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Swaging 45ACP Small Primer

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September 14, 2021, 02:18 PM
odin
Swaging 45ACP Small Primer
I have about 1K 45ACP casings that accept small pistol primers. Would I be able to swage the primer pocket to large pistol without affecting safety? The cases are Blazer. I can always use small pistol, but this requires examining each case every time. Thanks for the replies!!! -ODIN
September 14, 2021, 03:32 PM
Flash-LB
You won't be able to swage it enough to open it up to Large Pistol primer.

Using a drill press would be a major PIA with the possibility of ruining the cases unless you were extremely careful.

If I were you, I'd either trade them, sell them, or throw them away.
September 14, 2021, 04:25 PM
AZSigs
Man hours to work primer pockets overshadows actual loading time for 1000 cartridges. I now throw those into the junk bucket that goes to the recycler.




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September 14, 2021, 07:14 PM
maxwayne
See if you can't sell or trade them.
September 14, 2021, 11:54 PM
357fuzz
What I did was put all my small primered 45acp brass in a clearly marked container. If I run out of LP brass during winter reloading sessions then that is used. Loaded rounds with the SP brass in a separate container. That way I don’t mix them up reloading and shooting.
September 15, 2021, 06:10 PM
odin
Thanks! My thinking was not leaning towards swaging the pockets, but wanted to know if it's possible.

I have the cases separated by primer size and will probably reload one or the other as my primer supply dictates.....
September 21, 2021, 04:56 PM
cee_Kamp
I guess it would be possible to set up a metal turning lathe for this job of converting small primer pockets into large primer pockets.
It would entail boatloads of finesse. The average reloader is NOT equipped for this task.

Depth stops.
(can't have primer pockets too deep or too shallow. SAAMI tolerance is 0.117" to 0.123" for the large pistol pocket depth, so pretty tight tolerance on depth, 0.006" total depth variation allowed)

A set of hand made precision ground & heat treated GO/NO-GO gauges for the diameter of the new large primer pockets.
(can't have primer pockets too loose or too tight, too loose they fall out, too tight and you'll crush primers when seating them,
SAAMI tolerance is 0.2085" to 0.210" for large pistol primer pocket diameter, yes that's one and a half thousandths of an inch total diameter variation allowed)

It is possible... But you won't be doing that with a Craftsman cordless drill and a bit.

Before I even started that task, I would be cutting some LP and SP brass in half lengthwise, and inspecting the case heads cross sectional area to be certain that the cases with small primer pockets had enough "meat" in the web of the case heads for the conversion to large pistol primer pockets.

I personally wouldn't do it unless those small primer pocket .45ACP cases were the last .45ACP brass available on the planet. And... All I had was large pistol primers.

Back when ammo was cheap, I bought a 1000 round case of .45ACP ball ammo many years ago. And that case of .45ACP has small primer pockets.
My plan was leave them on the ground for the brass scavengers. I may need to rethink that plan.
In the past I only reloaded .45ACP with large primer pockets.



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September 21, 2021, 05:37 PM
Flash-LB
I have Mrs. Flash sort the brass, then keep it in separate buckets, one labeled .45 ACP LP and one labeled .45 ACP SP.

Once in a while I load up some small primer ones just for the heck of it.

They shoot fine.
September 21, 2021, 07:58 PM
Jim Watson
They are aggravating to sort out but they do have uses, even if your main supply is large.

I gave some ,45 Small to a friend who wanted them to prime with Federals for use in a revolver with limber spring kit.
I have loaded some .45 Small to shoot at Lost Brass matches.
I am keeping some .45 Small in case small primer supplies recover from the panicdemic sooner.
September 26, 2021, 01:13 PM
1KPerDay
They are in the supply chain now and are not going away. They were forged by Satan but I save mine and load them and shoot them in lost brass matches.


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