Depriming Unfired Primers

[Tanker6]

First time poster......

I've been reloading 40 S&W on a single stage press for a few months now, and I've gotten the hang of producing pretty good target ammo. However, when I first started, I had several FTF's. After taking a closer look at what I was doing and how I was doing it, I realized I was crushing the primers at times (although I read Mr. Lee's book telling me not too ).

Now, I still have 8-10 loaded rounds that have FTF (and yes, I've tried to fire them more than once with no results). I have a bullet puller on order, but this brings me to my question:

Is it safe to deprime those cases once I remove the bullet and powder? Is it going to go "bang" ?

Thanks for putting up with a newby.

Chuck

[312shooter]

I have experienced the same situation. Playing by the rules here, after you pull the bullets and powder you can soak the primed brass in oil to render them unfireable. Now, off the record, I have run them through the resizing die and knocked out a live primer with no kaboom, but I don't recommend you challenge safety rules as a newb.

[Oneida Steve]

I have deprimed dozens of live primers by running the case through the sizer/deprimer die. Never, not once, did I have a problem.

This is a non-issue for us oldtime handloaders.

[dsv424]

I have been pushing them out with my deprimer for over 2 years now with out an incident and I have done literally over a couple hundred. I always go nice and easy when I do it and were safety glasses of course. I have even deprimed backwards loaded primers this way with no problems at all. Was a bit nervous when I first tried it but that has long since worn off.

[mikld]

Originally Posted by dsv424

I have been pushing them out with my deprimer for over 2 years now with out an incident and I have done literally over a couple hundred. I always go nice and easy when I do it and were safety glasses of course. I have even deprimed backwards loaded primers this way with no problems at all. Was a bit nervous when I first tried it but that has long since worn off.

I've done exactly the same thing. I've pushed some out, carefully, and even reloaded them in another case. Worked for me...

[howlnmad]

There is absolutely no reason to contaminate your brass by squirting oil in them. Nice smooth pulls on the press handle is all it takes. If one did by chance go off, you'll just have to clean your die and change your shorts . Wear safety glasses anyway.

howlnmad

[Popgunner]

I've never had a primer go off de-priming on a press but I wear safety glasses while doing it because I have had a few go off on me while seating primers with Lee-Loaders. The pistol primers will startle you but the large rifle primers are scarey. Lots more power in a large rifle primer.

[312shooter]

Originally Posted by howlnmad

There is absolutely no reason to contaminate your brass by squirting oil in them. Nice smooth pulls on the press handle is all it takes. If one did by chance go off, you'll just have to clean your die and change your shorts . Wear safety glasses anyway.

howlnmad

Soaking in oil is in no way "contaminating" to brass, this is a recommended procedure to eliminate the chance of a primer going off accidentally for someone who is new to reloading. I guess I have "contaminated" thousands of pieces of brass then, everytime resizing lube has been used on my rifle cartriges, dang!

[11B-101ABN]

I have never had one go off while depriming in a press either, but since the question is from a new guy, I would add that this should be done ONLY on a Single Stage press, because the progressives usually have a powder holder within inches of the sizer die.

[Tanker6]

Thanks for the responses. I may "contaminate" my brass anyway. I don't really want to contaminate my shorts.

[JetGirl]

Originally Posted by Tanker6

Is it safe to deprime those cases once I remove the bullet and powder? Is it going to go "bang" ?

It's completely safe.

Originally Posted by Oneida Steve

I have deprimed dozens of live primers by running the case through the sizer/deprimer die. Never, not once, did I have a problem.

This is a non-issue for us oldtime handloaders.

Originally Posted by dsv424

I have been pushing them out with my deprimer for over 2 years now with out an incident and I have done literally over a couple hundred.

Originally Posted by mikld

I've done exactly the same thing. I've pushed some out, carefully, and even reloaded them in another case. Worked for me...

These ^.
Push it out slowly. It'll be fine.

Because...

Originally Posted by Tanker6

once I remove the bullet and powder?

Once you remove the bullet and primer, there is nothing to ignite and nothing to propel out of the case.

AND...

Originally Posted by Tanker6

Is it going to go "bang" ?

Even if it does...it's nothing more than a balloon popping sound. It's loudish and may startle you...but it isn't going to hurt you. Just keep safety glasses on, which you should be doing anyhow.

[jacksonco]

Originally Posted by Popgunner

I've never had a primer go off de-priming on a press but I wear safety glasses while doing it because I have had a few go off on me while seating primers with Lee-Loaders. The pistol primers will startle you but the large rifle primers are scarey. Lots more power in a large rifle primer.

I hear you and have been there. I was using a Lee Loader to reload some 45-70 rounds. While I was tapping the primer tool to set the primmer the darned thing went off and gave me an awefull startle. They are prett loud when indoors and one goes off.

[Tanker6]

They all came out without a bang.

Thanks again for the responses.

[RustyFN]

after you pull the bullets and powder you can soak the primed brass in oil to render them unfireable

Not always, besides why take the chance on ruining a perfectly good primer. I have punched them out ( slow and easy ) in my sizing die with no problems. I even reuse them in practice and plinking ammo.

[312shooter]

Hope not to drag this into an arguement or elongate the post but we have to take it up with the Pros!

RBCS - Read "maintenace" portion about oil and primers -

http://www.rcbs.com/downloads/instru...structions.pdf

Dillon - Read the Note after step 9 -

http://www.dillonhelp.com/rl550benglish/safety.htm

[RustyFN]

RBCS - Read "maintenace" portion about oil and primers -

I would have to agree with them. You don't want to take a chance on ruining a primer so keep the oil away. All I am saying is it's not 100% no matter what RCBS says. I know people that tried to kill primers with oil and then treated them like they were dead. They got quite a surprise when some of them were still live.

[jdon72]

A while back, I crushed the side of a 45 case and was able to retrieve the bullet and powder. Obviously the case is no good but the primer was. I could not save the primer so I put the bad case at the end of my bb gun and took it outside and POP!!! It was neat, but never found the case to this day.

J

[DGG!]

I sure would be the last person on earth to to try to deprime a live primer wtih my machine. I think it is a stubid idea, dangerous, especially if you have other live primers feeding from a tube into your machine.

When I have a reason to pull the bullet and I want to reload the shell again, I just put the primed case in my gun and pull the trigger. Obviously you only do this once you have removed the bullet and powder. What you basically have is a starter pistol. Then just deprime the case like you would any other fired cases you are reloading.

You should always give the explosive components of reloading the greatest respect, IMHO.

[Tanker6]

Simply putting the emptied case into the pistol and firing off the primer was not an option. The reason I had to pull the bullet and remove the powder was because it failed to fire in the first place.

[JetGirl]

Originally Posted by DGG!

I sure would be the last person on earth to to try to deprime a live primer wtih my machine. I think it is a stubid idea, dangerous, especially if you have other live primers feeding from a tube into your machine.

When I have a reason to pull the bullet and I want to reload the shell again, I just put the primed case in my gun and pull the trigger.

This is unreasonable. There are reasons that you'd need to remove a primer from a case WITHOUT putting the primed case in your gun and pulling the trigger.
What if one flipped over and became accidentally seated anvil side down??

[howlnmad]

I read the Dillon link and am curious. They say to squirt oil, WD-40 or CRC into the primer magazine and then throw it away and they will send you a new one. Not being an owner of a Dillon, is this because the jam can't be cleared or is it for some other reason? Are they saying you should toss your brass afterwards as well? Just asking.

[DGG!]

Originally Posted by MissAnnThrope

This is unreasonable. There are reasons that you'd need to remove a primer from a case WITHOUT putting the primed case in your gun and pulling the trigger.
What if one flipped over and became accidentally seated anvil side down??

Toss the unprimed case out (oil can it), don't fool around with it. It is not worth the risk, IMHO, especially one that is loaded reversed. Your depriming rod will be working exactly the same way as a firing pin. In my way of thinking, a primer is nothing but a miniature hand-grenade, a very sensitive one, something to be very careful when handling.

P.S. - The medical profession doesn't have eyeball transplants perfected yet!

Always wear safety glasses when working around primers or with any other reloading activity.

[Terry_P]

If you are that worried about it then pull the bullets and powder and put the empty back in your firearm and try to ignite the primer by pulling the trigger. If they don't fire then you can either throw the case out or deprime. Your choice.

[JetGirl]

Originally Posted by DGG!

Toss the unprimed case out (oil can it), don't fool around with it. It is not worth the risk, IMHO, especially one that is loaded reversed. Your depriming rod will be working exactly the same way as a firing pin. In my way of thinking, a primer is nothing but a miniature hand-grenade, a very sensitive one, something to be very careful when handling.

P.S. - The medical profession doesn't have eyeball transplants perfected yet!

Always wear safety glasses when working around primers or with any other reloading activity.

In the first place, I always have eye protection...as I wear glasses instead of contacts now.

Secondly...sensitive hand grenade?? Sensitive noise-maker, maybe.

Thirdly, I've unseated primers for a couple different reasons and there is no reason to toss the case out just because you have a bad primer or seated it wrong.

[RustyFN]

Originally Posted by DGG!

Toss the unprimed case out (oil can it), don't fool around with it. It is not worth the risk, IMHO, especially one that is loaded reversed. Your depriming rod will be working exactly the same way as a firing pin. In my way of thinking, a primer is nothing but a miniature hand-grenade, a very sensitive one, something to be very careful when handling.

P.S. - The medical profession doesn't have eyeball transplants perfected yet!

Always wear safety glasses when working around primers or with any other reloading activity.

DGG quick question. I have read posts where people have had primers go off while being seated in the case. Is that less dangerous than when depriming them? If not then should we all stop reloading because of the chance of a primer going off while being seated? And what about the Dillon guys that have had a primer go off while being seated and set off the whole primer tube. After all if a primer is like a hand grenade then a primer tube full must be close to a small nuke. If you don't like to punch out live primers then I respect your decision. For a lot of us it is perfectly safe and we have no problem with it. I don't think that makes either of us stupid.