Primers. SP vs LP

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D.B. Cooper

D.B. Cooper

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Having just received my first ever handgun in 45 ACP, I learned recently that 45ACP comes in two different size primers. As I'm told, the original specification was for Large Pistol primer. I've been buying Blazer Brass, which comes with a Small Pistol primer. They seem to work just fine, at least in the factory range/practice ammo I've bought.

Is there any reason, from hand loader's perspective, to favor 45 with a SP primer over 45 with a LP primer, or vice-versa?

I've also been scrounging brass off the range for both 45 and 9mm. I'm not reloading for either at the moment, but I suspect both may become useful in the future.

So this leads me to ask the question, should I care which size primer my brass is made for? Obviously, I have to go to the trouble of sorting 45 brass by primer size. (Unless, of course, I only buy one brand and only pick up my own brass.) Or given that I also own a 9mm, which uses SP primers, should I only use 45 brass with SP primer pockets, just so I only have to find/buy one size primer?
 
Don't think so but it's just nice to buy one kind of primer. The larger primer may give more spark but I would think the sp would have a stronger case. The larger primer may help of the firing pin hole is not perfectly centered.
 
For most powders, you will see about 30fps difference in velocity. There were a couple of powders I tried (Trailboss and PB) where I saw a large difference in velocity. In those, I ran an experiment with SP, LP, and SPM primers. The small magnum primers recovered about 75% of the lost velocity, so I have gotten in the habit of using small magnum primers in my small primer 45acp now.
 
I have tons of 45 ACP large primer and use it exclusively. I toss all the small pistol primer stuff into a box for use at a later date. I suppose eventually I will switch over to the small pistol stuff and this will be nice since it will be less frequent changes of the primer mechanism on my Hornady LNL
 
Sounds like, if only for logistics, SP is the way to go. (In the words of Paul Harrell, "Is 30 fps enough of a difference to make a difference?")

Is there some industry-wide movement toward SP for 45?
 
SPP brass for .45 ACP was introduced to allow the use of lead-free primers where those are required for indoor ranges. At the time, and for some time thereafter, I don't believe anyone made lead-free LPP. It was easier to make SPP brass, especially since .380, .38 Special, .357, 9x19, and .40 S&W were all using small primers. .45 ACP was really the only high-volume case that used large primers. The others are like 10mm and .41 and .44 Magnum which are not sold in nearly the same quantity as .45 or any of the small pistol primer cartridges. The solution was make SPP .45 ACP brass.

I believe Federal is now making their Catalyst brand lead-free primers in large size, but they do not sell them as components.
 
The major advantage of SPP .45ACP cases is that you only have to be setup/stock up for one primer size. Another advantage, over LPP, is that if a LPP case sneaks into the batch you're reloading, it won't crush the primer...you'll feel it immediately as there will be no resistance when priming.

The only argument for preferring LPP is "tradition" and the stocks of cases a reloader might have on hand.

I prefer SPP because it makes switching between loading calibers easier without the primer size switch....but I only have about 1k cases (Blazer, Federal, Speer). My competition loads are LPP, because that is all that Starline offers
 
I had kind of forgotten about 44 being LP, and 44 is the only handgun I currently load for.

So I guess, for me, it almost doesn't matter. I'm going to have buy both anyway, if I'm going to load for more than my 44.

I guess I should just sort and store both types of 45. Is there anyway to easily sort these without visually inspecting every case? (I feel like there probably isn't.)
 
Texas10mm said:
Small primer .45 ACP brass is the Devil's work.
Click to expand...


LOL. You sound like the guys who were at the NRA Bullseye pistol match I shot last month. They were not happy to see SP brass on the ground. (Although, many of them had marked their brass with colored sharpie, and they were only picking up their color, so, not sure what the problem is.)

Edit: And that's not to cast aspersions. The guys were all real nice and helpful. They even refrained from laughing at my target. One of them also loaned me his Ruger MKII and gave me 100 rounds of ammo for it for the match. Wouldn't even let me pay him. Didn't even ask me to clean the gun, either.
 
I just separate the SP brass out after I tumble it, and when I get 50 or 100 load 'em. I have plenty of SP primers, as .38 is the only other handgun caliber I load for, and I haven't loaded any in years, but have about 2000 primers for it.
 
Is there any reason, from hand loader's perspective, to favor 45 with a SP primer over 45 with a LP primer, or vice-versa?
Click to expand...

I prefer SP 45 acp brass for revolvers or lost brass matches. If everything else you load is SP, that would be a good reason to like it.

Currently there is a lot more LP brass out there so it’s what your most likely to pickup a lot of.
 
Regardless which size primer you go with, you'll find the .45 ACP a joy to work with at the loading bench. I reload more .45 auto than any other cartridge. All my loading is done with bulk purchased brass so I never see the SPP stuff unless I accidentally pick one up at the range while grabbing my own empties off the ground.

Personally I prefer the LPP on all cartridges large enough to use it. To me the larger surface area is more reassuring on pistols that don't have their pin strike perfectly centered. I even take .460 S&W brass and cut it down to .454 Casull length so I can use a case with a LPP in my Super Redhawk. But that's just me.
 
The only "problem" with small primed 45 ACP brass is for those that don't inspect their brass. Mostly it's personal preference. If you can't see the difference at a glance, set two cases on your bench, head up. One small, one large primed. When you are inspecting your brass, look briefly at the case head and if you are having trouble, compare to the cases on the bench. Personally I have no trouble seeing the difference (lifelong machinist/mechanic?). From my own testing (approx. 300 rounds) there isn't enough difference to bother between the two...
 
D.B. Cooper said:
Didn't even ask me to clean the gun, either.
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Although very nice of you to offer... nobody cleans my firearms but me! I will occasionally lend out photography equipment to family or a trusted friend, as well as the standard be carefuls I also emphasize that I will be VERY upset if they clean my gear! I frequently let trusted buddies shoot my firearms at the range... but I won't let them clean them... not that they would even offer to do so.

For practice and plinking 45acp ammo I see absolutely no difference in SP vs LP primers. I stick with LP as much as I can for logistic purposes. I stock and use large pistol magnum primers for all my pistol reloads; 44mag, 50ae and .45. and all my loads were worked up with LP magnum loads.
 
Some people get upset when they encounter something new that costs them 1/2 second more reloading time. I started reloading in '69 and while I didn't have the web to tell me what I was doing wrong, I Iooked at every case before I processed it. When I pick up an empty at the range, I glance at the case head, mostly looking at the condition of the spent primer (crater, ejector marks, etc.) and again after I clean the brass. If I miss a small primed case, and while I'm reloading I find myself trying to stuff a large primer into a small pocket, it's my fault, not the fault of the case (or the !*&#$ that manufactured it) But, I like reloading... .
 
I was like jmorris and came across them scrounging brass. I keep them as reserves when the next big primer scare/shortages occur but do not regularly reload them. There was a similar issue with 6.8 SPC only with large v. small rifle primer brass. Same deal.
 
Small primer .45 ACP brass is the Devil's work.
Click to expand...
:rofl:

I normally load the LPs because that's what I find the most of.
I keep the SPs and when I get enough I load them.
I agree with about 30fps difference average with mixed range brass in a 5" 1911 SP vs LP using CCI SP and WIN LP.
I'm sure with other SP LP combos the difference might be larger or smaller but not a big concern for me as I keep the LP and SP batches of ammo
separate.

I have found it is easier to sort them one they are deprimed.\
Of course my eye sight isn't what it used to be.
 
I never really cared much about SPP .45 brass one way or the other until I got caught short of LPP's during one of the "panics" a few years ago.

I mostly load "powder puff" loads in .45 ACP and found (after work-up) that I could use pretty much any small primer without changing my powder charge (never tried SRM or #41's).
LaneP said:
I even take .460 S&W brass and cut it down to .454 Casull length so I can use a case with a LPP in my Super Redhawk. But that's just me.
Click to expand...
Any problems with misfires using LPP's in the deeper LRP pockets of the .460 brass?
 
Swampman said:
I never really cared much about SPP .45 brass one way or the other until I got caught short of LPP's during one of the "panics" a few years ago.

I mostly load "powder puff" loads in .45 ACP and found (after work-up) that I could use pretty much any small primer without changing my powder charge (never tried SRM or #41's).
Any problems with misfires using LPP's in the deeper LRP pockets of the .460 brass?
Click to expand...

That was my goof, I should have said "large primer", because it's actually a large rifle primer I'm loading in the .460 brass, not large pistol.

But I have loaded .454 cases with small pistol primers for reduced loads and never had any ignition problems. The only time my SRH has caused problems is with CCI #450 small rifle magnum primers when shooting DA. Those primers are rock hard and when my SRH was new it wouldn't set off even one out of six while trigger cocking. That is resolved now after some hammer nose adjustment and adding a couple of hammer shims.
 
jmorris said:
I first started across SP 45 ACP brass in 2003-2004. The first I had was Win NT.
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The “NT” headstamps (both Federal and Winchester) are not only small primer, but are also crimped primer pockets that the crimps have to be removed before loading. Doesn’t matter what caliber, either. I’ve seen them in 9mm, 40, and 45.
 
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