Learned a lesson last night - Priming questions too

[Archon_g24]

I spent the last few weeks learning how to prepare brass properly and collecting the tools to do so quickly. The first 100 rounds of 308 took forever. The last 50 rounds took minutes once the tumbling was done.

With the brass prepped, I assembled the priming tool and started priming only to remember after a dozen cases that I had did not clear the flash holes of media

I ran the remaining cases through my decapping station and primed them. I then checked the other cases and separated the ones that I could see the primer anvil.

I was able to clear the corn cob media out of a few cases using a flash hole reamer but there are a few cases where the corn media is really stuck.

Questions:
How hard can I press down with the flash hole reamer to clear out the media? I think I can break it up but am afraid of setting off the primer with too much force.
What is the correct way to remove a live primer if I needed to? I thought about just putting these cases into the decapper.

[drdarrin@sbcglobal.net]

Answers
1) hard to say. It takes a pretty good strike from the firing pin to set it off. And I wouldn't mess with this option. Too much risk, too little reward.

2) Run it slowly thru your decapper and you should be fine. Of course, observe the usual safety precautions. I've done this before and never had one fire.


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[Unretarded]

I have deprimed brass by just firing it in the rifle...........100 primers is like 4 dollars........no fun digging shards O Brass out of yer eye or fingers.

[jericho89]

I have deprimed live primers from brass, some times intentional some times not. I have never had one pop as of yet, go slow and wear your personal protective equipment and you will be fine.

[pacrat]

Since 1968, I can't begin to remember how many live primers I've removed from cases. Not one POP. Go slow, don't slam the ram.

Suggest you lower the decapping/expander stem down to where you are not resizing neck, then re-expanding. Why work the brass one more time in that area.

Also suggest you get one of these. As you build your supply of tools. I use dry vibratory polishers with corn cod or walnut media. I leave primers in place, then decap with a designated decapping die after tumbling. Before sizing. IMO far to much emphasis is put on shiny spotless clean primer pockets.

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/7742/inline/1

JM2c

[Divernhunter]

^^^ Yes just punch out the primers and reprime. Some reuse the primers. I do not. They are not that costly to make it worth it to me.

[Archon_g24]

Also suggest you get one of these. As you build your supply of tools. I use dry vibratory polishers with corn cod or walnut media. I leave primers in place, then decap with a designated decapping die after tumbling. Before sizing. IMO far to much emphasis is put on shiny spotless clean primer pockets.

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/7742/inline/1

JM2c

This is actually the first tool I bought along with an old Lyman press I use as a dedicated decapping station.

[Unretarded]

It might seem like overkill or redundant as dropping each piece of brass in the checker.....but...part of my routine is to run a paper clip thru each primer hole no matter what.

You would be surprised how many cases drop a piece or 2 of media even though it looks perfectly clear looking thru the primer hole.

[stilly]

I spent the last few weeks learning how to prepare brass properly and collecting the tools to do so quickly. The first 100 rounds of 308 took forever. The last 50 rounds took minutes once the tumbling was done.

With the brass prepped, I assembled the priming tool and started priming only to remember after a dozen cases that I had did not clear the flash holes of media

I ran the remaining cases through my decapping station and primed them. I then checked the other cases and separated the ones that I could see the primer anvil.

I was able to clear the corn cob media out of a few cases using a flash hole reamer but there are a few cases where the corn media is really stuck.

Questions:
How hard can I press down with the flash hole reamer to clear out the media? I think I can break it up but am afraid of setting off the primer with too much force.
What is the correct way to remove a live primer if I needed to? I thought about just putting these cases into the decapper.

Decapper would knock out most media I think.
Mine always has: