45 ACP primer size

shavetail

I had a customer decline to purchase Federal 45 acp because the cases take small primers whereas Winchester and other brands use large primers.

I'm pretty sure he was wrong. Don't all brands of any given caliber use the same primers if they are Boxer primed?

I suspect the customer must have gotten some Berdan primed cases at some time and thought they were Federal brand.

shavetail

What is the story behind the two sizes of primers for this caliber ammo? Noral has been the large pistol primer. Are the small pistol[ primers the normal for the small primer pocket?

charliemeyer007

The non-toxic stuff was the first with small pistol primers. Made just to cause fits with progressive reloading machines.

357's were originally large pistol. There are small rifle 308's.
It pays to look at the brass.

Cheechako

The use of both small and large primers in the the same cartridge was fairly common before WW2. The practice seemed to die out (thankfully) post war, but now it's back.

The 45 ACP small pistol primer started with the "green" frenzy. The small rifle primer in cases such as the 308 W started years ago when Remington made a 308 basic case meant to be re-formed into several small size wildcat competition cartridges, such as the 6mm BR. It's now being continued in full size 308 cases because it is supposed to be more accurate.

The 45 ACP, BTW, was loaded for years by the US Military with a 3rd size primer. Just a wee bit smaller than the LR primer. The idea was that it would help insure that the LR primer was not used by mistake. Those cases, and primers, were still being used after WW2.

noylj

Re: Mil primer sizes
If true, it wasn't true for Western Cartridge Co., as my WCC 41-45 cases (i.e., military cases made from 1941 to 1945) take a LPP easily.

Cheechako

You are right. I should have said 45 ACP loaded by Frankford Arsenal. AFAIK, commercial manufacturers of military Cal .45 were allowed to use their own primers.

243winxb

Large vs small primers 45acp quote: large primers give more velocity with all powders tested especially the slower ones such as Herco. That is because the large primer has a stronger ignition on the powder charge. Felt recoil was different with some of the loads that read 100 FPS difference or so.http://www.starlinebrass.com/articles/Small-Primer-vs-Large-Primer/

MIKE WISKEY

"I should have said 45 ACP loaded by Frankford Arsenal. "........a few others also. I've had some headstamped "ECC" (Evensville, I believe).

62fuelie

I have found that by substituting in small pistol magnum primers the ballistics are about the same as those with large pistol primers. I use Unique with the Speer 200 and 230 Gold Dots for service type loads and it burns cleanly and completely with the SP-mags.