Rookie Re-Use Question

[Joespapa]

I have some rounds that have high primers and some with bulged cases that won't chamber( from my first try at loading). After pulling the bullets, what do you do about live primers?

 

[seansco]

I have taken the pin out of the de-capping and sizing die, resized them, belled them, and loaded them

 

[gibble888]

I shoot the primers...beware they are still pretty loud!!

 

[rsrocket1]

You can deprime/resize the cases and reuse the primers if you wish. Of course wear eye and hearing protection, but I've reworked dozens of primed cases and have never had one go off (so far). The pop of a primer is like that of a loud cap gun. Not bad if you're prepared for it, but not pleasant if you aren't.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

You can deprime them and use the primers. Go slow and wear safety glasses.

 

[flipajig]

Raise the decaping pin and resize and shoot.
Flip

 

[Safetychain]

I found a box of 380 ACP that I had reloaded 20 years or so ago and most had raised primers. These had shot well with a full size Husqvarna pistol but do not work at all in my little Taurus that I carry now. Put on the glasses, leather welding gloves and used a hand primmer and reseated all the primers without taking them apart. It worked fine. I was having some 45 ACPs loaded with lead from somewhere that were obviously a bit too large that would work in mi gun but would fail the plunk test in my brothers WWII 45. I now use the Lee Factory Crimp die on the last stage of loading and have no problem since.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Put on the glasses, leather welding gloves and used a hand primmer and reseated all the primers without taking them apart. It worked fine.

I have done this too, but don't know that I would go so far as to recommend it.

 

[GJSchulze]

If you aren't worried about them going off the first time you seat them, why are you worried about the second time?

I have deprimed live primers and reused them and have never had one go off. Just use a smooth, gentle movement on the press handle. Even if one goes off, it's covered by the case and die.

 

[mljdeckard]

I would normally say 'don't bother, new primers aren't that expensive.'. But right now, primers are tough to come by.

 

[oneounceload]

Either reseat them as they are in the case or deprime and reseat them - it is not hard, or dangerous

 

[rcmodel]

http://leeprecision.com/images/P/p-2282.jpg

Beause there wasn't a powder charge and a bullet in the way if they went off the first time.

Now after they are loaded?

It's a little pipe bomb if one goes off.



rc

 

[Joespapa]

I would normally say 'don't bother, new primers aren't that expensive.'. But right now, primers are tough to come by.

Well, if you"didn't bother", how would you dispose of the primer? With the case or deprime the case and dispose of the primer?

 

[rcmodel]

Take the depriming pin out of the expander and resize them.

Or back it out far enough it doesn't deprime them.

rc

 

[mljdeckard]

How I would dispose of them probably depends on how many I have. I keep penetrating oil handy to de-activate bad primers or neutralize cases I'm getting rid of.

 

[witchhunter]

You have already pulled the bullets? Either deprime and save primers or pull your decapping pin and resize. Looks like we are all in agreement. I wonder if we all voted the same way?

 

[Hondo 60]

I have done this too, but don't know that I would go so far as to recommend it.

Yup, what he said ^^^^

 

[Shmackey]

"Bulged cases" are one thing, but ... Well, when I load a big batch of pistol ammo, I inspect each one for high primers. Inevitably there will be a couple--although far fewer now that the LnL primer system is out of my life. At any rate, I do what pretty much every high-volume shooter does: I just finish seating those primers with my hand tool.

Indeed, I never recommend that a new reloader do this--it can't be a "best practice"--but (1) it's not a pipe bomb if the cartridge isn't in a die, (2) there's no valid reason to expect the primer to detonate, and (3) hundreds or thousands of people do it daily without incident.

Food for thought, anyway. Do as I say, not as I do, etc....

 

[USSR]

I have deprimed live primers and reused them and have never had one go off. Just use a smooth, gentle movement on the press handle.

+1. Have absolutely no problem recommending the smooth, gentle approach.

Don

 

[GJSchulze]

although far fewer now that the LnL primer system is out of my life

I have a Hornady AP LnL. What kind of problems was it giving you? The only time I have a primer problem is Win brass with Win primers. It leaves a lot of those high; enough to make some of them wobble if I stand a round up on the bench.

 

[jcwit]

Once again we have the discussion of nuclear powered primers.

PUSH them out, and reseat them into whatever case you wish.

Waste not/want not

 

[Sunray]

High primers don't need to be removed. Assuming the pockets are clean. Just run the cases through the primer seater again and push 'em in more.
Bulged cases may or may not fit in the sizer die. If they don't, they can be gently pushed out with the decapper.
"...penetrating oil..." There's no gaurantee any kind of oil will work.

 

[mljdeckard]

My reloading manual says to drop primers in oil to deactivate them. We try to make sure guns don't have excessive oil in them, because it it gets to the primer, you could get a misfire. Is there something better you would recommend to make unwanted primers safe?

 

[GJSchulze]

Is there something better you would recommend to make unwanted primers safe

The only unwanted primer might be one that had a misfire such that you don't know if they are good or not.

Otherwise, it is safe to reuse them. Remove bullet and powder. Put it in a decapper die (like the Lee Universal), and push it out slowly. The case mouth will be up inside the die, so if you were to get too vigorous with the push, it would only go off in a vented, but enclosed area. I've never had that happen, though, and I do this on a regular basis. They are not little nuclear bombs.

If you are determined to not reuse it, remove bullet and powder, place it in your chamber, and shoot it with your gun (after making sure the gun is empty, of course)

Unless it gets a precise hit, or a hammer smashes it, or enough heat, it's not going off by itself.

 

[Potatohead]

My reloading manual says to drop primers in oil to deactivate them. We try to make sure guns don't have excessive oil in them, because it it gets to the primer, you could get a misfire. Is there something better you would recommend to make unwanted primers safe?

I read that you were supposed to bury them. But I'm a noob so thats probably wrong.