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April 20, 2010
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Yesterday, I was priming some .357 magnum brass. I was using Federal small pistol magnum primers from a freshly opened box. One of the primers is noticeably larger than the others, no way it would fit the pocket. I am guessing it is a large pistol primer that was mixed in. It definitely came out of the pack, I do not use any large primers and have never bought any so it wasnt me that mixed it in.
My question is, have you guys ever run across this, is it common to open a pack of primers and find an oddball? My real question is, how do I know what I am getting, couldnt I be getting a pack of magnum pistol primers that have non magnum primers mixed in or vice versa, and I wouldnt even know it?
-Lonwolf
"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"
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Dans Club
February 22, 2009
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Like a Tootsie Roll; the world may never know. I've never run across that in more than 30 years of reloading- an anomaly, I'd say. Were these store bought or from an individual?
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
Dans Club
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April 20, 2010
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Store bought, a box of 1000.
-Lonwolf
"The lion and the tiger may be more powerful, but the Wolf does not perform in the circus"
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Dans Club
December 4, 2011
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I've never seen that before, sounds like a fluke mixup at the packing line. Good thing you didn't try to force it home. 
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Dans Club
February 22, 2009
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I'd contact the manufacturer to let them know. There's obviously something wrong with the production line.
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
January 26, 2009
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I've been reloading for over 10 years. Never seen either.
January 27, 2013
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Ditto here, never ran across that either. Reloading about 20yrs.
May 24, 2013
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I've never run into that. I think the type of packaging used by Federal might leave them more vulnerable to a large/small mix-up issue. It does bring up an interesting question and a possibility for a project. The question is whether there is any sort of industry standard for color coding the interior of primers of different types. I haven't found anything on a web search regarding manufacturer color coding (though lots of serious reloaders do their own exterior color coding to keep track of things.) I have a variety of rifle and pistol primers, large and small, magnum and regular, and have noticed varying interior colors. I've never made any attempt to systematically catalog them but now that I've discovered a primer cross-reference chart I think I'll print out a copy then go through all my primers to try to determine if there is any consistency (the project.) Even if there isn't at least I'll know what my own stocks are so there can always be a ready reference in case the label on a tray of primers disappears.
April 30, 2011
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In 30+ years of reloading I've seen it once - last year. Like you, mine was the wrong size and obvious. Magnum versus standard or worse yet large rifle versus large pistol would be much harder to catch. Interested in seeing the results of the color check on priming compound. I may get motivated to walk out to the shop and go through my collection but I tend to stick with a single brand for each size....
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