[Thrash1982]

My uncle and I were out shooting some .22 this weekend and came accross a dud. We tried firing it several times but it wouldn't go off.

What is the safest way to dispose of a dud?

[HSMITH]

Pull the bullet, dump the powder on the ground and throw the case and bullet away. A rimfire round does not have enough primer to be very dangerous in a trash fire or something like that.

Centerfire is much the same, but most like to soak the primed case in penetrating oil for a week or 2 to try to disable the primer.

[labgrade]

A caveat on HSMITH's "pull the bullet" comment.

I've no idea what ".22" you had a dud with, but I'd NEVER try to use an inertia puller with any rim fire cartridge. ('Course, HSMITH didn't say "yank it out (= inertia puller .... )

FWIW, inertia pullers & rim fire cartridges don't play well together as the inertia aspect can set off the round in the puller ......

Centerfire cartridge? Yup. Do the standard puller bit (I'm assuming most have inertials - collets need not apply) & start over.

With a .22 LR (rimfire, I'd bet the safest thing to do is to cut the cartridge in half with a sidecutter-type plier-thing & just dump it in the garbage. Any powder residue could go out on the lawn/garden = good fertilyzer.

[HSMITH]

Good catch on the bullet puller. When we ASSuME as I did that everyone knows that it could be a problem.

[Moparmike]

What if you dont have a bullet puller? Do I just use a pair of pliers?

[HSMITH]

Mike, you can use pliers easily on rimfire shells, but do not grab the case with the pliers. Only grab the bullet, hold the case in your fingers and wiggle. Two pairs of pliers can pull down centerfire rounds if the crimp is not too tight and you have some patience, but the only thing you will salvage is the powder because the pliers will destroy the bullets and the case.