Winchester 231 and 38 special

[78bagger]

This has been a great thread for general edification and I don't want to get off topic but why the small rifle primer. I had a heck of a time finding some for .223. Did you just have a surplus?

 

[JamesWP]

That’s correct...I’ve just got a bunch of them.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

re: Small Rifle Primers

That’s correct...I’ve just got a bunch of them.

My experience has been the small rifle primers work just fine for 10mm, 40 S&W, 38 Special +P, 45 ACP (small primer brass) & 357 Magnum loading: cci actually admits they are identical to their small magnum pistol primers.

These days one might be forced to use what one has on hand...?

Cheers!

P.S. Have yet to use them for 357 SIG, 9mm or 380 ACP. Yet...?

 

[alwslate]

Small rifle primers work just fine for .38 spl plinking loads to full house .357 mag loads. They are basically identical to small pistol magnum primers. They have very little effect on velocity with small charges of fast burning powder but can increase velocity by 100 FPS or more with full case .357 loads of slow burning powder. All loads that I have chronographed from plinking to heavy show improved consistency compared to standard primers.

 

[stansdds]

Small rifle primers work just fine for .38 spl plinking loads to full house .357 mag loads. They are basically identical to small pistol magnum primers. They have very little effect on velocity with small charges of fast burning powder but can increase velocity by 100 FPS or more with full case .357 loads of slow burning powder. All loads that I have chronographed from plinking to heavy show improved consistency compared to standard primers.

The only issue with using small rifle primers in 38 Special would be if the revolver has had a trigger job that involved a lighter hammer spring or, in the case of S&W K/L/N frames, a shortened strain screw. In these instances, a lighter firing pin strike might result in a failure to fire. If the hammer is imparting the factory specified force to the firing pin, then there should be no reliability issues with small rifle primers.

 

[alwslate]

I have never had a misfire with a SR primer in any of my handloads. Maybe because all of my revolvers are pretty much as they came from the factory. I haven’t seen the need to “improve” the trigger pulls of my S&Ws.

 

[stansdds]

I have never had a misfire with a SR primer in any of my handloads. Maybe because all of my revolvers are pretty much as they came from the factory. I haven’t seen the need to “improve” the trigger pulls of my S&Ws.

I agree. The only improvement my S&W revolvers have needed was more time spent using them, either dry fire or live fire. A good cleaning and proper lubrication too.

 

[rockquarry]

I have never had a misfire with a SR primer in any of my handloads. Maybe because all of my revolvers are pretty much as they came from the factory. I haven’t seen the need to “improve” the trigger pulls of my S&Ws.

Yes, S&W triggers work very reliably if they remain unmolested.