Question About Primers

[MikeM.]

I am gearing up to load some modern .44 Colt rounds and, in this day in time, all I can find are large pistol MAGNUM primers. Will these work with my cowboy loads? Will I need to adjust my powder charge? I have heard that these are too hot for what I need but have also heard that they will work fine.

[Baltimore Ed]

Never messed with magnum primers but you might save a little powder by lightening the amount of powder to get the same velocity and felt recoil. Load some and compare to your standard cas load. I've swapped all of my spp for lpp and will use srp in my 45acp- 455 Webley and .38s. Not reloaded any for .38 yet but they work fine in my small primer .45 acp and Webley brass.

[Froogal]

I've loaded up some .45 black powder cartridges with magnum primers and those work just fine.

I've also loaded .38s and .357s with small pistol magnum primers and absolutely could not notice any difference between the magnum primers and the standard primers.

Winchester large pistol primers are just that. Large pistol. Magnums are not even offered.

I have CCI large pistol magnum primers because that is what I could find. I will use them just like standard primers.