small primer .45 acp brass question

growr · Dec 30, 2021

Many seem shocked to find that some of their range pick up brass is small primer, many detest it ( I am NOT one), many in disgust throw the small primer brass away. I simply sort them and run accordingly.

My question is.....in what year did small primer .45 acp make it's appearance?

Seems like over 20 years ago to me.........

Randy

67tempest · Dec 30, 2021

I would have to agree that NT (non toxic) small primer 45acp ammo has been out at least 15-20 years. I'm one of those guys who throws it away when I find.

Just another 22 shooter · Dec 30, 2021

Doing a quick search, the different forums seem to start talking about them around 2011. But I'm like you; seems like longer than that when the sp 45acp brass appeared.

STORMINORMAN · Dec 30, 2021

Bought 1K of once-fired SPEER 45acp +P nickled SP cases last year for $0.075 each...

They have worked very well for me!

Cheers!

rockquarry · Dec 30, 2021

I don't recall ever seeing any of this brass, but i don't generally use range pickup brass. However, with the current situation, a handloader would be able to use small rifle primers in such brass whereas large rifle primers are a bit too tall to use in place of large pistol primers in regular .45 ACP brass.

growr · Dec 30, 2021

I now see a reference to 1984 being an introduction of SPP in .45 acp.

Those of you that throw them away can throw them to me......

Randy

Sevens · Dec 30, 2021

This is always an interesting discussion. First off, it isn’t all “NT” brass, though it may very well have began that way. I believe it was Winchester non-toxic where it started, but these days it’s almost all just the standard lead styphnate primed brass with a small pocket.

The original Win-NT small primer .45 ACP brass is absolutely annoying because the pocket is also crimped and you either have to swage that out (sucks!) or priming is a bear, often hit or miss.

But all the other brass currently on the market (my largest supply by far is ATK, which is Federal, Speer, Blazer) loads perfectly fine judt using the small primer instead of the large primer.

The only REAL thing that stinks about the fact that small primer .45 brass exists is the fact that we have 100 years of LP brass in .45, so now a lot of grizzled folks are annoyed.

This requires more inspection on the part of the handloader. But haha, yeah, well… should be doing that anyway, ya know?

In case you missed it, manufacturers are also going to small primer in 10mm brass. But the angry backlash is nonexistent because 10mm guys just wanna get their paws on brass, they aren’t as picky.

Baltimoreed11754 · Dec 30, 2021

Just bought 250 sp .45acp to run in my 1911 for my cas club Wild Bunch shoots as i get most of them back. Found another 95 in gifted range brass. Loading srp in them to stretch out my limited lpp supply. Don’t know why you guys are chucking them, might be a time when spp or srp is all that you can get at any price. My wife would have said ‘they ain’t eating anything.’ Put them in a coffee can and forget them until you might need them. I see no difference in my .45acp ammo.

ReloadforFun · Dec 30, 2021

1984 sounds too early generally.

When CCI developed the lead-free priming compound - early 1990's, as I recall, it was found that some models of 45 pistols experienced breech face peening. To counter that, CCI-Speer enlarged the flash hole to reduce back thrust.

After CCI-Speer acquired Federal, Federal went to the small primer - initially for the lead free priming and to eliminate breech face peening. Winchester quickly followed, and added the crimp - again, to save the breech face.

Once it was seen that the small primers worked, they started using it in the normal lead primed cases as well.

Speer (and I suppose others in the group) have gone to small primers in the 10mm Auto as well.

The original lead-free compound was called "Cleanfire". Cases using it looked unfired except for the indented primer after firing. Most of the blackening you see after shooting a round is from the primer.

Golphin · Dec 30, 2021

I just toss them in a bag in case I ever need them. I have a lot of LPP so I use the case that take the large primer and save the small primer for other loads.

Baltimoreed11754 · Dec 30, 2021

I built .040 [26 gauge] spacers to go under spp .455 Webley MkII brass so I could use my .455 loads in my .45 cas vaqueros and save lpp for my cas .45colt rifles. Used them in a couple shoots so far, work fine.

kbm6893 · Dec 30, 2021

I much prefer the small primer brass. Only one primer to stock. I try to sort it but sometimes a few get by me. No big deal because trying to seat a small primer into a large primer case is no danger of squashing a primer. I’ve gotten to the point that I don’t separate them anymore. I process them all and then seat the small primer. Once I see it’s a large primer case I keep them apart from the others. Before the panic I bought one brick of large primers. A few months ago I had enough large primer brass to load the whole brick.

max · Dec 30, 2021

I have been loading .45 for 40 years or so. I have no interest in messing with the SP brass. If I find any, I give it away. I don't like it when one sneaks by and causes me great consternation in the Dillon.

GypsmJim · Dec 30, 2021

I don't get range brass so there is no chance of getting the wrong size.

A few years ago I got a deal on 1000 small primer 45s for a bargain basement price. Then I retired all my large primer 45s. Still o chance of mixing them up.

I shoot a variety of handgun rounds. Now, half are large and half small. It has simplified my primer inventory immensely.

In case anyone asks, my small 45s shoot just as good as the big ones.

Johnnu2 · Dec 30, 2021

I get ALL my brass (well mostly ALL) from range pick-up (for the past 50+ yrs); I'm one of the "grizzled" ones but I use SPP 45 brass as well as LPP. Don't bother me none; but then, I'm SO OLD that I still use a single stage press. I just can't throw food or brass away.... there are too many people in China who are starving for both

.

J.

Mike SC Hunter · Dec 30, 2021

Any I come across go in the scrap brass bucket.

BC38 · Dec 30, 2021

growr said:
I now see a reference to 1984 being an introduction of SPP in .45 acp.

Those of you that throw them away can throw them to me......

Randy

Ditto that. I only have a few hundred but actually wish that more calibers came in both small and large primer varieties.

I'd like the flexibility of being able to load for every caliber no matter what size of primers I have available to me. I'd be more than willing to go to the trouble of sorting them for the flexibility of not being limited to one size primer per caliber.

Cdog · Dec 31, 2021

I don't want all one type primer for my cartridges. I do want one type standardized per caliber. My .45 Colt, ACP, etc, LPP. .38 Special, 9mm, etc, SPP.

Inspecting brass quality is necessary, but having to sort by primer type shouldn't be.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

K.I.S.S.

scattershot · Dec 31, 2021

Anyone who doesn’t want SPP .45 cases can throw them my way. I’ll even pay postage.

mikld · Dec 31, 2021

When reloaders were complaining about small primed 45 ACP brass. I decided to do my own test. I bought 200 once fired 45 ACP cases, and I already had nearly 900 large primer cases. Assembled three different bullets in both sm. and lg. primed cases. Long story short; not enough difference in my 3, 45 ACP guns to make a difference...

I like reloading and I inspect every case before it is reloaded. Once quickly pre tumbling and a closer inspection after cleaning. For me glancing at the case head, noting the primer pocked diameter takes 1.386 seconds, and having two containers to toss them in, one for large, one for small primed, is of no consequence...

small primer .45 acp brass question

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