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[BunnySlayer]

As most of you know I am a fledgling reloader. I'm still calling my experienced friends with stuff like " help!" and "Why is it doing this instead of that?" Etc etc. Recently I got a batch of Sierra brass, once fired cases. After attempting to reload them I realized they were meant to be used with small pistol primers instead of large ones. Never seen this before with 45acp. I ended up separating them and giving them away as it was easier than re-configuring my press just to reload a hundred or so cases. What would their reasoning be for this? Anyone know? Is there some advantage to this?

[Don Fischer]

I'm not familuar with Sierra brass. There is some cases that normally tkae LRP that don't. One is a 308 case. I think it's the 22 Middlestat? Not sure of that. I've no idea why it was started.

You must have got a progressive press. Changing to SRP is easy here. I just change to the small rifle tray for my Lee prime all.

[BunnySlayer]

Don,

This was in 45 ACP. While I'm new to reloading I'm not new to shooting. I've never seen 45acp loaded with anything but large pistol primers. I'm assuming Sierra had to configure their machines to accomplish it as well as shrinking the primer pocket and I couldnt help but wonder why.

[BuffaloWYO]

Are you sure that that brass that you have isn't .45 GAP? The GAP uses small pistol primers and is if I remember right about .1 inches shorter than .45 ACP.

[Fisher King]

A friend and I were shooting our 45 ACP s and he was using winchester and I was using some of my reloads in remington. I asked to have his brass after seeing as he dosn't reload. All his brass were small pistol primer? Go figure.
F.K.

[Don Fischer]

I can't find anything about this. The Sierra that makes these cases must be a different company than Sierra bullet's. I'm guessing that the cases are probably match cases. There are small primer 308 cases that are match cases. The 22 Middlestadt is based on the 308 case.

I'd just use reg loading data with the primer's that fit.

[BunnySlayer]

No Buffalo this was deffinately 45 ACP. I gave it away to another friend who loads and experiments a lot. I figured he could use ot for that. Very wierd. I've just never seen small pistol primers in 45. Neither have my friends and I was curious if you guys knew anything.

[bitmasher]

I've not heard of sierra brass either. However using a small pistol primer in 45acp is actually fairly common. Winchester "winclean" brand and various other manufactures will use small pistol primers on 45acp that is intended for cheap indoor range use. I'm not sure when this popped up on the scene, but I ran across it several years ago.

If your big into progressive reloading of 45auto and get your brass from scooping up used brass from the local firing range, one of the steps is separating out the two primer sizes before running it through the progressive.

I assume that the small primer produces less heavy metal byproducts (from the primer cup itself) and cuts the ammo cost by just a small amount.

[BunnySlayer]

Thanks Bitmasher I did not know that. As I only recently began reloading and noticing such things it's possibly I have run across this and just never noticed.