Depriming live primers

[119er]

THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE AND NOT TO BE TAKEN AS TRUTH OR SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE. LIVE PRIMERS ARE VERY DANGEROUS AND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY.

I successfully deprimed 1000 live primers from crimped LC 12 7.62 NATO cases without one ignition, fizzle or anything. I used a Lee universal decapping die on a Hornady LNL AP with case feeder. Some primers required considerable force to press out, others not so much. I did not "desensitize" them or anything fancy. I moved the handle to gently make contact and progressively applied force until the primer was removed. I wore eye and ear protection and removed all primers and powder from the area. In hindsight, though I should have used a better collection method for the live primers. They collected in an empty 5 gallon bucket. I should have had a level of water for them to drop into. I'm not sure whether this would stop a sympathetic detonation or not, but I doubt it would hurt. The primers will be disposed of in an enclosed fire pit made of steel pipe with steel steel lid a few at a time.

 

[plodder]

I have successfully de-primed a number of live primers with a very similar proceedure except for the all important squinting of the eyes and holding of the breath while pulling the press lever.

 

[erikk8829]

Been doing it for over 55+ years & so far never had one go off-slow and easy

 

[jcwit]

Well

#1 you learned live primers are set off by impact, not by pressure

#2 You did not learn that water is not a way to deactivate a live primer.

Now why not allow those primers to throughly dry out and reuse them, they will go bang just like a new primer will. After all the priming compound is wet with water when they manufacture them.

What is this over the top fear/panic of primers. One can use kids caps to reactive primers and yes caps are extremely dangerous also.

If in fact this component of reloading was this dangerous the lawyers long ago would have put a stop to it with lawsuits.

Been doing it for over 55+ years & so far never had one go off-slow and easy

Absolutly!

 

[JohnM]

you learned live primers are set off by impact, not by pressure

+1000%
I once took some primers out to my shop and tried to see if I could get one to pop by slamming the jaws shut on my big vise. Couldn't do it!, just could not get the jaws to close fast enough to get the impact needed.
I smashed primers between the jaws till they were just bits of foil, even put a cheater pipe on the handle. No pop!
But if I finally wacked the jaws with a hammer, then I could get the smashed up compound to pop.

 

[45lcshooter]

Deprimed lots of cases. Put the primers into scrap barrel to add weight. Never had one go off and i deprime fast. If the primers are from brass thar was mine i save them them for other calibers

 

[BYJO4]

Over the years, I've had to remove live primers using my decapping pin and never any problems. Always wear eye protection for safety.

 

[mtrmn]

I guess you had your reasons, but I would have loaded the primed cases back up and used those primers---THEN de-primed them. I can't stand to see those things go to waste.....

Oh, I have de-primed live primers over the years as well, but re-used every one that was useable.

 

[gamestalker]

This is one of those things some don't quite have a full understanding of. As already stated, if primers were that terribly dangerous to work with, the lawyers would have long ago curtailed their availability to the every day reloader.

I too have been depriming live primers for several decades without problems. I don't really take it slow either, but I do wear eye protection just to be safe, rather than sorry.

GS

 

[JonathanE]

Sorry to divert the thread, but I have a novice question: Why would one deprime a primed case?

 

[beatledog7]

Go slow, use steady pressure. Best to use a universal decapping die so you have complete control (a normal sizing die the for cartridge in question adds complexity to the process that you don't need). Save the live primers and use them again.

 

[Hondo 60]

I've removed hundreds of "live" primers & reused the ones where I knew nomenclature.

 

[Reefinmike]

Sorry to divert the thread, but I have a novice question: Why would one deprime a primed case?

-removing primers from primed cases of unknown origin... maybe some people are afraid X was primed with Y primer when it should be Z primer
-and in my case, several months back when I started reloading 380, i was waiting for my dies in the mail but was so set on moving things along that I "sized" and decapped 100 380's using my 38spl die and then primed them. later on I realized that these were not sized correctly and I could not for the life of me remove the decapping pin from the 380 die so I simply deprimed them all , sized correctly and reprimed.

I have some pretty well smashed primers from sideways priming, priming crimped brass(19/20 crimped 223 prime just fine btw), and a few from priming brass where only the bottom of the primer was removed by the decapper leaving the walls of the primer stuck in the casing.

 

[1SOW]

THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE AND NOT TO BE TAKEN AS TRUTH OR SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE. LIVE PRIMERS ARE VERY DANGEROUS AND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY.

Actually, this statement is very true.
When subjected to excessive heat or impact, they ARE "potentially very dangerous".

With reasonable safety precautions, primers can be handled, inserted and deprimed with safety.

As a forum member once suggested, "Don't store your primers in a glass jar".

 

[jcwit]

In a group primers are very dangerous, true. Individually the danger sorta goes down the tubes.

Course as with most anything it is possible to hurt or even kill oneself if they work at it. Take a battery drill to you temple and it might be very close to fatal. Place your hand on a stove burner on high and it might be very hazardous.

 

[bob4]

Sorry to divert the thread, but I have a novice question: Why would one deprime a primed case?

I've de-primed a few over the short time I've been loading.I have had a few while priming that the primer seemed to go in way to easy ( lee hand primer) and just didn't like the feel of it. Being new I'm not taking any chances.

 

[oneounceload]

I have deprimed for over 35 years - not a big deal, just go easy and reuse them

As to why - many times I have "oops" loads - either metallic or shotgun where the case got mangles in the last step or something else made unshootable - but all of the components except the case are still good, so you dismantle the oddball, recoup and reuse the components

 

[edfardos]

it freaks you out until you do about 50 or so.

 

[armarsh]

Sorry to divert the thread, but I have a novice question: Why would one deprime a primed case?

I pull apart any loaded rounds I find at the range. I'll reuse the brass and (sometimes) bullet. As others have said, go slow and you will have no trouble.

 

[119er]

Im not reusing the primers because the force needed to press them through the crimp pushed the compound to the perimiter of the primer cup and caused the anvils to fall out. For 1000 cases it's more trouble than it's worth. I load progressively and the $28.00 is worth the time to me. Also, I know that water does not deactivate primers nor do most if any petroleum products. Water in the bucket would just be a buffer to slow the impact as they drop from the tube and land on other primers. Thanks for all the suggestions!