Primer question

[raven]

I was thinking about primers. Do bigger centerfire cartridges have bigger primers, or is it like a primer, is a primer, is a primer?

I know some primer types are reloadable and other aren't; my question is just about the pyrotechnic output of the primer explosion itself.

[phoenix1462]

Primers come in basically two types, large caliber and small caliber. Depending on the caliber that you are shooting, you would buy one or the other. I reload 9mm and thus us the small caliber primers in my Dillon Press. Always handle them with care!!

[JA]

There are 2 sizes of boxer primers for reloading pistol and rifle cartridges. They are large and small. But there are both sizes for use in pistol cartridges and for use in rifle cartridges. A general rule is pistol cartridges of the caliber 38/9mm and smaller use small pistol primers. Pistol cartridges over this use large pistol primers. Rifles of 223/5.56x45mm size cartridge or smaller use small rifle primers and any thing bigger uses large rifle primers. There are also 3 types of the 2 sizes of primers standard,magnum,and benchrest/match. The magnum type is recomended for any pistol or rifle cartridge that has magnum in the name or holds a large amount of slower burning powder.i.e. 357 magnum,44 magnum,7mm Remington magnum,300 Winchester magnum. This is becasuse these cartridges use slower burning/harder to ignite powder to achive maximum velosities.
The magnum primers put out more flame than standard primers. The benchrest/match primers are held to a tighter mfg. specs than other primers so the first primer out of the box produces the exact same amount of flame as the last one out of the box. Because consistancy is the key to accuracy.
As far as the amount of flame produced the standard and benchrest/match are the same and the magnum produces the most flame. The different sizes produce like this least to most= small pistol,small rifle,large pistol,large rifle.
Berdan primed cartridges are refered to as not reloadable by the un-informed. They can be reloaded it just takes more effort and extra tools than reloading boxer primed cartridges. Berdan primers come in a dozen sizes(diameter/thickness) and pretty much follow the more powder in a cartridge the bigger diameter/thickness of the primer used.

[Skip]

R/P 7.62X39 come with small rifle primers whereas other commercial cartridges use large rifle primers. Before 7.62X39 was plentiful I would pickup all the steel cases and reload them with Berdan primers. I used a 3/32 drill bit to pierce the spent primer, stuck a screwdriver through the neck with my left hand for support and in my right hand stuck an ice pick to snap out the primer. It was a lot faster than using the RCBS decaping tool. It may sound foolish but boxer ammo was about 60 cents a round in the mid 1980's. A friend gave me a few thousand RWS Berdan primers and the Yankee that I am I was going to put them to good use. The primers also fit the surplus Turkish 8MM.