Deactivating Primers

[GarySTL]

A friend lost the Ruger eagle medallion from a set of pistol grips and wants to insert cut down fired case heads in it's place. I suggested that inserting a deactivated primer in place of a dimpled primer would look nicer.

Now the issue is how to safely inactivate, or inert, the primer before seating. Ideally maybe removing the anvil as well.

I'm thinking that a light oil such as Marvel Mystery Oil or similar might work. Many years ago I seemed to have ruined some by getting case lube on them.

Any safe or proven suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[BeerSleeper]

just take a fired primer, remove the anvil, and use an appropriately sized punch with a hammer to flatten out the dimple. It should look like a new one if you do it properly.

 

[Steve Koski]

Could you take a new primer, remove the anvil, put some WD40 or similar on the explosive, then gently scrape the explosive out? Replace anvil, seat primer?

Just guessing.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Cut the base off so the primer is clearly visible.
Place one drop of oil in the primer cup.
Let sit for a few days.
Try a hard stream of water to rinse the explosive out of the cup, carefully use a pin with the stream of water to get it all out.

 

[snuffy]

It's nearly impossible to "kill" or deactivate primers. They have a lacquer sealant over the anvil and primer compound,(that's the color you see), that seal it against moisture and oil. The anvil is very tight in the cup. Trying to pry it out could result in a surprise. With the anvil embedded in your eye.

Either skip the project entirely, or leave the fired primer in there, it's the ONLY really safe way. Even if there was a live primer in the shell base, setting it off would require a sharp object with a lot of force behind it to detonate it. Ya know, like a firing pin and a heavy spring to propel it?

 

[rcmodel]

As already stated, Oil, WD-40, water, etc, is not 100% certain to work on every primer, every time.
And if you set one off while trying to dig the anvil or primer compound out with a pick you could very easily lose an eye or worse.

The only safe way I know of to do it is to cook them off with heat.

They would have to be safely contained inside a metal container with a lid.
Then build a fire under it and get out of the way until they all pop.

What remains will be a bunch of undimpled cups and loose anvils inside the container when it cools off.

rc

 

[Walkalong]

Excellent idea rc.

 

[Pistol Ranch]

It's nearly impossible to "kill" or deactivate primers. They have a lacquer sealant over the anvil and primer compound,(that's the color you see), that seal it against moisture and oil. The anvil is very tight in the cup. Trying to pry it out could result in a surprise. With the anvil embedded in your eye.

Either skip the project entirely, or leave the fired primer in there, it's the ONLY really safe way. Even if there was a live primer in the shell base, setting it off would require a sharp object with a lot of force behind it to detonate it. Ya know, like a firing pin and a heavy spring to propel it?

If this is true..why all the advice about NOT handling primers with your fingers ??

P.R.

 

[Walkalong]

I have been handling primers for years with no ill affects to the primers. Modern primers are tough little buggers.

 

[rcmodel]

He didn't say it was impossible.
He said it was nearly impossible.

Handling loose primers with case-lube sticky fingers is just not a good idea.

And other folks have toxic sweat that would rust the chrome plating off a Harley muffler if they left a fingerprint on one.

So it's just not a good idea.

Murphys Law being in full effect when reloading, if it is possible at all, don't do it.

rc

 

[snuffy]

If this is true..why all the advice about NOT handling primers with your fingers ??

P.R.

I too heard this from the old curmudgeon that taught me some stuff about loading. That was 1970 or so------. I pretty much accepted it, at the time primers were NOT sealed like they are now. Primer feeds, and the lee auto prime were in the future, so it meant handling primers. I bathed my hands in alcohol to remove sizing lube, then primed.

Like RC said, why take chances,(thanks RC). Experiments I have read on the net have tried all brands of primers with darn near anything thought to de-activate them. The only brand that seems to be sensitive is certain federal primers. Maybe they're using a cheaper brand of lacquer/sealant?

I was going to say cook a couple off, but didn't because lawyers may be lurking under a nearby rock.

 

[Walkalong]

As long as your hands are clean (and your not one of the unfortunate few whose sweat is toxic) it is very difficult to kill a modern primer. I always wash my hands prior to reloading, and I never handle primers after I have been handling lube or other wise dirtied my hands.

My RCBS hand primer has a round tray, and I often drop a primer or two when dumping the primers from the square primer sleeve into it. I hold it over a SS pan when doing it. I never worry a bit about picking those primers up with my fingers and dropping them in the tray. If I just need say 12 primers, I'll often dump them in my hand and then into the hand primers tray. Sometimes I dump them straight into the primer tray. No biggie either way.

But yea, be careful with primers.

 

[Win1892]

I'd put it in a cast iron skillet with a lid and cook it off. About 450 degrees.

 

[Steve Koski]

I just did this. Worked great:

1) Put on safety glasses.
2) Put a drop of hoppes #9 in a primer, help it down into the gaps with a dental tool.
3) Wait 15 seconds.
4) Pull out anvil with dental tool.
5) Dig out mushy primer compound with dental tool. It came out easily.
6) Put anvil back in primer. It further down than normal, but should seat in a cartridge just fine to make a display cartridge.

No fires, no cooking off, no explosions, easy. Try it!

Koski

 

[BADUNAME37]

I accidentally seated a primer upside-down once in new brass. Of course, decapping the new primer most likely would have detonated it.

I placed a drop of oil into the primer mix and carefully picked out the anvil and the compound in the primer so it was literally an empty cup.

Of course, when doing this, make sure nothing flammable is around and you have safety glasses on. Doing it in a large sink might help so you can use water it you want, after the oil.

 

[Walkalong]

I have seated primers upside down. I just resize/decap the brass and reseat them. Little buggers are tough and resilient.

 

[GarySTL]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think the first suggestion of flattening the dimple of a fired primer is the safest. That's what I'll suggest.

As I mentioned, I had ruined several primers in the past with RCBS case lube and a single stage press. That was in about 1972 or so. Seems things have improved since.

 

[murf]

good choice. don't mess with murphy's law!

murf

 

[leadchucker]

I've had a few reloading fubars where I had live primers seated in cases that I couldn't chamber in a gun to render them inert. I just put on a good face shield, clamp the case in vise grip pliers, and cook the primer off with a propane torch. (Hold the case at right angles so you don't get the blast, and do this outside.) Trouble was, I couldn't find the primers after I did that. Here's a better idea.

Put the primer in an empty tin can.
Cover the top of the can with a flat piece of metal, maybe weight it down a bit.
Put the can on very hot hot plate.
Stand back at a safe distance, and wait a couple of minutes.
Voila! Instant inert primer.
Notes; Allow to cool. Do only one primer at a time.

 

[1SOW]

I would not fool around with a live primer with tools to try to deactivate it. Murphy WILL eventually take notice.

As others have said, they are not only tough little suckers, but they pack a surprising bang when they go off in the open. They also throw shrapnel that are hazardous to your more delicate body parts.

Federal SPPs will go off if you 'pretend' your going to use tools on them.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Yes, they can go off, however, if one is careful and takes proper precautions, it is no more dangerous than firing a .22 pistol with .22 shorts!

 

[Steve Koski]

I took reasonable precautions, was careful, gentle, and successful.

 

[gamestalker]

My Speer #10 edition suggests dropping them in motor oil for a few. You can then do what ever you want with them without the concern of one detonating.

 

[paperpuncher49]

Quote:
I have seated primers upside down. I just resize/decap the brass and reseat them. Little buggers are tough and resilient.

+1. I have decapped live primers, both upside duwn and rightside up on those occassions when necessay for over 35 years and have NEVER, repeat NEVER had one detonate. Nor have I ever deactivated one by handling with my fingers. Just because some "expert" writes something in a manual or a magazine article doesn't mean it is factual.

 

[Walkalong]

Speer #10 edition suggests dropping them in motor oil for a few

That has been tested, along with WD-40 etc, and it isn't 100% reliable. At least not short term soaking.