Ohioans For Concealed Carry Discussion Forums

I just primed 100 .223 cases with small pistol primers before catching my error.
Will these be OK for target loads, or should I deprime the cases and use the correct small rifle primers?
I have heard that small pistol primers could be used in a pinch, but wanted to be sure.

Depends some on how slow burning the powder is. I'd try one and look for proper burning/pressure signs on the cases. If a semiautomatic, normal ejection and cycling of the next round.

Terrible idea, it's all about pressure. Small pistol primers are -NOT- proper for containing 60k PSI and beyond. Even .30
Carbine (40k max) and .327 Federal (45k max) use small rifer primers and never small pistol.

The pistol primer has a thinner cup and pressure does absolutely everything it possibly can to try and find a failure point to escape. When you successfully and properly contain it, the pressure escapes from the muzzle (and gas port) where it is supposed to. Don't give that pressure a thin primer to attack and attempt to compromise.

As far as I am concerned, if it is a proper jacketed bullet .223/5.56 load, a pistol primer is careless and dangerous.

For any/all...
No worries with carefully depriming primed cases. Fully resizing .223 is a major pain if you merely wish to deprime, so try using a larger caliber size die and if you pick a compatible one, it will be no different then a dedicated and purpose-built "decap" die.

For any new handloader who may worry about the danger involved with willfully pushing out a LIVE primer with a decap rod that looks like a firing pin? I've done it literally many hundreds of times. If you genuinely worry, place a folded over bath towel over the entire operation to contain the "blast" which is quite unlikely to happen. Nice and easy, no sharp movements -- no problem.

Thanks for all the replies.
No big deal depriming the 100 with small pistol primers.
I just hate to waste them.
I'm just glad I caught it before priming all 1,000 cases.
Thanks again.
Mike

No waste...they'll be perfectly fine primed in to 9mm or .38 or wherever you like. No problems.

Sevens wrote:No waste...they'll be perfectly fine primed in to 9mm or .38 or wherever you like. No problems.

Thank you sir. I will save them for later use.
I still have lots of .40 and .38 to load up.

Using my 22-250 sizing did I was able to salvage MOST of the small pistol primers with little effort.
A couple flew to unknown regions of my reloading room to later be stepped on with bare feet.
Thanks agin for all the advice.