.

Times are starting to get VERY interesting!

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Judge control not gun control!

LPP in .45 ACP can be a pain or not. It's not a big deal for me, I just sort them out, place them in a container marked 45 cal, SPP, problem solved.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

I used to just toss .45ACP brass with small pistol primers since I've got a lot of said brass with LPP. I didn't want to take the time to separate the two and prime them differently. Now with the primer shortage, I can see the advantage of having both...depending on which primer you can find.

A decent vendor will specify if the brass is large or small primed, or at least the ones I purchased from do (Diamond K was the last vendor I used).

A while back I wanted to find out for myself if there was any difference between primer sizes so I bought 100 small primed once fired cases and 100 large primed once fired cases. Long story short, after a few different loads, identical in both primer size cases, not enough difference to matter (or for me to see).

PS; this thread reminded ne I have a lot more small pistol primers than large pistol primers (about 6,000 vs 1,500), so I ordered 300 small primed 45 ACP cases...

Yes, the original use of small primers in 45 ACP ammo was for so-called non-toxic ammunition. The last time I took a Thunder Ranch class, we were required to use non-toxic ammo(it was hard to find in 2006) and I still have some of it leftover. The stuff was damned expensive too. I found some once fired 45 ACP cases on our range last week and picked them up. I keep them separate to use some day.

Getting all in a rage about the primer size seems juvenile.

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Bob.
SWCA 1821