decapping a live primer?

[CK_32]

I do it all the time.


Nothing has gone wrong yet. Sometimes they are reusable, some get smashed and get thrown away.

I'm also not slamming them out either, but a normal smooth medium/slow press.

[JMP]

In the beginning of April I walked past my crystal ball and I saw you typing this post out...

So I made a video just for you. It might apply to your press too. Enjoy. Oh and it is BEST to watch it full screen from the you-tube site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4M6K-woUEE

stilly, I enjoyed your video. I am in the camp of being okay with knocking out live primers. However, I'd have more of a concern reusing the primer. The decapping pin can damage the anvil of the primer, and the result may not be apparent when you do so. If the anvil is damaged, it is much more likely to result in things like a squib load in the case that you don't get enough ignition. I want all my primers to have a consistent charge for accurate shooting, which is why I do not reuse primers.

[J-cat]

I reuse primers. My .300WM fireforming load has a single digit ES with reclaimed FC210M primers.

[JMP]

J-cat, the vast majority of the time, I imagine you would be fine (if you do it very carefully, 100%, maybe?). However, fire-forming would be a very good use for reusing primers. Things like squibs aren't so much of an issue in a bolt rifle as it you were to squib, which is hard to do, it would be abundantly obvious, especially in a 300WM.

[stilly]

stilly, I enjoyed your video. I am in the camp of being okay with knocking out live primers. However, I'd have more of a concern reusing the primer. The decapping pin can damage the anvil of the primer, and the result may not be apparent when you do so. If the anvil is damaged, it is much more likely to result in things like a squib load in the case that you don't get enough ignition. I want all my primers to have a consistent charge for accurate shooting, which is why I do not reuse primers.

I hear you. But it just has not happened to me yet. And since I am so cheap...

Stilly where is your live primers in a blender video? Cannot find it.

Serious question, what do you guys do when a primer is halfway in and stuck? Cant fit in the gun, cant fit in the press?

Ahh hell no. Me and my friends shot a bottle of live primers one day out in the woods and the car got peppered...

HELL no I aint gonna make one of those.

Primer is half way in and stuck? EASY.

First, ALREADY HAVE a Lee Universal Decapping die. Put the die in and place the shell on TOP of the shell holder and push it up slowly so that it finds the hole and decaps. You can decap all shells up to .500+ I believe. 50 AE is no issue and NOTHING smaller gets stuck. Since it is made to decap EVERYTHING it will decap your shell and not hold on to it when the ram falls down.

OR you can put it in your gun and shoot it. You said it would not work but I disagree, well, maybe. I put a partially primed .44 mag in my Deagle once and it shot it on the first trigger pull...

So does the round fit into the gun? If you have not tried it, then I say you should go for it. Drop it in the barrel, close the bolt/slide/whatever and pull the trigger...

[scotts_4x]

So you are saying that primers aren't little bombs?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm saying go out and conduct a simple experiment and see what it REALLY takes to set off a primer instead of believing they're going to go off when you sneeze while sitting at the press like everyone would like you to believe on the internet. First hand data is the best way to learn in my opinion.

-scott

[jonzer77]

I hear you. But it just has not happened to me yet. And since I am so cheap...









Ahh hell no. Me and my friends shot a bottle of live primers one day out in the woods and the car got peppered...



HELL no I aint gonna make one of those.



Primer is half way in and stuck? EASY.



First, ALREADY HAVE a Lee Universal Decapping die. Put the die in and place the shell on TOP of the shell holder and push it up slowly so that it finds the hole and decaps. You can decap all shells up to .500+ I believe. 50 AE is no issue and NOTHING smaller gets stuck. Since it is made to decap EVERYTHING it will decap your shell and not hold on to it when the ram falls down.



OR you can put it in your gun and shoot it. You said it would not work but I disagree, well, maybe. I put a partially primed .44 mag in my Deagle once and it shot it on the first trigger pull...



So does the round fit into the gun? If you have not tried it, then I say you should go for it. Drop it in the barrel, close the bolt/slide/whatever and pull the trigger...

Since primers cost about $.03, I just don't see the point in reusing them. It's not like there is a shortage right now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JMP]

I'm saying go out and conduct a simple experiment and see what it REALLY takes to set off a primer instead of believing they're going to go off when you sneeze while sitting at the press like everyone would like you to believe on the internet. First hand data is the best way to learn in my opinion.

-scott

I've popped off primers, no, they aren't going to take down the neighborhood, but it's quite loud and something you certainly don't want to go off near an uncovered eye or near any powder. Most people do have an irrational fear, but it's enough of a charge to warrant caution.

[23 Blast]

Haven't done it yet (I'm quite new to reloading), but I suppose it's inevitable that I'll have a mashed-up case with an unused primer stuck in it.

However, I'm reminded of that anecdote in Lee's 2nd Edition where he describes a friend who tried to decap a live primer, and proceeded to fire it into his thigh down to the bone.

The author says that out of curiosity, he chrono-ed the exploding primer out of the case and it registered something like 1200fps.

so - yeaaaahhhhhh, I think that even if I get a situation where I might be tempted to recycle a live primer that's in an unusable case, the saving of a few pennies isn't worth a potential trip to the ER.