decapping a live primer?

[PolishMike]

Have done a few. Couple went off. Didn't hurt anything except my head when it hit the ceiling.

[Citadelgrad87]

I've deprimed a couple live primers. Sheepishly, I'll admit none were on purpose, it was while setting up my Dillon and screwing with the powder die and re stroking the press with a shell in position one.

I've never had one go off, and I don't touch the press unless I'm wearing safety glasses.

I wouldn't intentionally deprime a dozen cases, but I'd do one if I had to. Maybe. Either that or I'd grab a firearm and use that.

Ymmv.

[kryan]

I'm glad this just came up

Just last night I put a primer part way into a 44mag case that didn't want to receive it. It went partially in and wouldn't go any further.
So since it didn't go all the way in it got the case holder stuck to the case.
I guess now I'll just try to push it out....

[HPBrowningMK3]

Wear eye and EAR protection if you try it.

I'm a cheap azz reloader who has never popped a live primer and I've decapped a lot of them. But, safety first!!!!!

Edit: I am sitting on 500 pieces of primed Israeli pulled down 50BMG brass. I will probably just pop the primers in a rifle and waste them (even at 25-50 cents a piece) instead of trying to decap them live. They are crimped in and it simply isn't worth the risk to me. I don't want to use the primers in match loads and that is the only thing I want to use that brass for.

I am with you 100%. It just isn't worth it. Pop them in your rifle.

[noylj]

I have never had a problem just running it through the sizing die and I have done so for at least 40 years and never had one go off. Wouldn't know about .50 BMG, but there I might be concerned.
I certainly wouldn't slam the sizing die down on the case, however.
If the primer did go off, the blast would go down the decapping tube, I expect.
I have had a primer go off by being slammed between the primer slider and the shell plate and all it did was go bang. The anvil was still in the primer and the primer was still caught between the two objects.
Alternatively, fire the primed case in your gun.
In your case of a mashed case, I would toss the case and primer and find out why I am mashing cases. More case mouth flare? Better die alignment (I use a case/round in each die to align the die before I tighten the lock ring)? Making sure the bullet is and stays aligned with the case as it enters the seating die?
Too many don't flare the case enough. More problems are generated from insufficient flare than from too much flare.

[stilly]

I have never had a problem just running it through the sizing die and I have done so for at least 40 years and never had one go off. Wouldn't know about .50 BMG, but there I might be concerned.
I certainly wouldn't slam the sizing die down on the case, however.
If the primer did go off, the blast would go down the decapping tube, I expect.
I have had a primer go off by being slammed between the primer slider and the shell plate and all it did was go bang. The anvil was still in the primer and the primer was still caught between the two objects.
Alternatively, fire the primed case in your gun.
In your case of a mashed case, I would toss the case and primer and find out why I am mashing cases. More case mouth flare? Better die alignment (I use a case/round in each die to align the die before I tighten the lock ring)? Making sure the bullet is and stays aligned with the case as it enters the seating die?
Too many don't flare the case enough. More problems are generated from insufficient flare than from too much flare.

Which is just the opposite of the movies where wanting more flare lead to an issue...

[J-cat]

This thread occurs at least four times per year and goes on for pages.

[scotts_4x]

This crap gets parroted so freaking much on the internet. "OH NO DONT TOUCH THE PRIMER, DONT EVEN LOOK AT IT, IT MIGHT GO OFF" lol anyone ever take a hammer to a primer? Lay one anvil down and see how hard you have to hit it to pop it on a metal or concrete surface. Then take a screw and hit it into the back of a live one too. You'll soon dispel the OMG THEYRE LITTLE BOMBS bullcrap, and can laugh every time you see this spewed across the retardweb.

-scott

[stilly]

This crap gets parroted so freaking much on the internet. "OH NO DONT TOUCH THE PRIMER, DONT EVEN LOOK AT IT, IT MIGHT GO OFF" lol anyone ever take a hammer to a primer? Lay one anvil down and see how hard you have to hit it to pop it on a metal or concrete surface. Then take a screw and hit it into the back of a live one too. You'll soon dispel the OMG THEYRE LITTLE BOMBS bullcrap, and can laugh every time you see this spewed across the retardweb.

-scott

Well...

As a kid, my friend told me to check this out and took one of his dad's primers and put it on the ground and hit it with a hammer. MY GOD that was a deafening blow! I about **** my pants thinking we were in trouble. Oh wait, that might have been a percussion cap since his dad is a big time AMMA guy with several black powder rifles.

Okay, but you know what, i think if you had the WRATH aura on and went to hit anything that discharged lightning to your attacks, that would set them ALL off for sure!

So Pffffft.

[jonzer77]

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.

Reusing primers? You are one crazy guy stilly. That is the ultimate cheapskate move lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jonzer77]

This crap gets parroted so freaking much on the internet. "OH NO DONT TOUCH THE PRIMER, DONT EVEN LOOK AT IT, IT MIGHT GO OFF" lol anyone ever take a hammer to a primer? Lay one anvil down and see how hard you have to hit it to pop it on a metal or concrete surface. Then take a screw and hit it into the back of a live one too. You'll soon dispel the OMG THEYRE LITTLE BOMBS bullcrap, and can laugh every time you see this spewed across the retardweb.

-scott

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


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[SevenSixTwoNATO]

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

[SevenSixTwoNATO]

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?

[bohoki]

as long as they are not crimped

[J-cat]

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?

Put them into a larger caliber shellholder and press them out using a drift punch.