Are all small pistol and large pistol primers the same?

[shil]

Primers brands do vary in cup hardness and in brisance. Brisance is less a factor, I think, in loadings at the start level through maybe half way to the maximum PUBLISHED load you want to use. If you are crowding the maximum, you must back off and start again if you change primers. A hotter (greater brisance) primer WILL bump your pressure upward. Bad. As always, it is safer not to vary from the published recipe. In any instance, your load must be worked up, even with the published recipe, and ESPECIALLY if you change components, or, with maximum loads, you want to use them in a different gun. My humble contribution.

 

[DEG]

But there is very little difference in ballistic performance among the same types of primers from different manufacturers, as things such as impact energy required for primer ignition are pretty well standardized within the industry. The whole business about Winchester having a soft primer and CCI having a hard primer, etc., is total fiction, promoted by those who have no facts to support the assertion, so long as the same types of primers are being compared.

Most shooting tuned revolvers know for a fact that you are mistaken. There absolutely is a significant difference between brands when it comes to impact required to discharge the primer. My tuned SSR Pro will go bang every single time using Federal primers but will misfire 1 of every 6 using Winchester primers and 2 or 3 of every 6 using CCI primers. Jerry Miculek even refers to this fact in his S&W Trigger Job videos.

 

[Jaymo]

I load 10 grains over max and use Magnum primers for every load.
Been doin' this for years and ain't had no problems.

JUST KIDDING!!

I never go above max. I'm careful about which primers I use with a load.
I rarely even load max loads.
Most of the time, the most accurate loads are a little below max.
I want the most accurate loads, not the hottest.
Plus, for plinking or target loads, I want to make my precious powder supply last.
Max loads make my powder disappear quickly.