Emergency FYI

[a77ssii]

Due to the lack of small rifle primers I have been experimenting with small pistol primers in their place. After firing about 100rnds and inspecting primers and cases here's the results.
1) The primers will walk out slightly.
2) The primers will bulge considerably.
3) No misfires or failures to feed with middle of the road Exterminator powder loads and Remington 55gr FMJ's.
4) No damage to any brass or steel casings, I loaded 50 brass and 50 steel. Checked OAL, OD at rim, OD at neck and OD of neck and all were +/- .0005 match to PROPERLY loaded (read with small rifle primer) .223 loads. Yes I used a mic rather than calipers.
4) IMPORTANT. I POSTED THIS AS AN EMERGENCY ALTERNATIVE ONLY. JUST AN FYI IF YOUR DESPERATE. I have 2000+ small pistol primers for my wife's .38 and wanted to know IF they would work in my AR IF I could not get small rifle primers. I am not recommending this as a viable alternative for all reloads, only as a last ditch act. I have also not and am not going to try this with full max loads, I am assuming the primer walk and bulge would be entire blow out with that kind of pressure and don't want to risk damaging any of my AR's or myself.

[a77ssii]

Yup, you can do lots of interesting stuff if your willing to make the effort. I don't load with magnum small pistol so all I have is standard, I just didn't want someone new at reloading going down to Sportsmans and saying "hell, they're out of small rifle so I remember that post so I'll just buy these 1000 small pistol" then having pressure problems and blowing primers. I was thinking more along the lines of if TSHTS and we can't get anything but have those, they'll work.