I was loading a batch of mixed brass and I had 4 cases split while seating the bullets. All the same headstamp. So I pulled all the bullets with that headstamp. I decided just to fire the primers. I ran the cases through the crimping die and they drop in the cylinder just fine. But.. when I fire one it locks the gun up. Can not cock it for the next shot. Have to take the cylinder out. What is going on? Should one be able to do this? I have certainly seen it recommended as a way to get rid of a few primers. Gun is a Ruger Blackhawk.
Firing primers only...?
- Thread starter Bill M.
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primer is backing out of the primer pocket and wedging between the case and the revolver recoil shield and locking up the cylinder. don't try to cock the revolver using the hammer as you will overstress the lockwork. if you decide you are going to continue this, use one hand to spin the cylinder while, at the same time, using the other hand to gently cock the hammer.
i would not keep doing this.
luck,
murf
i would not keep doing this.
luck,
murf
Thank you. No, I quite firing them. Cleaned out my primer drop tube. Deprimed them. Recoverd maybe all, maybe lost a couple into the big bag of spent primers. I think I already knew this would happen. But I am so old I keep having to re-learn things that I used to know. I will do the right thing...after I have tried everything else.
edwardware
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You've discovered (again) that primers always back out, and only reseat with pressure.
If you're ever similarly stuck, a swift tap with a range rod down the barrel should seat the brass back onto the primer and free it up.
If you're ever similarly stuck, a swift tap with a range rod down the barrel should seat the brass back onto the primer and free it up.
PWC
Member
Two rules:
1. Try the wrong thing, if it doesn't work, see rule 2
2. Stop doing the wrong thing, do the right thing even of it's longer/harder.
LOL, we're all slow learners/rememberers sometimes....
1. Try the wrong thing, if it doesn't work, see rule 2
2. Stop doing the wrong thing, do the right thing even of it's longer/harder.
LOL, we're all slow learners/rememberers sometimes....
Ruger 15151
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Sneakshot92
Member
Perhaps the primer pockets have opened up just enough??
edwardware
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One note: drill the flash hole as big as you can. . . but leave enough ledge for the primer anvil to seat against. If the anvil doesn't bear on the seat, you'll hear the second loudest noise known to man. . . a click when you wanted a bang.
.308 Norma
Member
Yep, way back when primers were about a penny apiece, and they weren’t hard to find, I conducted an experiment using 6, primed 357 Mag cases. I’d been told by buddies at work that oil would “deactivate” primers so that I could safely pop them back out of the primed cases if I’d made a mistake. So, I put a few drops of “Hoppe’s No. 9” gun oil in each of 6, primed 357 Magnum cases, and set the cases aside overnight. The next day (after dumping the excess oil out of the cases) I shoved them in a Ruger Blackhawk. I learned 3 things from that experiment:
- Hoppe’s No. 9 gun oil will not reliably “deactivate” primers.
- If you fire a primed cases without powder and bullets, the primers will back out and lock up your revolver’s cylinder.
- You can safely pop “live” primers back out of primed cases anyway - there’s no need to make a mess, waste gun oil and create a hassle for yourself with a “locked-up” cylinder.
Bwana John
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1/8" drill bit
And Spitfire premade high density polyethelene/wax bullets!
https://www.waxbullet.com/collections/flat-iron/products/1-000-rounds-flatiron
Or glue stick self cast
Bwana John
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If by "safely" do you mean you can't set off a live primer by depriming the case like you would with a fired case?
Cause after years of doing just that, I had one detonate... and I wouldn't call it
"safe"the primer compound explodes at an extreme velocity and pressure (for its size). and all that expanded gas from the explosion tries to get through a .080" flash hole all at once. the resulting pressure (i have heard around 4,000 psi) built up in the primer pocket pushes the primer body away from the bottom of the primer pocket. usually, the next step in getting the bullet out of the barrel is for the primer explosion to travel through the flash hole and ignite the powder on the other side of the primer pocket. the resulting combustion produces expanding gases which increase pressure on the bullet side of the case which pushes the primer pocket back over the primer returning the gap between the case head and the revolver recoil shield back to normal.
4,000 psi will not open up the primer pocket and probably won't expand the case at all. again, i have heard it takes about 8,000 psi to expand the case sidewall.
luck,
murf
murf
.308 Norma
Member
No, I did not mean that. The working word in my statement of "You can safely pop 'live' primers back out of cases anyway." was "CAN."
Sorry to hear you "had one detonate." That must have been scary.
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