.44 Mag primer question

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Gator

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Got a bag of primed brass in a bundle. Hand written on the bag is "primed for rifle loads". Is there a possibility that this brass is primed with anything other than large pistol magnum primers? Or would you just swap out the primer for a known primer?

I could load these for pistol or lever action rifle.


44 mag primers.jpg

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Yes there is a possibility.

I would use them for moderate loads rather than trashing the primers.

You could also take one out and post pics of the anvil and primer, we can maybe figure out what it is.
 
Either load a med power load for practice or punch them out. I personally would punch them out and go with known good clean dry primers. I don't trust others in these matters. I guess you could fire a few primers and see if they go bang. I have seen oily residue on baggies from sizing lube. Go from there.
 
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Large pistol primers and large rifle primers are not the same size. The previous owner may have made the primer pockets deeper on those cases to accept large rifle primers. Personally, I like to install my primers myself and would remove those primers and put in new ones. The main question is whether a large pistol primers would fit those primer pockets. I would try seating a large rifle primer in one of the cases to see whether it fits. If it does not fit flush or a tad below flush, the pockets have not been altered, and new large pistol primers, magnum or regular, would work in those cases.
 
Primers are pretty resilient. I've done a couple of experiments with soaking primers in oil, for several weeks, and most of them still popped although much weaker.

As far as moisture, that will not kill a primer. If it did, they would ship primers in moisture proof containers. As long as they dry out they should be fine.

The following is just my opinion. I would test fire a few of them to see. I would not use them in anything serious like defense or hunting ammo, but for mild loads and target use I would not hesitate to use them. Once used, pop out the primers and measure the pocket depth to determine if they were reamed deeper for rifle primers.
 
It may be a magnum primer versus a standard large pistol primer.

If you’re dead set on using them, I might drop back a tad from your normal charge especially if it’s on the warmer side
 
I'll echo, probably just magnum primers. I'd load moderate practice loads rather than throw them away.

I'm in a similar situation with primed cases in a couple of calibers. Don't know exactly what they are.
 
I'll try to extract 2-3 of them and see if I can get a decent pic.

I'm not dead set on using them but it sounds like I may be safe using them for a .44 Special type load for a pistol.

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Unless I am seeing the picture wrong, there are only 54 of them. I would make sure what primer I was using in a load. I like to know what goes into my loads.
 
I question the economy of expending 54 bullets and 54 charges of powder just to use 54 unknown primers.
 
11B CIB said:
It may be a magnum primer versus a standard large pistol primer.
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georgel said:
I'll echo, probably just magnum primers. I'd load moderate practice loads rather than throw them away.
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303hunter said:
I’d load a moderate target load and use them, then check the primer pockets.
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I was amazed to read in a Ross Seyfreid article that his biggest take-away from a month's stay with Elmer Keith was......Elmer didn't OWN a magnum pistol primer!!!!!!
 
small Rifle will seat in small pistol but large rifle won’t seat in large pistol. Load em up and shoot away. You won’t know the difference In regular or magnum in handgun. I recently had a rest run on magnum and regular in 9mm. Figured the small case would show any major difference if any. Pressures and velocity were almost the same.
 
Etruett said:
You won’t know the difference In regular or magnum in handgun. I recently had a rest run on magnum and regular in 9mm. Figured the small case would show any major difference if any. Pressures and velocity were almost the same.
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Generally, that is true, but it depends on the powder. If you are interested, I can show you data, in small primer 45acp, where regular and magnum primers had large differences in velocity.
 
Toprudder said:
Generally, that is true, but it depends on the powder. If you are interested, I can show you data, in small primer 45acp, where regular and magnum primers had large differences in velocity.
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I don’t doubt it a bit. There are so many possible variables. I had mine tested with Bullseye or either Titegroup and only did 9mm. I was more worried about pressure than velocity. I figured fast powder in a small case would show any dangerous pressure. I’ve heard a lot of different results of small vs large in 45acp but the vast of the 45acp we shoot is 230 ball loaded with 3.2gr bullseye and I’ve never been able to tell any difference in large and small primers. I’ve noticed now days Winchester primers say for regular and magnum loads, so obviously there isn’t much difference in their primers. I’ve also seen some test that show one brand’s standard is as hot as another’s magnum. Since I shoot federal almost exclusively, that’s what I tested
 
Etruett said:
I don’t doubt it a bit. There are so many possible variables. I had mine tested with Bullseye or either Titegroup and only did 9mm. I was more worried about pressure than velocity. I figured fast powder in a small case would show any dangerous pressure. I’ve heard a lot of different results of small vs large in 45acp but the vast of the 45acp we shoot is 230 ball loaded with 3.2gr bullseye and I’ve never been able to tell any difference in large and small primers. I’ve noticed now days Winchester primers say for regular and magnum loads, so obviously there isn’t much difference in their primers. I’ve also seen some test that show one brand’s standard is as hot as another’s magnum. Since I shoot federal almost exclusively, that’s what I tested
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Regarding pressure vs velocity, they are directly related when the powder used has not changed, but I get what you are saying.

If I worked up a load to max pressure using a regular primer, then switched to a magnum primer, and I happened to be using a powder that is sensitive to primer type, then I will be over pressure.

Try your experiment in small primer 45acp using Sport Pistol powder and let me know what you find. When I did that, velocity was all over the place, and it was very position sensitive as well. It was much better behaved in 9mm.

My point is that you simply can’t make a blanket statement about different primers not making a difference in pressure.
 
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