Back in 2003, I bought one of the first S&W Model 500 Magnum revolvers in north Louisiana, but I didn't shoot it until the reloading components were available. I bought the first Starline Brass cases w/ Large Pistol primer pockets, CCI Large Pistol Magnum (CCI #350), Lil' Gun powder, and Cast Performance 440gr hardcast bullets. The Cor-Bon website's load data for this bullet and powder listed 34.6 gr as a minimum and 40.2 gr as a maximum, so I loaded up 100 rounds w/ 37.0 gr of Lil' Gun. These were "hand stinger" loads, but they did not exhibit any overpressure signs (e.g., flattened primers or sticking cases). I fired about 50 of those loads in my gun and didn't shoot any more for the next few years.

Lately, I've noticed that the various online published load data (Hodgdon?) for the new Large Rifle primer brass lists the Lil' Gun min and max as 30.0 and 35.0 gr. It was quite disconcerting to see that my existing loads are 2.0 grs above the new maximum, so I pulled the loads in my remaining cartridges.

As for future reloading, I would prefer to keep using my original Starline brass with the "large pistol primer" since I bought 250 of them. My question is whether or not I can use the new published "large rifle primer" load data with my old style brass and large pistol magnum primers?

I would not. The magnum pistol primers are different than the large rifle primers. They each burn differently and can affect how the charge burns. I would contact Lil'Gun and ask them if they have any load data pertaining to the .500 with the differences between mag pistol, and large rifle. But to be on the safe side, I would not cross load data.

Why don't you just get a primer pocket uniformer, and cut the primer pockets deeper for the LR primers?

Then you don't have to worry about which brass is which.

LR primers are quite a bit hotter than LP primers... I am not surprised to see the charge weights dropped in the new data.

IMHO biggest issue was the LP primers are softer than the LR primers, and the SAMMI max pressure is higher than that allowed for LP primers. So LR primers became the norm.

As the owner of a 4" 500 S&W I must ask why? The thing has enough authority with standard loads, why ask for even more? There is only ONE version of dead, and at potentially twice the power of a 44 mag, why push your luck?

Just my thoughts....

Why don't you just get a primer pocket uniformer, and cut the primer pockets deeper for the LR primers?

Then you don't have to worry about which brass is which.

LR primers are quite a bit hotter than LP primers... I am not surprised to see the charge weights dropped in the new data.


I agree with MikeG on this one. I have reamed most of my 500 Mag brass that was the original pistol primer brass to the large rifle depth. The primer pocket uniformer is the way to go.