Depriming live primers?

[yesit'sloaded]

Is there any SAFE way to deprime a case with a live primer in it? Either I'm missing something or this is impossible to safely do.

 

[Griz44]

I take the case in question and squirt some WD40 into the case and let it sit overnight. I use a LEE universal decapper to then remove the live primer. The die has a punch in the middle but also has open space between the case and the sides of the die. If there ever was a discharge, the blast would not case any damage as the gases would be directed over down and out the bottom of the die into the shell plate. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SFAETY GLASSES! I have never had a mishap using this method.

 

[midnights]

I have never taken any special steps when punching out live primers and I have punched thousands. I just run them thru my press just like fired brass. Killing the primer with oil may safer but I just do not have the time to deal with it and have never had an issue.

 

[wally]

The standard answer is don't do it, put the empty in a gun and pop the cap first.

But having removed live primers many times in 25+ years of reloading and never having an incident, all I can say is always wear good safety glasses and make sure spilled powder and dust don't accumulate in your press or reloading area.

--wally.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

Guess I'll just pop a shot of wd-40 in the case and then wear ears and eyes and deprime as normal. Thanks.

 

[DEDON45]

What wally said; I've not had one go off yet. If it did, it wouldn't be a big deal, it would just surprise me.

 

[Slamfire]

I had 700 cases of LC 308 brass ruined by old surplus powder. I loaded the stuff, but the powder went bad in the case, emitting a gas which corroded the base of the bullets and caused case neck cracks. So I pulled all the expensive match bullets, dumped the powder ( on the lawn). But I had all these nice CCI #34 primers in the cases.

So I deprimed the cases. I used a Lee depriming die, the top of which is vented, more or less. I raised the ram lightly until the pin rested on the primer, then lightly pushed the primer out.

I saved the primers and am using them, quite successfully, in blasting ammo.

This experience was much better than depriming about 500+ rounds of WWII 30-06. I was given unfired primed brass. The first owner pulled the bullets and dumped the powder.

These primers were corrosive and crimped in. The crimping made it so much more fun. At least one out of 20 primers would not come out, would stretch so much that the decapping pin would pierce it. When that happened, BANG!. A flash of flame, a waft of smoke through the top of the die and the cats would run for the exits. Unfortunately I could not get the fired primers out of the pockets. Tried all sorts of things, nails, hooks, etc. They were crimped and were not coming out. So I had to toss out an otherwise good case.

I wore safety glasses all the time I was doing this.

When I finished, I cleaned the decapping die with hot soapy water. I removed the crimp from the good cases with a Dillion crimp remover, ran them all through a sizer, trimmed them all, and they are ready to be used. All is well.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

Ummm... I found a primer loaded upside down. I think that one is going to go off for sure. How long do primers last? For reference I got about 300 cases from a friend's grandfather who quit reloading, in various states of reloadedness. Most are deprimed and resized, some are primed, and some are once fired.

 

[rcmodel]

You don't need to waste your WD-40 in the misguided hope it will actually kill the primer.
It may, or it may not.
But how do you know for sure?
So, you are still dealing with a possibly live primer anyway.

Just deprime it normally in your press with your standard reloading die.

As already noted, even in the very remote chance it did pop, the die and press frame will completely contain anything that results from it popping.

But I have never seen one go off in a die in 45+ years of reloading.

rcmodel

 

[The Bushmaster]

Don't waste your time or the WD-40...Just put on your safety glasses like you do for any reloading chore and run those primed cases through your resizing/decapping die. Not a problem. Like many on here I have done thousands and never had one go off. Besides...Modern primers are sealed with a varnish or shellack and WD-40 may not kill the primer anyway.

 

[USSR]

Just deprime it normally in your press with your standard reloading die.

+1. Have done 1,000's without incident. Just use standard precautions such as ear/eye protection and slowly push them out.

Don

 

[yesit'sloaded]

It worked fine, thanks guys.

 

[RustyFN]

I do the same as RC and BM. I just run them through the sizing die and very gently push the live primer out with the decaping pin, then I reuse it.
Rusty

 

[Ian Sean]

I have de-primed probably over a hundred over the years...AND been able to re-use the primers.

Standard safety precautions...and go nice and easy.

 

[Mal H]

I've got to add my vote to the don't-use-WD40 crowd. Not necessarily because it won't deaden a primer (it probably won't), but because introducing any oily substance or any foreign substance for that matter into a case you plan to reload later on is never a good idea.

Whether the primer is seated normally or upside down, simply pop 'm out slowly just as you would any fired primer. Always use safety glasses with ear protection optional.

 

[ninja45]

What Mal H said.

Ninja45

 

[Strongbad]

Ummm... I found a primer loaded upside down. I think that one is going to go off for sure. How long do primers last? For reference I got about 300 cases from a friend's grandfather who quit reloading, in various states of reloadedness. Most are deprimed and resized, some are primed, and some are once fired.

Just punch it out slow if you ever have it happen. The way primers work, they have to be "cocked" by being pressed against the bottom of the pocket, at which point the "anvil" which is the little 3 legged piece you see on the surface of the primer is pressed against the bottom of the pocket and crushed against the priming compound.

 

[evan price]

I punch out upside down primers, right side up primers, whatever, and re-use them all. No need to waste 2 cents trying to spray it with oil and stuff. Just go slow and easy and they pop right out. The upside down ones may get a little ding from the decapper pin but they will shoot fine.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Well...So long everybody. Until the next time this subject comes up again for the upteenth time...Happy primer punchin'...

 

[gtmerkley]

Dont try it not worth loosing half your face.

 

[rcmodel]

Loosing half your face?

Wow! You really have a misunderstanding of the power of a single primer!

As already noted throughout this thread, the case & primer are fully contained inside a steel reloading die, and a cast iron press frame & steel ram during the depriming operation.

In the almost unheard of event one were to somehow go off in the die, all you would see is a little puff of smoke curl out of the cracks.

It wouldn't even be as violent as shooting that old cap pistol in front of your face when you were a kid.

rcmodel

 

[Walkalong]

I somehow managed to stuff a primer in a .357 case sideways the other day with my RCBS hand primer. I did not have the .38 shellplate on the press at the time, so I put on a pair of safety glasses and pried it out with a knife.

If you don't spark em or bang on em, they are hard to set off.

 

[USSR]

Dont try it not worth loosing half your face.

Ah, yes, never let facts get in the way of a good story.

Don

 

[DWARREN123]

I have used my resizing/depriming die to knock out live primers, go slow and use eye/hand protection. If this is not your cup of tea then just shoot them.

 

[JFettig]

I've staked primers and tested them to see how much force it takes to remove them. They took over 250lbs where a normal primer with no stake is around 20lbs. I've removed many like this.

just take the proper safety precautions and dont loose any sleep over it.
Jon