Small primer pockets in 45 acp

[deanodog]

I bought 750 pieces of 45 acp brass and as I was reloading it I discovered that there was 6 or eight pieces of brass with small primer pockets. It threw a wrench in the gears until I figured out what the problem was.

Ninety per cent of the brass was Winchester brand that was marked winchester...45 auto... Then I found the small pockets that was also winchester marked Win NT..45 auto. Does anyone know of this brass with the small pockets and marked Win..NT? What does the NT mean?

Now using Mag primers in 45 target loads. All the regular large pistol primers now gone. I am not loading too hot anyway.

SEND PRIMERS111111

 

[tlen]

Speer brass also has small primers but there are no NT markings. It's probably non-toxic as well.

 

[David Sinko]

NT means Non-Toxic. I have no idea why they need small primers to make them non-toxic. I keep a bunch of these on hand and use them in my Glock 21 for spite if I know people will yell at me for picking up my brass at a match. OK, you can have it, but you'd better inspect it carefully.

Dave Sinko

 

[m1gunner]

I like it and actively try to get as much as I can. Around here I can find all the small primers I need, but large pistol primers are not to be found.

I had to quit loading 45acp till I got some of the NT brass from some folks here (thanks guys!). Now I at least have some cases I can reload.

 

[OKFC05]

I have no idea why they need small primers to make them non-toxic

The primers are a major source of toxic compounds. Not much in the powder, and you can totally encase the bullet.

They meet "NT" standards, but are not 100% "pure".

 

[LubeckTech]

Politically correct ammo??

 

[MWAG]

http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloading/103457-sp-primers-45acp.html

this will take you to a thread from last month.............

 

[Jack Flash]

I like it and actively try to get as much as I can. Around here I can find all the small primers I need, but large pistol primers are not to be found...

That's really ironic, as in my area we have plenty of large pistol and large rifle primers, but none of the small primers!

 

[Reloader Fred]

When the demand for a primer not containing Lead Styphnate was first made, the compounds that were tried all had a higher brisance (explosive speed, to make it simple) than lead styphnate. The first problem encountered was that the primers would back out, due to the increased speed of the explosive compound. (And yes, priming compound is an explosive.) They first tried crimping the Non-Toxic primers in the case, but this was a marginal fix. They they increased the size of the flash hole, which helped. During this testing, they found that the size of the flash hole didn't have much affect on accuracy with either primer, Lead Styphnate or NT, so some of them stayed with the larger flash hole to simplify manufacturing. Federal was the first, quickly followed by Winchester and Speer.

During all the testing that occured, it was found that it didn't take a large pistol primer to ignite the small amount of powder contained in .45 acp cases, so small pistol primers were used. This had been done in Europe back in the 1950's and 60's, and they never had a problem with their .45 ammunition igniting.

Today, you'll find NT cases with crimped primers, large flash holes and small primers. It all loads just like any other .45 acp case, and chronograph testing I've done doesn't show anymore variation between SP and LP loads than normal. You'll also find "standard" primed cases with large flash holes in newer ammunition.

The bottom line is to just sort them out and load as normal. There isn't any sense in wasting perfectly good brass.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[VonFatman]

Fred,
Great reply! Thanks.

Don't waste the brass...BUT segregate it and keep it that way. Or, give it away to fellow reloaders as I do.

Bob

 

[shovelwrench]

If your using a progressive, be sure to weed them out. Trying to put a LP in a SP hole sets them off, ask me how I know.

I find very few of these and crush them in a vise, as no one I know uses them, and I don't aquire enough to justify reloading them. Not to mention shell plates for .45 are designed to align LP, the SP have a tendency to flip or go in sideways.

Do what you want, but, the only time I have had a primer go off was caused by NT brass.

 

[SOFMatchstaff]

I get a fair amount, they work well in the 400corbon and 41 avenger applications. necked down they are a tad short but make fine practice or field loads for chasing rabbits or places that brass retrieval makes using factory stuff cost prohibitive. The only thing that may be an issue would be the firing pin alignment on some guns that have had a bbl fitted poorly.

 

[500 Magnum Nut]

I think non toxic also. I bought a couple boxes from Walmart 5-7 years ago and they were misfeeding ammo in then then Kimber match gun. I avoid the ammo. The bullets had a flat look to them, better suited to revolver rounds.

 

[mistergizmo]

I have access to thousands of these once-fired SP cases (Federal, Speer, Winchester), but until someone wants to pay a couple of cents each, they're headed to the scrap dealer.

Want some?