I found a primer.

[Alpo]

While doing some case belling last night, I found a primer dropped in with the 32 ACP brass. Apparently I had dropped it, some time ago, and it had fallen in that box, and I was unable to locate it.

So, there it is. Large primer, but rifle or pistol? Makes a difference, I've always heard. Hmmm. Take calipers and measure it. Height of 0.120 inches. Take brand new CCI LP primer out of box. Also 0.120 inches. Great. LP primer, quickly shove it in convenient 41 magnum case, so it don't get lost, and get on with belling the 32s.

Oops. Found another one. Measure it. 0.122 inches. Hmmm. That a rifle or a pistol? I thought the difference was greater than that.

I start searching the web for information. Lots of sites that say LR is taller than LP, but no dimensions. Then I find a site that gives LR and SR dimensions. But it says that LR is 0.118 tall. That ain't no good. I already know that LP is 0.120. Leastways,s the CCI LP that I have is 0.120. Hmmm.

So, I start writing this post, to ask others' opinions. Then I have a brilliant thought. Measure the depth of rifle and pistol primer pockets.

Go get my trusty caliper. Dig out three various rifle cases. They are, in case anyone is interested, a 30/06, a 25/06 and a 308. Primer pocket depths are, in that order, 0.126, 0.127 and 0.127. Measure some more of the convenient 41 magnum cases (brand new box of unprimed brass). Measure two of them. Both 0.122. Hmmm.

Now, I know the intelligent thing is to load the primer into a rifle case, load the case into a gun, pop the primer and go on with life. It's just a lousy 3 cent primer. But I'm curious.

Does anyone know what the accurate height dimensions are for a Large Rifle and a Large Pistol primer?

Oh, and by the way. This is probably going to turn out to be a rifle case, as it is the exact same height as the pistol pocket, so there could be no setting it under flush.

But I still want to know.

[Bruce FLinch]

Buy some of each & measure them. Then give me the new ones you don't need...

[muddober]

Alpo: As always you are interesting. All of my reloading stuff is at my office but now you are going to make me go check tomorrow for my own curiosity. But I have to ask the obvious; I have re-read your post and you did not mention anything about measuring a LR primer, why not? I am assuming you have some, what say you?

Ron

[Alpo]

What it was, was I was trying out my Lee Hand Press. I had had it for some time, as a "just-in-case", and after reading some threads about it, recently, I decided I needed to see if it works. So I was doing this in the living room, while watching TV. I had, over the past three days, brought out an assortment of dies and brass, from my loading room. I had primed a batch of 45 Colt, and had the rest of that box of primers laying out there on the coffee table. Measuring a Large Rifle primer would have necessitated my getting my butt up off the couch and walking to the other end of the house to get some.

Plus, I didn't think about it until the next day.

[Alpo]

Update: I finally went and got a box of LR primers to measure. Magtech brand, not the CCI, but still, LR. 0.1225

I guess that makes it rifle. But I sure thought there was more than 0.002" difference.

[muddober]

Originally Posted by Alpo

What it was, was I was trying out my Lee Hand Press. I had had it for some time, as a "just-in-case", and after reading some threads about it, recently, I decided I needed to see if it works. So I was doing this in the living room, while watching TV. I had, over the past three days, brought out an assortment of dies and brass, from my loading room. I had primed a batch of 45 Colt, and had the rest of that box of primers laying out there on the coffee table. Measuring a Large Rifle primer would have necessitated my getting my butt up off the couch and walking to the other end of the house to get some.

Plus, I didn't think about it until the next day.

Alpo: As I said you are always interesting. I forgot to check at my office and I had to laugh at your having to get your but off the couch and go to the other end of your house. My reloading room is a 1/2 floor from my office down to the main floor and then 2 1/2 floors above main floor to my reloading room. At 63years old and weighing 270 pounds while I do OK I don't exactly fly up an down those stairs.

Ron

[Alpo]

I also, while back in the loading room, dug out my Primer Pocket Uniformer. According to the instructions with it, LP pockets are supposed to be 0.120 deep, while LR pockets are supposed to be 0.130 deep. Just to make things more confusing.

[Alpo]

I'm gonna have to see if I still have some CCI LRs. If not, I'm gonna have to find a primed case and punch one out and measure it. I got the Magtechs when CCI went over 100 dollars a sleeve. I thought 20 dollars a thousand was insane, and would not pay that much. The Magtechs were 68, so I bought them. But I've only used ten of them, so far. If that is a LR primer that was dropped, it is a CCI one. So I need to find a CCI one to compare it to.

It appears I am on a quest.

[Alpo]

Speaking of CCI - I don't know who writes their FAQs, but I like the way his mind works.

>Q: What does CCI stand for?
A: First and Foremost we stand for Quality Rimfire Ammunition with the the broadest selection for the rimfire shooter…..Oh, you mean the initials, that is the name that Dick Speer and Arvid Nelson gave to their company "Cascade Cartridge, Inc."<

[GMFWoodchuck]

From what I understand the LR primers are made with thicker metal than LP primers. I guess rifles have stronger primer springs than pistols do. I do not really recall the source though.

[Alpo]

I've also read that rifle primers have thicker caps. That using a rifle primer in a pistol round could cause misfires, and using a pistol primer in a rifle round could lead to pierced primers.

[TranterUK]

OK, admission of guilt time.

When I read the opening post on this thread, I thought, 'get another hobby' who cares about the difference in primer dimensions.

Well, digging out some old reloading supplies this afternoon I picked up some mixed primer boxes and they spilled out onto the floor. Small pistol, large pistol and small rifle all mixed on the floor.

So, while I am sitting there on the floor with my calliper in hand I am thinking, 'its my own fault'. I thus offer an apology to Alpo.

[GMFWoodchuck]

Originally Posted by TranterUK

OK, admission of guilt time.

When I read the opening post on this thread, I thought, 'get another hobby' who cares about the difference in primer dimensions.

Well, digging out some old reloading supplies this afternoon I picked up some mixed primer boxes and they spilled out onto the floor. Small pistol, large pistol and small rifle all mixed on the floor.

So, while I am sitting there on the floor with my calliper in hand I am thinking, 'its my own fault'. I thus offer an apology to Alpo.

Good luck with that. When I bought primers from Gander Mountain the guy taped them all up. I admit I thought he was bored or something till my wife asked why he was doing that. It was to keep them closed. I think that it's a good idea and I keep mine taped shut till I want to use them.

[JLA]

Just measured my CCI primers: All pulled at random from each case lot of 1000

CCI 250=.127"
CCI 350=.119"
CCI 450=.120"
CCI 550=.120"

All are 'magnum' primers, and while very fascinating, none of this makes sense. Im wondering why I have not ever thought to measure this before... Hmmm...

[JLA]

Originally Posted by TranterUK

OK, admission of guilt time.

When I read the opening post on this thread, I thought, 'get another hobby' who cares about the difference in primer dimensions.

Well, digging out some old reloading supplies this afternoon I picked up some mixed primer boxes and they spilled out onto the floor. Small pistol, large pistol and small rifle all mixed on the floor.

So, while I am sitting there on the floor with my calliper in hand I am thinking, 'its my own fault'. I thus offer an apology to Alpo.

Been there tranter. I extend my sympathies. I have since started to use only CCI primers for everything. They are colorcoded orange for pistol, and yellow for rifle. so you have a small and large yellow and a small and large orange.

[Alpo]

Now, that's nice to know. I finally found some CCI LR. Took one out and looked. Yellow inside. Looked at a new LP. Kinda yellowish-orange inside. Looked at the two "found primers" (Yep, found another'n). Same shade of yellowish-orange. Measured "found primers". 0.121 and 0.122. Measured LR primer. 0.129. Guess that means they are both pistol. Problem solved.

Thank you, one and all, for your assistance.

[GMFWoodchuck]

LOL. If anyone else saw this thread they would think that we are nuts for even caring. Sorta like me thinking all of the baseball stats are silly after a while....

[JLA]

Originally Posted by GMFWoodchuck

LOL. If anyone else saw this thread they would think that we are nuts for even caring. Sorta like me thinking all of the baseball stats are silly after a while....

And the NFL draft, I quit keepin up with it. The cowboys aint gonna do no good this year. Heck the best thing they did do was let T.O. go, that guy is an overpaid whiney tittybaby. Guess I just gotta get prepared to watch my team lose AGAIN this year, faithfully. I aint jumpin off the band wagon, even if they do suck. One day they might get a better owner, and some real talent on the coaching staff...... Sorry, im ranting, Ill shut up now

GO COWBOYS!!! PLEASE!!!

[howlnmad]

So did I, dropped the dang thing three days ago and been frantically searching ever since. Only a 3 cent primer, try finding them.

[JLA]

hey man thats 3 cents of solid gold, I have spent hours looking for primers i have dropped under my desk... should have seen me the time i dropped one in the spent primer tray on my press...

[jmstevens2]

Originally Posted by JLA

And the NFL draft, I quit keepin up with it. The cowboys aint gonna do no good this year. Heck the best thing they did do was let T.O. go, that guy is an overpaid whiney tittybaby. Guess I just gotta get prepared to watch my team lose AGAIN this year, faithfully. I aint jumpin off the band wagon, even if they do suck. One day they might get a better owner, and some real talent on the coaching staff...... Sorry, im ranting, Ill shut up now

GO COWBOYS!!! PLEASE!!!

Could be worse, you could live here in Cincinnati..........

[JLA]

guess youre right, I forgot the bengals existed