Recognize that N frames of that period all have longer firing pins than modern revolvers.

That's why 455 HEs converted to 45 Colt by shaving the rear face of the cyl will still shoot 455 Mk I & II ammo.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I appreciate your chiming in Hondo44 - I highly respect your opinion as (IMO) you are one of our most knowledgeable (and helpful) members.

So then I take it that slight piercing of primers isn't unusual - or anything to be concerned about for one of these older N-frames?

No it isn't unusual and you don't need to make any changes unless you want to try different ammo. Primer thickness varies between manufacturers. If you reload, CCI primers are the least susceptible to primer piercing.

I don't remember off hand which brands of ammo are.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

Good info, as always. Thanks!

I'll probably just use CCI primers for loading 45 acp for this one. I have a good local source for them at reasonable prices - not to mention already having a pretty good quantity on hand!

FWIW, the ammo I was shooting was Sellier and Belott - which pretty much tells me theirs aren't the hardest of cups. Kinda too bad - I have even more of their LP primers than I have of the CCI. But I've got plenty of 44 special and 44 mag loads to use the S&B primers for.