wet primers

[ds/ks]

UPS truck just dropped off some primers. A flap on a box of 1,000 was wet and one of the box of 100 was wet enough that finish on the cardstock was messed up. The rest seem dry. Appears to be water. Should I trust all will go bang after they dry?

 

[Reloadron]

Choot em, let them dry out and they will go bang. That's what I would do anyway. Doesn't change the fact that the wet delivery sucks.

Ron

 

[Schwing]

I agree. Let them dry out and they will almost certainly all be fine.

 

[jwrowland77]

Yep. They use water to make primer compound. Let'em dry, load'em and shoot'em.

That's what I'd do too

 

[Blue68f100]

Let the dry and they will be just fine like already said.

Oil is the only fluid that can damage the primers.

 

[ds/ks]

thanks guys, I feel better!

 

[rcmodel]

I agree with letting them dry and using them.

But, I'd still bitch about it to somebody!
Probably the seller/shipper, AND UPS.

That isn't what you bought & paid for!

rc

 

[Drail]

Tell them to wrap them in plastic next time. I keep my old ones (from the 90s) wrapped up and stacked in an air conditioned environment. They still work just like new ones. You would not believe what I paid for them back then.

 

[LiveLife]

Priming compound inside the primer cups are protected by sealant/cup barrier.

I think you will be fine drying out the surface moisture and reloading as usual. I do not believe the primers were harmed simply by getting some water on them.

If you look at Winchester primer in the picture below, the red color you see is not the color of the priming compound rather the color of sealant used. To damage the priming compound, water would have to get past the sealant.

Disassembled primers showing different color sealant/cups along with anvils

 

[jimwill48]

The priming mixture in modern primers is Lead styphnate, Lead styphnate is only slightly soluble in water and methyl alcohol. Just let them dry out and will be as good as new. If you every want to neutralized primers use a strong Sodium Carbonate solution.

 

[Reloadron]

What bds said. Every forum needs at least one primer guru and after reading everything he has ever posted as to primers he has my vote as THR Primer Guru, he also takes great pictures.

Ron

 

[Smokey Joe]

Wet primers...

Bds--Good show old man!

Ds/ks--I'd load up a number of the truly wet ones and test fire 'em, just to reassure myself, were I you. But I'd expect 100% bangs.

Blue 68 f100--Oil will NOT kill 100% of primers. We have plowed this ground before--You cannot reliably kill unwanted primers with oil. It's been tested. Primers are reliably killed by (a) percussion, and (b) burning. Reliable chemical killing requires horrid, nasty chemicals that would cause more problems than they'd solve. Please don't let's start this old argument one more time!

 

[Potatohead]

I second BDS as THR Primer Guru, all in favor? Especially after those pics.


Reloader Fred is the THR Headstamp Guru.

Not sure which guru RC is-

 

[Sunray]

Water does nothing. Oil doesn't always kill primer either. Let 'em dry and they'll be fine.

 

[LiveLife]

Not sure which guru RC is

My wife says OCD and probably ADD drives me to delve into details of certain reloading and shooting aspects. My understanding and knowledge base is a tiny fraction of what rcmodel and many other reloaders on THR posses.

And thank you and Ron for the accolades. If I help someone with reloading/shooting information that have been shared with me by other reloaders/shooters, then I am fulfilling my reloading/shooting mentor's request to pay-it-forward, who took me under his wing and introduced me to reloading and match shooting.

Primers are reliably killed by (a) percussion, and (b) burning.

If you do decide to burn primers, do wear eye protection.

When I could not ignite a particular Tula SP primer after 3 restrikes in 45ACP small primer case with my Sig 1911, I tried igniting the primer with heat on the side burner of my gas grill. I was surprised to find primer left a nice dent on a stainless steel bowl.

 

[spitballer]

Call me picky but for the kind of money spent to transport those primers I'd be complaining to somebody, even if I ended up using them.

 

[gamestalker]

A bunch of years ago I tossed a 209 in the bar-b-q. It blew a hole through the side of it that looked very similar to that of a 22 lr punched hole.

+1 for BDS as THR Primer Guru!

GS

 

[Potatohead]

My understanding and knowledge base is a tiny fraction of what rcmodel and many other reloaders on THR posses.

Join the club!

 

[Potatohead]

Hey THR Primer Guru (BDS), why do my Winchester primers, small pistol at least, always turn a mucky brownish color after awhile? Or better yet, why wont they fix that? It ruins my purdy ammo!

 

[LiveLife]

Winchester primers used to look like CCI primers with silver/nickel colored plating.

Not sure why they changed. You may need to ask Winchester that question. Perhaps someone else knows the reason why they changed.

You can always use CCI primers if you want to color coordinate your primers with nickel cases.

 

[rcmodel]

You have toxic sweat on your hands which tarnishes the un-plated primers after you touch them.

Either wash & dry your hands more often while reloading?
Wear plastic gloves when you handle them?
Don't touch them with bare hands.
Or switch to plated primers that don't tarnish.

rc

 

[Swampman]

I agree 100 percent that those primers should be perfectly GTG.

BUT!

I still wouldn't use those particular primers to load up ammo for a "once in a lifetime" African safari...

 

[Potatohead]

Thanks for answering RC and BDS.