45 ACP primer differences

[SCORPIO]

A friend who doesn't reload gave me a big box of once fired brass a few weeks ago. So its a rainy day today and I'm not busy so I figured I'd load some 45s for an up coming range trip. What I noticed as I'm running this brass thru my Dillon case feeder is every now and then I couldn't seat a primer. Turns out that not all makers of 45 ACP brass make them with large primer pockets. Seems Federal and Blazer used small primers. Made for a pain having to every now and then remove the odd round.

Perhaps this is widely known, but it was a first for me.

[Boats]

This is pretty well known for 45 reloaders, although in practice I rarely see the small primer brass.

I did run into one last weekend, and it was a Speer. Usually you see this in Federal.

You can try to sort your brass beforehand to get rid of the small primer ones, but frankly I don't bother... I just load them up until I can't seat a primer, and I toss the offending brass. I don't reload them, but YMMV.

Boats

[sdmc530]

I use a single stage, I deprime all my brass and sort it then. Sell the SP and load the LP...that is just me though...I agree too its a giant pain..

[Boats]

I use a single stage, I deprime all my brass and sort it then. Sell the SP and load the LP...that is just me though...I agree too its a giant pain..

Do you see much of it, Phil?

Tom

[DaFadda]

I deprime, then sort by cleaning the primer pockets on my RCBS rotary thingamajig workstation. I use a large primer cleaning tool. If it don't fit... guess what... Its a small primer. Federal, Speer, Blazer and a couple of others started using them a few years back.

Unlike others, I throw the SP cartridges into a bucket... and when I have enough... I reload them too! Brass is brass is brass....

Remember, the ammo manufacturers aren't in business to make it easy for us reloaders. They would rather we always have to purchase THEIR new ammo.

And so.... it goes.....

DaFadda

[DaFadda]

Oops.. double post.

[RevM]

Funny, since I'm just getting into 45's I've got no vested interest in legacy cases/primer sizes. I was able to score a big box of SP brass pretty cheaply ... and I've got a ton of SP primers from setting up to reload 9 and 40 brass. May as well go with the flow ...

[sdmc530]

Do you see much of it, Phil?

Tom

I only find it when I go hunting for brass at the range....Like Padre said some guys will just reload it when the get enough of it. I don't reload it but I have not been desperate enough to load it. I don't like having that many different items around the reloading bench either. I like a simple operation, I only reload the .45ACP so I keep it simple(but I have never been known to be called normal).....works for me....may not work for everyone.

[Neil Casper]

I only find a few now and again. I won't bother using them but I have a friend that prefers them, so whenever I find any I save it for him.

[SCORPIO]

I'm going to save them up until I have enough to bother reloading. I'm only finding them in the free range brass now and then. I had Federal and Blazer small primer brass. The Speer brass was all large primer as was the Anguilla(?). With a progressive press, you kind of need to have a good bit of brass before it makes sense to start loading.

Thanks for the heads up. I figured it was a known issure, just new to me. Next time I'll sort the brass prior to loading up the case feeder.

All my reloading books list 45 ACP as large pistol primers. No mention of the small primer variant.

[Hoss in IL]

Just so you guys know, it's the Federal "bulk/value" pack, like they sell at Wal-Mart (has a picture of loose cartridges all over the box) that has the small primers. If you plan on keeping your brass, don't buy those expecting large primers.

The Federal "Range Ammo" in the white box, with black lettering, does have large primers.

We send 5 gallon buckets FULL of Fed. and Blazer small primer brass to the scrap yard. Makes it a pain to sort brass after a busy weekend.

[Dred]

Hmmm. In TX, the Fed bulk (100 rounds ) is LPP.

[skosh69]

Scorpio, save all the SP brass, wait'll you have a decent amount and then offer it up to trade to someone for LP brass, either here, 1911forum.com or your local forum.

A keen eye when picking up brass at the range prevents the aquirement of those PIA small primers, but occasionally they get by and when they do, I throw all SP brass in my "junk" brass can which I take it to the recycler's.

[titanse05]

Just so you guys know, it's the Federal "bulk/value" pack, like they sell at Wal-Mart (has a picture of loose cartridges all over the box) that has the small primers. If you plan on keeping your brass, don't buy those expecting large primers. This is not always the case. My shooting buddy just bought one of these Federal VP last month and we were surprised to see LPP. I think Federal has switched back to LPP.

The only ammo that I know uses SPP is the Winchester Winclean stuff.

[sdmc530]

This is not always the case. My shooting buddy just bought one of these Federal VP last month and we were surprised to see LPP. I think Federal has switched back to LPP.

The only ammo that I know uses SPP is the Winchester Winclean stuff.

Yep.....Federal 100 round box is LP and the 50 round box is SP....not sure why Federal does that but I am not complaining!

[Hoss in IL]

That's great. They send all of their SPP ammo to our great state. I've only seen the 100 packs with the small primers. Can't remember seeing anybody with the 50 packs. Maybe somebody is hoarding them and not shooting them....good.

[sdmc530]

That's great. They send all of their SPP ammo to our great state. I've only seen the 100 packs with the small primers. Can't remember seeing anybody with the 50 packs. Maybe somebody is hoarding them and not shooting them....good.

Huh crazy....you can have em funny

[fjweems3]

I think the SPP version is the "clean" round some ranges demand. I load lots of pistol calibers. So, it doesn't bother me. Any of you guys see 38 Special LPP. I have about 10 left out of a bunch I found. Case collectors wanted some of it.

The SPP 45 supposedly loses about 4% velocity over the LPP, but gives smaller SD's. Just what I read. In this environment, I would not be throwing away anything but Berdan cases.

[glider]

How much does scrap brass go for ?