I was talking to another reloader about some .45ACP brass that have small pistol primers. His solution was to swage the primer pocket to accept large pistol primers. While this seems logical, I've never attempted it and, the engineer in me is skeptical about what this would do to the brass casing.

Has anyone tried this? What are your experiences? Does the brass life get compromised from doing this?

Thanks for your answers!!

odin

quote:

Originally posted by odin:
I was talking to another reloader about some .45ACP brass that have small pistol primers. His solution was to swage the primer pocket to accept large pistol primers. While this seems logical, I've never attempted it and, the engineer in me is skeptical about what this would do to the brass casing.

Has anyone tried this? What are your experiences? Does the brass life get compromised from doing this?

Thanks for your answers!!

odin

I have some of these awful 45 cases and I have a de swagger Used on Military 308 brass. Not sure if I could make it work but might try just to see if large primer fits but won’t reload it.

Interesting idea

Seems like a lot of work just to have the case head crack.
The working of brass at factories is in a certain temperature.
Spear company sure is a spiteful company to take it to us reloaders.

Small pistol pockets in .45 ACP are sorted and saved until several hundred or more are ready to load. Swap out the primer assembly on the 550B or use the SP 550 #2 setup. Load em and shootem, leave the brass lay if not wanted. It certainly would be more productive using them as is, I can't imagine reaming the primer pocket.

When shooting single stack in a match, these are what I like to leave behind...but I will also pick up any once fired and repeat.

quote:

Originally posted by 45 Cal:
Seems like a lot of work just to have the case head crack.
The working of brass at factories is in a certain temperature.
Spear company sure is a spiteful company to take it to us reloaders.

Yeah and is why I didn’t even try it. I too wait till I have enough to warrant changing the primer size on the 550. I won’t be buying mixed cases again that is for sure 200 of 500 were small primer. A sure sign of the apocalypse I think.

Thanks for your answers! Again, the SigForum brain-trust comes through. I was sceptical about it and just needed confirmation that it would/would not be a good idea.

Not ganna do it!!! Use small primers when you get enough of the cases!!!

quote:

Originally posted by odin:
Thanks for your answers! Again, the SigForum brain-trust comes through. I was sceptical about it and just needed confirmation that it would/would not be a good idea.

Not ganna do it!!! Use small primers when you get enough of the cases!!!

Well I did read somewhere that the use of small pistol primers reduced the speed 50 fps, was likely here on sig forum. And I seem to remember but am too lazy to look that the 45 GAP takes a small pistol primer. I think that the whole idea is abhorrent but only really because I only use large pistol primers for 45 ACP and seem to run through the small pistol ones too quickly, well yea 40 357 sig, 9 mm 357 magnum not loaded with large amounts of slow pistol powder.

You could build a quick jig and drill them with a bench press. That would process them about as fast as swaging them.

Ok looked up the 45 GAP, small pistol primer and a bit faster than the 45 acp in usual bullet weights. Supposed to afford smaller grip sizes for Glock fans that think double stack 45 glock to thick in the waist as it were. I suspect that the 45 GAP is moribund but I prefer the 357 sig and we all KNOW that offering is dead.

If you set them aside till your get a 'bunch' of them, I'll buy them from you.

Set mine aside. Is a pain when you get one when reloading on Dillon.

I once set off a primer on my Dillon pushing a large primer into a small primer 45

I put them in two places. When I find them at home, they go in the scrap bin. At the range, they go over them berm.
A loathsome creation they are.

Nothing wrong with them other than being a PITA.

Load them up as usual and shoot those at lost brass matches.

Or, sell them to revolver shooters, I have found them to like the SP brass better.

I just separate them from the large primer brass and load them. I find there is no difference in accuracy from the standard large primer. In fact I get a lot of these from friends who just won't use them. I have been reloading all along and willingly take them, especially now when brass is hard to find.

There was an article in Handloader magazine a few years ago, they tested 45 acp cases with small & large primers.

The conclusion was, there was no appreciable difference in performance or ballistics. That said, it comes down to sorting & setting up to prime with either.

I wouldn’t mess with changing primer pockets, use as they are, sort.

I too just separate and load them when I get enough.
Too much work, hassle and inconsistency to swag the pocket. IMHO.

What TrueShootem says!
TF