I have just started reloading the A.C.P. No problems at all. Just read in a gun magazine about using small pistol primers. I have been using large ones. What do you all use? Am I wrong in using the large primers.

Art

large

SMALL ONLY FIT CASES CUT FOR SMALL PRIMERS.

You will find 45 ACP brass with both large & small primer pockets so small will fall from a large pocket & large won't fit in a small pocket.

Almost all 45acp brass is for large primer, when I stumble on a small primered cases I just toss them in the trash.

the primer stuff out as you go... I save mine up SOMEDAY, I may need them... Herters, Blazer brass, some Federal Some Winchester Some Fiochi is small primer pockets... Irritating...But the 45 ACP is fun and easy to load for.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

Thanks to all!!!

If you are new to the 45ACP I highly recommend buying a taper crimp die and not using a roll crimp. J.Michael

perfectly tapered case wasp waist...

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

I have been reloading the 45 ACP for well over 50 years now with no problems. I have always used the LP cases, seeing very few SP cases in my part of the world. Ed Harris has done some rather extensive testing on the two different sized primer cases and his results show a slight accuracy edge with the SP cases. But, I still am not going to hunt some up.

I would agree that a taper crimp die is almost a necessity for the 45 ACP case.

go ahead and buy extra lock rings at the same time.
Some brands have lock rings with a setscrew or something similar. Dillon dies are made to use in Dillon toolheads so they just come with a plain nut, nothing to hold it in place. With a Dillon toolhead you put the die in the toolhead and tighten down the lock nut, the dies aren't taken in and out frequently. You can replace with a lock ring from another brand, or you can buy additional Dillon lock rings and lock 2 of them together on the die in the right spot.

but some .45ACP cartridges come with small pistol primers. Until you get experienced looking at a lot of cases, look carefully at them to tell the difference. Nothing worse than to have a case with small primer pocket mixed in with the others. You will NOT get a large primer to go in there and it will throw a serious obstacle in your loading process.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops