Using small pistol primers in a rifle???

[straightshooter]

Dear Northdude
The person who lost an eye may have blamed it on pistol primers but I suspect there may have been a more fundamental cause.
A hornet is held to 25000 CUP (or approximately 35000 PSI) which is in the upper range of pistol pressures and is well within the acceptable pressure range of pistol primers.
The thin nature of the Hornet case dictates that pressure restriction as well as the sometimes light construction of the firearms it is chambered in, for example actions that are also used for light 410 shotguns.
Exceed that pressure range at your own risk.

[bigrich]

Dear Northdude
The person who lost an eye may have blamed it on pistol primers but I suspect there may have been a more fundamental cause.
A hornet is held to 25000 CUP (or approximately 35000 PSI) which is in the upper range of pistol pressures and is well within the acceptable pressure range of pistol primers.
The thin nature of the Hornet case dictates that pressure restriction as well as the sometimes light construction of the firearms it is chambered in, for example actions that are also used for light 410 shotguns.
Exceed that pressure range at your own risk.

the hornet is in a different class preasure wise compared to other small rifle carts , like 222 , 223 ect

[northdude]

Ok pierced primer h&r sb2 frame what went wrong? Sb2 frame is used for 223 up to 30 30 weak frame?

[northdude]

How ive got my 3 hornets shooting I seriously think i wouldnt see a difference in pistol primers. But as I said the guy I bought my first hornet off lost an eye trying it. Just passing on what I have seen happen, their your eyes you only get 1 pair if you dont need them and the risk is worth it go for it. Must be a reason your factory ammo uses sr primers surley...and there would be more to it than just lawyers

if your wary of the small pistol primers , try my other 2 tricks . FLS just enough that the neck is sized down far enough for your bullet seating depth , and put a light crimp with a lee factory crimp die . out of my old krico it would shoot bug holes load a 40vmax out and single feed . great bullet

Yep thats what i do with my krico. Got a h&r sb2 that is surprisingly accurate as well, also a browning micro hunter as well. All of them are tack drivers if you have the time and patience with the little hornet round

[straightshooter]

Ok pierced primer h&r sb2 frame what went wrong? Sb2 frame is used for 223 up to 30 30 weak frame?

OK please explain clearly by what you mean by pierced, as this term is commonly misused in reference to a blanked primer.

[northdude]

The primer had a hole where the firing pin struck it hot gas came out through hole

[northdude]

How ive got my 3 hornets shooting I seriously think i wouldnt see a difference in pistol primers. But as I said the guy I bought my first hornet off lost an eye trying it. Just passing on what I have seen happen, their your eyes you only get 1 pair if you dont need them and the risk is worth it go for it. Must be a reason your factory ammo uses sr primers surley...and there would be more to it than just lawyers

if your wary of the small pistol primers , try my other 2 tricks . FLS just enough that the neck is sized down far enough for your bullet seating depth , and put a light crimp with a lee factory crimp die . out of my old krico it would shoot bug holes load a 40vmax out and single feed . great bullet

Yep thats what i do with my krico. Got a h&r sb2 that is surprisingly accurate as well, also a browning micro hunter as well. All of them are tack drivers if you have the time and patience with the little hornet round

What i use as far as primers go are federal sr in the hornet. From the people ive talked to that reload for it they say the federals are the softest so thats what I use with zero problems.

[northdude]

Op was questioning using them in a 222. Bit of a step up from 22h. Im just saying i personally wouldnt do it myself so definatley wouldnt advise someone else do it.....

[straightshooter]

The primer had a hole where the firing pin struck it hot gas came out through hole

This is correctly called blanking. That is a disk of primer brass is blown into the firing pin hole as distinct from some other rupture of the primer cup around the firing pin indentation.
The principal reason for this kind of failure is that for possibly a variety of reasons the firing pin has insufficient inertia or spring force or both to resist the pressure in the cartridge.
Generally primer cratering precedes blanking as the powder load is incrementally increased if one follows good handloading practices.
The cause of cratering is often misdiagnosed. However it is a warning sign that pressures are starting exceed a safe level for the combination of components being assembled in those particular handloads.

[northdude]

Ok Im not up with every single technical term. I was just calling it a pierced primer as it looked to me that the firing pin had pierced the primer. The guy gave me the case when I bought the rifle but that was 30 odd years ago now and case is long gone

[bladeracer]

Ok Im not up with every single technical term. I was just calling it a pierced primer as it looked to me that the firing pin had pierced the primer. The guy gave me the case when I bought the rifle but that was 30 odd years ago now and case is long gone

The rifle has nothing to direct gas away from the shooter? Have you ever had a case separate in the rifle?

[Danny]

Generally you can use small rifle primers in a pistol if its got enough power to ignite them reliably. Not the opposite way around cause of the significant increase in pressures between pistol and rifle cases. If you're in brisbane I'm happy to swap you fed small rifle primers for the fed small pistol primers

[northdude]

Its a H&R sb2 handi rifle 22 hornet heavy barrel quite basic. Im picking the gas would of come back through where the hammer is right where your eye would be. Havnt had a complete seperation but had the crack start around the web. Something to keep an eye out for with the hornet.