If you have ever tried reloading .223/5.56 ammo you probably already know about the dreaded crimped primer pocket. All "military" brass has the primer crimped into the case. Some manufacturers even put lacquer over the primer to make it waterproof. In order to make military brass easily reloadable, you will need to remove the crimp by a process called swaging.

There are many tools out there that accomplish this but some new reloaders ask why you cannot use small pistol primers instead of small rifle primers? The pistol primers are the same size yet softer which allows them to be inserted into an existing primer pocket without the need to be swaged.

Small pistol primers will work. They will ignite the powder in the case just fine. However, by using pistol primers you a creating a potentially unsafe condition due to several factors:

• The pistol primer surface is softer which can result in a slam fire
• The pistol primer was not designed to withstand the amount of reverse pressure when the cartridge is fired

Both of these things can cause serious injury and/or damage to your firearms. Small rifle primers have a harder surface to eliminate the possibility of the firing pin igniting the primer when the bolt is released. In addition, the extra strength of such primers ensures that it does not give way from the back of the cartridge sending ignited gas directly to the face of your bolt.

If you are going to reload a high pressure cartridge such as .223/5.56 make sure you follow all of the suggested procedures and use the correct components (primers, powders, and bullets) that are suggested for that caliber. Deviating from such suggestions could potentially put your safety or the safety of others at risk.