Why small primers in .45 ACP?

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epoletna

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Please excuse me if this has been asked here before, but I have seen people advertising .45 ACP with small pistol primers. Is there some accuracy issue here? Seems to me as if large pistol primers would be better for igniting a case full of powder.
 
It doesn't make any difference in .45acp. While I can't speak as to why manufactures have started making small primer .45 brass, I can say that the small primer brass has been around for a while now and works just fine.

Personally, I hate it because it makes it way into my large primer .45 brass and makes me sort them one by one.
 
Manufacturers originally started using small primers in the "non-toxic" loads, because the pressures developed by the same primer mix in the large size would cause the primer cup to blow out. As long as you keep them segregated by size, there's no problem in reloading them.
 
The first I ever saw were Winchesters, Federals next.
Agree that Blazers are the most common now.

I save all I find and trade them out with a guy here who likes them because it lets him buy only small primers for 9mm, .40, and .45.
 
Because now you have one more thing to sort out. There was nothing wrong with making them all one size for almost a hundred years. Then the EPA had to stick their nose into it. Make them all the same size. I should not have to buy a case of large primers AND a case of small primers just to load my .45 ACP ammo. It's like when you work on a modern auto today you need Metric AND SAE AND Torx drivers and sockets. I don't care which one they use but make them all the same. Standardizing tools and fasteners was a VERY GOOD idea and now they just want to sell more tools. Like Torx fasteners. As if I didn't have enough drawers of drivers and bits before.
 
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A pox on 45acp with small primers.
Changing the primer set up on progressives can be a royal pain.
 
A pox on 45acp with small primers.
Changing the primer set up on progressives can be a royal pain.

+1
Its worse when one SP sneaks in and gums up the pipeline :(

Throwing away the SP .45ACP brass is easer than changing out the primer system unless you've rather large quantities of SP .45ACP brass and don't mind the extra hassle of separating them.
 
If you want to be a good citizen, save the brass and eventually take it to the range to give it away.
Our local range has an area next to the check in for recycling stuff.
There's usually a supply of brass, magazines (the reading kind), books and such.
 
C'mon guys, these have been in the system over twenty years now. Your INSPECTIONS should pick 'em all out for seperate loading....or are you one who does not inspect and hopes for the best? In several ways the 45ACP brass with small pistol primer pockets are superior to the LP primer pockets which is one of the reasons the change was started over TWENTY years ago as we speak. It also caused an immediate increase in 45ACP pistol quality for a VERY specific reason. THINK NOW...it'll come to you....or perhaps it is now best to read the history of that you purport to be interested in....or not.
And so it goes...
 
Hate on them all you want, it would not surprise me at all if it is the wave of the future because mfgs can save 3 cents per thousand. (Made up numbers. I can't back that up)
 
No difference in accuracy or reliability I have noticed in SP in .45ACP. Just a pain to deal with if you are a reloader separating the brass.
 
I don't mind two sizes other than sorting. If you run out of large primers you can use small brass or visa versa.
 
I did a lot of accuracy testing and the Federal SP brass is always at the top of the heap. I wasn't looking for SP brass but I got some given to me and after testing it, I am sold. I use the LP for practice and save the SP for matches. Also easier to recover as I am usually one of the few shooting SP.....at least for now. :)
 
My S&W 625 ignites small primers more reliably than large with the factory firing pin. So there's that.
 
Ken Waters in Handloader explored the .45 ACP
using regular Large primers, and the 'magnum LP - concluded no
differencce

CorBon developed the .400 CorBon in '97 but in the year
2000 switched to Small primers. I dont know why
but .400 CB is rated at .45 ACP +P pressure.

I avoid bying the non-toxic ammo, it's spendier than regular stuff

I also have a S&W 625 that is finicky and runs well
with Federal ammo

R-

R-
 
I switch back and forth between small and large pistol anyway because of the variety of cartridges I load. It's easy enough when doing a cross over to simply not switch the primer size right away and do a run of SPP or LPP .45ACP before finishing and switching over to .9mm or .38Spl or doing a run of .44Mag or .44-40.
 
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