# standard vs. mag primers



## chainsaw (May 24, 2011)

Will it hurt to use mag primers in my 1911?


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## HK Dan (Dec 22, 2010)

No it won't hurt a thing. You can use them interchangeably.


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## chainsaw (May 24, 2011)

Thanks,i kinda fgured since winchester primers say for standard or magnum loads.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Used to be, but maybe no longer is, that Magnum primers were "hotter," in that the flame they produced was physically longer and burned at higher temperatures. This would raise the pressure inside a non-Magnum load a little higher than you'd expect.
Might've been, too, that the cup of a Magnum primer was firmer (less soft), to better resist Magnum pressures. This would lead to misfires, if the firing-pin strike was a little anemic.
Used to be, that loading manuals would specify whether to use Magnum or non-Magnum primers with a specified load, and reloaders were admonished to use the exact components specified.

Has all this changed?

If you use Magnum primers in a 1911, I believe that you'll get both misfires and overpressure signs.


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## chainsaw (May 24, 2011)

How come the Winchester primers said they were for standard or magnum loads?Not trying to be a smart a or anything.I couldnt figure out how they could could be ok for mag and non mag so I used them all for my .44 mag. and thats all the local sg store has in stock.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

chainsaw said:


> How come the Winchester primers said they were for standard or magnum loads?...


Quite seriously, I don't know.
I have to assume that Winchester knows what it's saying, but that information is newer than my experience, so I must be "out of the loop."
In truth, I'm still using primers (non-Winchester) that I bought about 15 years ago, and I haven't bought any since.

I do know from experience that some primers are "harder" than others.
I have a mini-pistol that has such a weak firing-pin strike that it won't set off the Remington pistol primers I'm using.
However, it fires factory-loaded cartridges (mostly Hornady) without a problem.


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