I've seen and heard the term "box" primer. How, if at all, does this differ from the primers I use in Large and Small pistol ? Can brass that has initially had a box primer in it be reloaded ?

Gene Batchelar Wheaton, IL

Are you perhaps taliking about a "Boxer" primed piece of brass vs. a "Berdan" primed piece?

The boxer primer is the standard for most all conventional rifle and pistol loads in North America. It is the standrd primer you are used to seeing in which the primer cup, priming compound, and anvil are in a self contained unit.

The Berdan primer is used in alot of European (and other) metallic cases, mostly in military calibers and loads. These require a special tool to remove the primer. The anvil against which the priming compound is crushed to initiate combustion is actually part of the base of the case itself. The primer cup merely holds the priming compound. The cases generally have two flash holes in the bottom of the case, hence the special tool to remove them.

Basically, if you are reloading, don't mess with Berdan primed cases. Boxer primed only.

Lovemy99: Thx for the clarification. Just looked at a box of Sellier & Bellot 9mm ammo and it does say 'boxer primed'.

I will avoid anything that says Berdian or has 2 holes in it.

Gene Batchelar Wheaton, IL

Interesting thing about berdan/boxer primers is, Berdan was a US engineer who served in the civil war and patented the berdan primer. Boxer was a Englishman who invented the boxer primer and patented it in Europe. Both patents were submitted within months of each other. So we use a European invention, and Europe uses a US invention.