[Branth]

I got a big box of 1k CCI Small Rifle Magnum primers for christmas, and I'm on a sizing and priming rampage since I'm out of bullets to load up and finances mean it'll be a while before I can buy some. I've sized and primed every piece of brass I have for my .223, so now I';m wondering if these primers would work fine in my 9mm. I know the size of small rifle and small pistol primers is pretty much the same, and I know some people use the two interchangeably, but would I be okay using small rifle magnum primers?

And as a side question, how do I know how much to bell out the case mouth of my 9mm cases? I have no 9mm bullets or powder, just carbide dies, primers, and brass.

[ajole]

I have no answer for the primers, but I don't bell my 9mm for FMJ much at all. With the Lee dies, they say try it, adjust, try it, until it works. So I never measured it...

[Silicon Wolverine]

yes you can, but the load should require a magnum primer to start with. during teh panic, when primers were impossible to find, there was substitution done along those lines. if it were me, id call CCI, explain what you want to do and ask them if its safe. they'll know.

SW

[Jungle George]

I flare my 9 mm cases just enough so that it will take the bullet without shaving it. As a personal rule of thumb, you should be able to feel it but you should not be able to see it, or at least not be able to see it easily.

[robertgreen_86]

I had to use large rifle primers for 45acp during the shortage i just backed my mild to begin with load down about 10% and worked it up from there but i would have to agree with S.W. call CCI they will help you out.

[perotter]

Rifle primers are made of thicker metal(125%) & need a stronger blow to set them off correctly. I'd first make sure that they fired very well(no hangfires, etc) in the guns I was going to use them in.

Then it depends on the nature of the powder being used & loading density of the case. A mag primer will normally shift the pressure curve to the left of a normal primer. For example, the mag primer will shift light load density of the easy igniting powder more to the left than a heavy load density of a harder igniting powder.