Almost had a bad reloading session.

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Analogkid

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Well at least it probably would have scared the crap out of me at least once.

I bought a bunch of once fired .357 magnum brass that came from a Buddy's Fathers estate. It all looked great and I proceeded to start deprimimg it today with a Lee loader whack a mole set. I sorted out the usual .38 special brass that was intermixed in it.

After all that I had everything laid out and one of these caught my eye.
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I checked everyone I got (400 or so) and there was 3 primed and ready load cases in the lot. Probably wouldn't of hurt me much maybe a burnt finger or 2 or maybe I would have had the punch lawn darted off my face shield.. Maybe...Maybe not...But I sure am glad I caught them before i sent the punch through one of them..
 
I'm not sure if they actually would have gone off. I have deprimed live brass, but I go slowly, and have had no detinations. There really isn't that much tension that holds primers in, and the whole anvil thing doesn't really work when it's not pushing against the primer pocket. Good catch tho.
 
I highly doubt you would have set them off while depriming... you should see my container of smashed up primers. They take a lot to set them off.
 
You say using the whack a mole deprimer with hammer? Well, the sudden blow from the hammer to the decapper might have indeed set one or more of them off. Good catch.
 
If a primer did go off, it would have blown the primer down. The decapping pin would block the flash hole and the die would enclose the bang. Most it would do is scare you--however, you would be a lot more likely to set one of than anyone with a press.
 
For giggles I put these all in my Sandblasting cabinet this morning along with a piece of oak, the punch and the lee loader depriming base. All 3 fired right off on the first whack. Still startles ya a bit even when you know it is going to happen or could happen.

The die just sits on a flat surface. There's no where for the force to go except up out of the brass or up the sides of the die.

Oh well, better this way than right in the middle of a fast and furious whack a load session
 
Oh man you wasted three good primers!!!!:D

No substitute for inspecting brass completely each time you process it. I find a lot of things when doing it. Well worth the time IMHO.
 
Can't someone just check to make sure nothing else was inside the case, load them into a revolver, and just detonate the things by treating them like blanks?

Just wondering....
 
Quote "Can't someone just check to make sure nothing else was inside the case, load them into a revolver, and just detonate the things by treating them like blanks?"

Yes you can---but be prepared to have to put a rod/dowel down the barrel to tap the primer back in after each shot so you can free up the tied-up cylinder. The firing of a primer alone will push the primer part way out of the case but there is not enough force to re-seat it into the case.
 
Certainly worth noticing, but I wouldn't get too worked up about it. I've been depriming live one's since I started reloading 30+ yrs. ago without a single incident.

GS
 
Good catch. I had a friend give me a coffee can full of brass once. Threw a bunch in the tumbler to clean up to inspect. Found a live 38 wadcutter in there:eek: Now That some of us are having to go to "garage sale" brass, I check eeeeverything!!
 
I'm not sure if they actually would have gone off. I have deprimed live brass, but I go slowly, and have had no detinations. There really isn't that much tension that holds primers in, and the whole anvil thing doesn't really work when it's not pushing against the primer pocket. Good catch tho.


Same here. Always safer not to do so. Good catch.
 
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