live primers

[2013cossj]

I've never removed any live primers from a case. I have 20 cases that were given to me with primers and I want to take them out. What's your best method to insure you don't detonate one?

 

[DrMike]

Some would recommend soaking the cases in oil. I haven't found that to be necessary. I use a decapping die lowered firmly but gently sufficient to punch out the primer. I do advise wearing safety goggles, avoiding bending over the case. You can always pull the trigger on a case in you firearm. If you do this, ensure you are wearing hearing protection and the firearm pointed in a safe direction.

 

[truck driver]

(DrMike beat me to it.) If you don't plan on reusing them a drop of oil or water in the case will do the trick. If you want to save the primer and have a universal decaping die or just a sizing die with decaping pin push them out slowly and they shouldn't go off unless they are crimped in place, in that case just load the empty shell in your rifle and discharge them.

 

[JD338]

Some would recommend soaking the cases in oil. I haven't found that to be necessary. I use a decapping die lowered firmly but gently sufficient to punch out the primer. I do advise wearing safety goggles, avoiding bending over the case. You can always pull the trigger on a case in you firearm. If you do this, ensure you are wearing hearing protection and the firearm pointed in a safe direction.

This

JD338

 

[wvbuckbuster]

I've slowly deprimed live primers using a resizing die just like normal only slower. No unexpected bangs. Turn your head away also,just incase.

 

[GregoryB.]

I don’t want to risk soiling my only pair of clean underwear so I soak mine overnight in water.

 

[300WSM]

I've never removed any live primers from a case. I have 20 cases that were given to me with primers and I want to take them out. What's your best method to insure you don't detonate one?

Easy does it. Don't rough house them...in other words don't slam into them to push them out

Run them through just as you would removing spent primers.

Right when your decapping pin would engage the primer to remove it, slow down and push it out.

it's done all the time.

Go slow...you'll be ok

 

[PJGunner]

It's not all that difficult. Just go slow and gentle. If you're using a sizing die to do the job, don't forget to lube the case first. You'll be glad you did. If you have a universal decapping die, that's even better. You won't have to mess with case lube.
Crimped primes are not all that hard. A universal deapping eid works just fine, especially of you have a lot of cases to do. Quite a few years back now, but before I left California back in 1968, I'd acquired over 600 GI 30-06 WW2 cartridges for $0.06 a round. I wanted to pull the bullets, salvage the powder if possible and remove the corrosive primers. When it came time to remove the primers a slow very steady pressure increase made removal about as easy as one could wish. Not a single primer ever detonated. Since then, I've decapped another 200 from a batch of 450 without a problerm. These are early Korean war era issue and it's not really known exactly when the switch to non-corrosive primers occurred. Some say 1951, others 1953 and I heard even some early 1953 may be corrosive. No problem. I just decap them all.
Paul B.

 

[KinleyWater]

Sorry, are you planning on recovering to use in another project? Because to me, the safest way if you are NOT, is to discharge them in a firearm pointed in a same direction. If you ARE, then I don't think oil would be advised.

Of course, when I was a kid, we'd stick the case on the end of a stick and put it into a fire to listen to the bang. Not that I'm suggesting anyone else do that...

 

[300WSM]

It's not all that difficult. Just go slow and gentle. If you're using a sizing die to do the job, don't forget to lube the case first. You'll be glad you did. If you have a universal decapping die, that's even better. You won't have to mess with case lube.
Crimped primes are not all that hard. A universal deapping eid works just fine, especially of you have a lot of cases to do. Quite a few years back now, but before I left California back in 1968, I'd acquired over 600 GI 30-06 WW2 cartridges for $0.06 a round. I wanted to pull the bullets, salvage the powder if possible and remove the corrosive primers. When it came time to remove the primers a slow very steady pressure increase made removal about as easy as one could wish. Not a single primer ever detonated. Since then, I've decapped another 200 from a batch of 450 without a problerm. These are early Korean war era issue and it's not really known exactly when the switch to non-corrosive primers occurred. Some say 1951, others 1953 and I heard even some early 1953 may be corrosive. No problem. I just decap them all.
Paul B.

Back in the summer of 68?

Wasn't that a song?

 

[2013cossj]

Sorry, are you planning on recovering to use in another project? Because to me, the safest way if you are NOT, is to discharge them in a firearm pointed in a same direction. If you ARE, then I don't think oil would be advised.

Of course, when I was a kid, we'd stick the case on the end of a stick and put it into a fire to listen to the bang. Not that I'm suggesting anyone else do that...

Yes , I am planning on recovering to use in another project .

 

[2013cossj]

Thanks to all active members of the forum as I can already see there is a wealth of knowledge here!

 

[jimbires]

I do just as Dr Mike laid out . I reuse them and I've never had a problem , or mishap .

has anyone ever soaked a primer and tried to fire it ? I never have tried this . I've read they are very hard to kill .

 

[PJGunner]

Back in the summer of 68?

Wasn't that a song?

It may have been. I shot my first centerfire in 1949 and began reloading ammo in 1954. The 30-30 both times. I soon graduated to a 30-06 by 1955. Been handloading ammo ever since.
Paul B.

 

[300WSM]

It may have been. I shot my first centerfire in 1949 and began reloading ammo in 1954. The 30-30 both times. I soon graduated to a 30-06 by 1955. Been handloading ammo ever since.
Paul B.

Love it brother

 

[Charlie-NY]

Assuming that the primers weren't crimped in or sealed with anything, depriming is no big deal. I've deprimed cases, here & there, for 40 years and have paid no particular attention to the process. Obviously, you don't SLAM them out, but depriming just like you would do with a spent primer has never resulted in a detonated primer for me.

 

[Turpentine]

I had a major flood at my house over 10 years ago. A volunteer group came in and threw primers, and some lives ammo in with regular debris in my burn pit. I still have the occasional primer or round go off in that pit.
Just go easy with a full length sizer or decapping die. You'll be fine. The die and shell holder will deflect most of the blast down and a bit to the side.
Several years ago I was loading 410 shotshells on a progressive press and got a shot pellet in the hole in my priming station. When I went to seat the primer into the hull the primer fired. That'll make you do a quick underwear inspection. That said, I don't ever reload without eye protection.

 

[RL338]

One thing I would add is once primed primers are looser when reused. With only 20 primers I would fire the cases off and not worry about an accident in depriming them.