Fishslayer
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
During the last Great Primer Drought SRP were easier to find than SPP. This time around everybody is loading .223/5.56. SRP are not as easy to find this time. 
Small RIFLE Primers for 9mm
- Thread starter rbianco3
- Start date
gaijin
Member
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2011
- Messages
- 316
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I've used SRP's in .38 Super and 9mm for 25 years (former competitive shooter) with zero issues.
All loads were/are top end with moderately slow powder (HS-6/HS-7).
All loads were worked up using a chronograph.
The reason for using the SRP's was; they seemed to have a harder cup that was less prone to "primer flow"-working well with +P loads.
If you're not concerned about running HOT loads, I see no reason to use them.
All loads were/are top end with moderately slow powder (HS-6/HS-7).
All loads were worked up using a chronograph.
The reason for using the SRP's was; they seemed to have a harder cup that was less prone to "primer flow"-working well with +P loads.
If you're not concerned about running HOT loads, I see no reason to use them.
Smaay
Member
Today I went out to shoot my 9mm and the first magazine shot perfectly, the next fired 3 rounds and then the next 10 in a row were a click with a strike on the primer. all 10 failed to fire. Nothing has changed in the load between the two. range brass, CCI small rifle primers, HP-38 4.6gr and 124gr extreme plated bullets.
I am a USPSA shooter and have been using winchester small rifle primers in my 38super forever. no problems. I got a steal on this case of CCI 400's so I thought i could use them.
Like i said, the first 300 rounds shot fine, then all of a sudden today, my gun just stopped firing them. Im going to load 20 or so rounds with the WSR primers to see if it will work, otherwise im going to have to use SP primers.
I am a USPSA shooter and have been using winchester small rifle primers in my 38super forever. no problems. I got a steal on this case of CCI 400's so I thought i could use them.
Like i said, the first 300 rounds shot fine, then all of a sudden today, my gun just stopped firing them. Im going to load 20 or so rounds with the WSR primers to see if it will work, otherwise im going to have to use SP primers.
jmmitc06
Member
Just my 2 cents on this. As for the question of 'can you do it' I think overwhelmingly the answer is yes, lots of people do it and it seems to work for them. Should you do it, is the question...
If you can find small pistol, and you aren't a competition shooter pushing the envelope of the cartridges you are shooting, use the small pistol primers. It will be one less variable if something doesn't go right.
I have a friend who reloads 32-20 cartridges for a revolver. Started off using small pistol primers with poor results, switching to small rifle made a big difference, more consistent powder ignition and more consistent groupings. I think that this drastic of a difference is a special case though.
As a matter of technicalities, I'm not 100% convinced that using chrono data can determine if this is a safe practice or not. The velocity of the round is not the variable to be concerned with, it's the peak pressure inside the gun. The velocity of the bullet is proportional (at least on a first-order kind of approximation) to the area under the time-pressure curve, so two fired rounds can have the same velocity but radically different time-pressure curves, one can have a safe peak pressure another a dangerous peak pressure. While I don't think that would occur using SR primers vs SP primers, it is something to consider when chrono data is used to validate the safety of a load.
If you can find small pistol, and you aren't a competition shooter pushing the envelope of the cartridges you are shooting, use the small pistol primers. It will be one less variable if something doesn't go right.
I have a friend who reloads 32-20 cartridges for a revolver. Started off using small pistol primers with poor results, switching to small rifle made a big difference, more consistent powder ignition and more consistent groupings. I think that this drastic of a difference is a special case though.
As a matter of technicalities, I'm not 100% convinced that using chrono data can determine if this is a safe practice or not. The velocity of the round is not the variable to be concerned with, it's the peak pressure inside the gun. The velocity of the bullet is proportional (at least on a first-order kind of approximation) to the area under the time-pressure curve, so two fired rounds can have the same velocity but radically different time-pressure curves, one can have a safe peak pressure another a dangerous peak pressure. While I don't think that would occur using SR primers vs SP primers, it is something to consider when chrono data is used to validate the safety of a load.
I'm one of those guys that has been doing it without problems for the past 35 years in 9mm, 38Super & 357 since I learned about it when IPSC was popular. I don't always do it but if I think the ammo might be used in my Marlin Carbine, it gets a WSR primer. I then use a different brand/color if possible to tell the SP primers loads apart. Carbine specific cases have a rim notch filed so as not to get them in a revolver by mistake.
You didn't mention, did you try them a second time? If you did and they did fire most likely they were high and needed to be seated a little deeper. Before you tear your hair out, if you haven't tried them, do so. I fought that for quite a while. Part of my Lee hand primer was so worn that it couldn't seat them deep enough. Replaced the part, problem solved, and don't say they look fine. You can't always tell by looking.
I wish I had a nickel for every time I read about a "pet" load some knob on the Internet was all excited about. I never tell people what my recipe is for anything. They should work up loads by themselves, and catalog them for future use, as I do.
Me, I just look in the manual and start out with the starting load and the recommended components, and stay well clear of published maximum powder charges. But that's just me. I'm a gambler. Call me Mr. Vegas.
My manuals all say that you "should not substitute small pistol with small rifle primers (or any other similar switch) because they are made differently for their respective uses." or words to that effect. That's good enough for me.
I also have all my fingers and both eyes are still working fine.
Me, I just look in the manual and start out with the starting load and the recommended components, and stay well clear of published maximum powder charges. But that's just me. I'm a gambler. Call me Mr. Vegas.
My manuals all say that you "should not substitute small pistol with small rifle primers (or any other similar switch) because they are made differently for their respective uses." or words to that effect. That's good enough for me.
I also have all my fingers and both eyes are still working fine.
