PRIMERS

[rangerwillie]

 OK, I live in northern NY state, Near the can. border. Primers are hard to come by in any local store. My son bought me a brick of small pistol  mag primers, now I use small rifle primers for my 223, will these work and how should I adjust my powder if they are usable?  dan

[OR-E-Gun Bill]

MAN, I need to get my glasses checked!

Thanks for saving me on that one Bill...


Bill

[Graybeard]

BAD BAD PLAN. Pistol primers are NOT intended for the pressures normally run in .223.

[carbineman]

Small pistol are not small rifle. Small rifle magnum primers would only present a problem if you are loading real stout loads. All we use here are magnum primers. Again don't substitute pistol for rifle primers.

[dorothy daily]

try this web site on primers.wwwjamescalhoun.com/primers and pressure.php it should be of interest.

[LaOtto222]

I use by far; the Remington 7 1/2 primers for my loads in 221 Fireballs and 223's. I even use them for 222 Remington when loading with BL C2. I do have about 1500 CCI BR4 primers that will work about as well, but they are more expensive so I will only use them if I run out of the Remington 7 1/2 primers. Both have thick cups designed for high pressure. The only way you get by with using pistol primers is if you were to down load the 223 to very low pressures, probably in the 2000 fps range (much like a 22 Mag rim fire). You would have to use a powder that will scale back well. If you have a 22 Mag, you would be money ahead and totally safe by buying ammo for it. Save the primers for your pistol loads or use them for trading material for primers you can use.

BTW A scaled back 223 will not cycle semi autos - I know this a Handi forum - but you never know what people are thinking
Good Luck and Good Shooting.

[rangerwillie]

thanks for all the great info on primers. Today I did manage a trade the pistol primers for small rifle primers.  dan