Shiloh Rifle Forums

I have decided to try pistol primers in my Winchester Miroku 45-70 with Swiss 1.5 powder . Thousands of primers and 6 pounds of Swiss powder were gifted to me so maybe someone is trying to tell me something.

Do any of you use something in the primer pocket to take up space for the shorter primer, or do you just fire away?

I just fire away with my Browning. I do put an under powder bit of tracing paper made with a hole punch.

I'm not as experienced as most posters here...but...my initial primer was the BR-2. Reading many comments here on the use of pistol primers, convinced me to at least try them. I did see some comments about breech face peening as a deterrent. So I used them for a summer and took before and after photos of the breech face and saw nothing. I did try punching in a newsprint wad in as I seated a primer. But moved away from that.

I've sttled on inserting a waxed paper disc in the case before entering the powder. The primer is a FC large pistol match. I also transitioned into using (Brooks) dual diameter 415-grain paper patched bullets and Old E 1 1/12 powder. Right before I retired my wife "let me" buy a case of that powder, so I have lots of shooting to do to put a dent in the case!

Model 74 .40 cal. 2 1/2.

Tom

I've used pistol primers for years in both my Sharps and High Wall but be advised, keep an eye on your breech block face. I've had to have hardened inserts installed in both guns due to the battering of the breech face. Once done however the problem won't reappear. FWIW--Mike.

Been using pistol primers for 30 plus years with no problems. Breach block face damage in my opinion is gas cutting around the primer due to poor sealing and not rebound of the primer. Just my observation.
Dennis

Well if gas cutting is the cause the hardened insert put an end to it in both my guns. FWIW.-Mike

Hardened inserts in the face of the breech block seems to make sense for these rifles, regardless of primer used. One never knows how many rounds will be fired in that rifle and the idea is to prevent down time for something that is preventable.

Preliminary reports of OE use seem to indicate the use of rifle primers which has to do with combustion no breech face erosion. But, the jury is still receiving evidence in that case.

Large pistol primers work we sometimes
But they were hard on firing pins in one of my sharps

I use Remington 2 1/2 large pistol in my Shiloh 77, my Winchester High Wall, and my Ballard Rifle and Cartridge High Wall. The later has well over 20K rounds with no breech face issues. I use CCI BR2 in my Winchester 40 cal because it still sports a black powder firing pin. Does not like pistol primers. I did recently sell the 40 with all the load data, brass, bullet moulds, and dies. Look out new shooter on the horizon.

Woody

FWIW, I have some white box Rem 2 1/2 primers that seat hard and very slightly below flush in Starline and RP 45-70 brass.

Also, FWIW, last 200 WW 45-70 cases I prepped and seated primers in three would not accept a large pistol primer. The primer pockets were both too small in diameter and depth. Two could be reamed out and made do, one was discarded.

Thanks Woody. I'll give it a whirl. I can't stand the thought of wasting any free components..but I'll experiment in the fall.

I have some paper that is .007 thick and punch the pistol primer up thru the paper into the primer pocket. I punch out .45 wads of the paper and place one on top of each primer and then seat the primer in the case. Never have had any issues.

I'll give that a whirl. The paper over the primer seems to make a lot of sense .

I believe you’ll find that when you sufficiently seat the primer over the paper in the primer pocket the paper gets compressed quite easily and there’s little or no gain to doing this using .004” thickness paper. It sounds mechanically/theoretically sound, but I’ve found that you gain very little by doing this. But, if you’re only wanting a gain of one or two thousandths, then I believe you’ll get this if you use paper of .006”-.008” or so. I’ve experimented with this.

Respectfully,
Robert

Robert
What kind of paper??