Federal 45 ACP primer surprise

[Vulcan Bob]

Hi all, a LGS had a sale on red box Federal American Eagle 45 ACP 230 FMG product number AE45A ammo at $16.99 a box. Well I needed some factory ball for a new 1911 break in so I bought six boxs, what the heck I get once fired brass out of the deal. Anyhoo shot a few boxs, tossed the brass into the tumbler, then proceded to load em back up, got to the primer pocket cleaning stage and what the heck the tool wouldent fit, aaaaugh, small primers! Now on the box there is no mention of green ammo and has the standard lead warning on the back of the box. I had thought the whole small primer thing was just for the clean and green ammo, wrong. Anyways no big deal other than makeing a rather large small primer warning on the data label. I tell you this caused a disruption of my concentration of the job at hand. What I ask you is becomeing of this world?

 

[Cyrano]

I got some of them too; darn near broke the arm of my priming tool. I ditched them; can't mess with two different size primer pockets in the same caliber.

Another more insidious change happened several years ago. I was going over some range pick-ups in 45 ACP and noted a few with much larger flash holes; they were almost twice the diameter of standard flash holes. These would cause over pressure even with moderate, target loads. They, too, were from lead-free primers. I saw them in Winchester brand and I think several others. I wrote Winchester about them, questioning whether they would be safe to load. Never got an answer.

 

[nawilson]

The same thing happened to me this weekend with Blazer Brass. It had a small primer pocket. Why do they do that? It is like a teenager doing something dumb just to be different. So annoying!

 

[Rule3]

Heck, I wish they would bring back Large pistol primed 357 Mag Brass.

 

[growr]

Just set the small primer brass to the side and then run them qfter you have a couple hundred or so. I use them on Lost Brass matches.
Randy

 

[JBnTx]

What's this world coming to?

 

[chief38]

When I find small primer .45 acp's on the Range I leave them there. Not that there is any big deal with them- - they're not bad, it's just that I have so many (25,000 or so) large primer .45's i don't need the hassle of mixing them or even needing them. I'll just let some of the newer shooters take them with the "heads-up" they are different.

I don't really get why they changed to the small primers in the first place. It's hard to believe that the cost savings would be worth the bother. Just another p.i.t.a. to deal with...............

Chief38

 

[blujax01]

... Now on the box there is no mention of green ammo and has the standard lead warning on the back of the box. I had thought the whole small primer thing was just for the clean and green ammo, wrong. ...

I been trying to tell folks every time this comes up. If a factory has SP set up for "green" ammo, why continue running a second machine with LP? I pick up range brass and in the last 1000 there were 600 LP and 400 SP. Too many to ignore.
My guess is that within a few years, LP 45ACP will be the oddity.

 

[jimkim]

I been trying to tell folks every time this comes up. If a factory has SP set up for "green" ammo, why continue running a second machine with LP? I pick up range brass and in the last 1000 there were 600 LP and 400 SP. Too many to ignore.
My guess is that within a few years, LP 45ACP will be the oddity.

I'm thinking the same thing. I wouldn't be surprised to see them do away with LP primers all together.

 

[growr]

It amazes me that people are just now discovering the small primer .45 brass.
Randdy

 

[dickttx]

I have just been shooting where there is anyone else around for about a year. Scrounge all the 45 brass I can find and I have never seen a small primer case. Maybe they haven't made it all the way down here yet?

 

[TSQUARED]

Get used to it. More and more manufacturers are changing over to small primer brass.

 

[5906fan]

What's this world coming to?

I don't know where it'll all wind up

 

[growr]

For those that hate or discard the small primer brass....send it to me!! I will certainly load it and use it with no qualms.

Randy

 

[venomballistics]

Understanding why they do it (lead free green ammo) leads to a manufacturing problem ... to run brass on large for standard loading and small for indoor range loads pretty much mandates two separate production lines and pain in the backside warehouse policies so that the large and small primer cases don't cross up their production like it does ours. Its just easier to do everything in small pockets and avoid the complexity ... get used to it boys ... they shrank in the wash, and its just a matter of time before the rest of the product line does the same

 

[steveno]

the 45 acp American Eagle ammo I have been buying has the large primer. however I was looking at some Federal "Champion" 45 acp and that had the small primer in it

 

[FloridaFlier]

Yet one more reason to go over to the trusty wheelguns. Also no more scrapping with the brass rats who try to catch my cases before they hit the ground. I bring so many cartridges, and go home with exactly the same number of cases. No surprises.

 

[max]

I started a similar thread titled A Scourge, etc. I got my Dillon Blue Press today and there is a letter from a guy who detonated a tube full of primers because of a mix-up such as we are talking about. As he comments it is not easy to tell the difference in the primers at a quick glance. I had no idea I had picked up a piece of brass that was not mine. When I get to the range, I always inspect the ground around me for "free brass" and did not notice any. I assure you, I always pick up such brass. I will be much more careful in the future.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I don't understand the resistance to change.

Everyone should realize that at some point you aren't going to be able to even buy the lead based primers. So you better hope the NT primers don't muck up the loading data too much. The few I've loaded with were for lower pressure loads. But for guys who like at max loads they may have some issues. It's my understanding that NT primers run a bit hotter than usual.

 

[SMSgt]

Ever noticed how a lb. of coffee now weighs 12 ozs? Bag of chips is 1/3 full? Why not smaller primers. After all, dumb comsumers will keep on buying it.

I just set the small primer cases aside until I have enough to make it worthwhile to reload. It's no big deal to me.