Magnum Primers harder to ignite than standard?

[Dump1567]

I was watching Wilson Combat's "The Gun Guys" with Ken Hackathorn and Bill Wilson the other night. Ken was discussing some of his favorite revolvers in this episode & how he didn't lighten the trigger pull on his magnum revolvers to guarantee they would set off magnum primers.

My takeaway was he was implying magnum primers where harder to ignite than standard pistol primers. Is this true?

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Some primers are thicker than others depending on the maker. Armscor is well known for thick primers that require a heavy hammer fall to ignite them.

 

[rockquarry]

If the gun is in sound condition and hasn't been tampered with, all suitable primers will work fine. Thicker primer cups will make no difference.

 

[DWalt]

The "Magnum" primers generally use a slightly thicker metal primer cup to better withstand the higher chamber pressures produced by magnum loads. Aside from that, there is no other significant difference from standard pistol primers. The real issue is whether the gun has adequate firing pin impact energy to achieve reliable primer ignition when using Magnum primers.

 

[dave1918a2]

I have used Federal Magnum pistol primers for decades in every large pistol case I load. From 45 ACP thru 475 Linebaugh. Never a failure I can recall. Great triggers on all My guns.

 

[stansdds]

Yes and no. Some primer manufacturers make primers in both standard and magnum flavors. There may be a difference in the cups, with the magnum primers needing a little more impact for reliable ignition. A few manufacturers make only one size, case in point, Winchester's large pistol primers. WLP primers are for either standard or magnum uses, but they do make small pistol primers in both standard and magnum.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

No harder to fire than any others. No telling how many of them I have used over the years in the Speer Nylon cased practice ammo .

 

[BC38]

The "Magnum" primers generally use a slightly thicker metal primer cup to better withstand the higher chamber pressures produced by magnum loads. Aside from that, there is no other significant difference from standard pistol primers. The real issue is whether the gun has adequate firing pin impact energy to achieve reliable primer ignition when using Magnum primers.

^^This is my understanding as well^^
FWIW, Winchester adopted the primers with thicker cup material as their "standard AND magnum" primers.
I suppose they figured that if an unmodified magnum handgun would set them off, an unmodified NON-magnum handgun would too.

 

[rwsmith]

I'll buy.....

If the gun is in sound condition and hasn't been tampered with, all suitable primers will work fine. Thicker primer cups will make no difference.

I'll buy this.