The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Reloading Punching out live primers.Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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| One of Us |
I know this is an old subject but refresh me. Is it safe to do? | ||
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| One of Us |
Wear eye protection, go gentle/slow. I do it often enough, never had one go off. I usually throw a small towel over my press. -nosualc Beware the fury of an aroused democracy. -Ike | |||
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It's not especially safe, but we all need to do it at one time or another. Like nosualc said go slow and gentle on the depriming pressure. I too cover the exposed areas with a large towel folded over. Knew a guy at a shop that had a primer go into his forearm. He never had much use of that arm again. The potential dangers are not to be minimized. | |||
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It’s not the safest activity you can partake in as a reloader but it doesn’t need to be dangerous either. I’ve pushed out (different than “punching” out in my mind) primers before and reused them. Do it with the respect that explosives deserve. You don’t “punch” them out, you push them out gently. | |||
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This seems to be a good idea! | |||
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It`s not the safest operation a reloader can do, but everyone does it at some point. Go slow wear eye protection and you should be fine. ------------------------------------ The trouble with the Internet is that it's replacing masturbation as a leisure activity. ~Patrick Murray "Why shouldn`t truth be stranger then fiction? Fiction after all has to make sense." (Samual Clemens) "Saepe errans, numquam dubitans --Frequently in error, never in doubt". | |||
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Yes it can be done safely. ________________________________________________ Maker of The Frankenstud Sling Keeper Proudly made in the USA Acepting all forms of payment | |||
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It's something we should never do, it's dangerous and can cause serious injury..............I did a bunch of them yesterday. I've never reused them afterwards but I've punched out way more than I should have, I know I shouldn't it's bad habit dangerous etc. etc. but I've done it anyway and never have popped one. A towel or matt over the press seems like a really good idea, thanks for mentioning it, I'll do it next time...............................DJ ....Remember that this is all supposed to be for fun!.................. | |||
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| Administrator |
I know it is smething we should never do. But sometimes we have no choice. I have literally deprimed 1000s of live primers, and never hada single one go off. All it needs is a gentle hand. | |||
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I have, on a number of occasions, used my press to de-prime cases with live primers as well. I never had a problem but I really don't like doing it. Sometime, after I have pulled the bullet and emptied the powder from the case, I will simply put the cartridge in a the gun and fire the primer only. It makes a bit of a "pop" and then you can simply de-prime it. Dave Dave DRSS Chapuis 9.3X74 Chapuis "Jungle" .375 FL Krieghoff 500/.416 NE Krieghoff 500 NE "Git as close as y can laddie an then git ten yards closer" "If the biggest, baddest animals on the planet are on the menu, and you'd rather pay a taxidermist than a mortician, consider the 500 NE as the last word in life insurance." Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading (8th Edition). | |||
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| One of Us |
When I get my shop re-built enough to get my press's mounted on my bench I will do a test. It will be me wearing hearing protection,eye protection and the towel idea. I will then attempt to make one go bang by PUNCHING them out. I'll let you all know....unless someone beats me to it. . ________________________________________________ Maker of The Frankenstud Sling Keeper Proudly made in the USA Acepting all forms of payment | |||
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Just put a folded towel around the press as was suggested slowly deliberately punch them out . I've done hundreds even old mercuric corrosive types with out incident . Just don't slam the pin on the anvil and all should work well .  | |||
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May I suggest that we adopt a less hypocritical phrase such as: A practice better avoided...  ________________________ "Every country has the government it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre | |||
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I prefer to say it like it is. I know I'm not supposed to do it and it could be dangerous but I do it anyway.  ................DJ....Remember that this is all supposed to be for fun!.................. | |||
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I would not say that I do it "regularly" or "frequently", but I have done it numerous times over the last 60+ years of reloading. I have even had a primer go off during removal on at least two occasions during that time. Damage? None whatsoever to anything. First time it almost scared the pee out of me, Second time (years later) I said something like "What? Again?" In my instances, the primer didn't fly around anywhere when it fired because the press I was using does not have any easily available direct (straight-line) egress from the ram's interior. | |||
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If you're going to do it be sure to not let too many primers accumulate in the collection system, no matter what it may be. I had a friend that was depriming live primers and they ignited some of the primer dust that can and will accumulate. It blew the catch tray off the press but he was not hurt thanks to personal protection equip. Take care. Do it right the first time. | |||
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Why not just chamber the empty case and fire the primer? OR, get the WD-40 and spray a jet of oil into the primer pocket to kill the primer. I doubt that a primer that's been "de-capped" is going to be suitable for use in reloading. | |||
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I have de-capped a bunch no problems... 1) Putting WD-40 in the case doesn't necessarily kill a primer. I have let primers soak with break free or WD-40 and then fired them in a rifle and the ignition rate was better than 70%. The other thing to recognize is put a primer on an anvil and smack it. They don't ignite that easy, you have to hit them pretty damn hard. I think getting one to ignite during de-capping would take a concerted effort...i have probably done a couple hundred with no problem. Mike Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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Good to have you back Alberta Canuck!  I intend to revise my decapping system on my press so as to give it something to deflect any flying primers in a safe direction. Regards 303Guy | |||
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I just pushed out 18 magnum primers out of 223 cases without a single issue this evening. Just went slow and steady. Graybird "Make no mistake, it's not revenge he's after ... it's the reckoning." | |||
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One reason to do it is when the primer some how gets into the cartridge case pocket upside down. Another is when the primer gets tipped in the seating process and is sorta scrunched on its side into the pocket. I have had each happen fairly often with one old make of press which is no longer on the market, and I don't want to fire primers that already have a "leakage" area open before ignition. It can be rough on bolt faces if done very often. As to whether primers that have been pushed out can be safely and usefully re-used, I know they can. I have done it with ones which were pushed out because they went in upside down the first time. On reseating them with the correct side up, they worked just fine. I have also done it just as an experiment with ones which were seated properly, then pushed out, and seated again. Worked just like all the others with that load combo. Though certainly not a desirable thing to have to push out live primers, done carefully it probably won't kill you and the components can be used again satisfactorily in many cases. A good inspection system followed carefully while loading will usually prevent ever needing to do it. I would recommend even more careful inspection before loading them a second time. But both CAN be done safely. | |||
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IMO, internet forums sometimes make out primers to be these incredibly volatile, unpredictable, explosive, dangerous devices. In reality primers are incredibly stable and predictable; when used and handled with respect, caution and common sense. I think that everybody who reloads owes it to themselves to do this simple experiment: Put on eye/ear protection and some gloves. Take a single primer outdoors and put it on something very hard (block of cement, anvil, big rock, etc.) and whack it with a ball peen hammer. Start very softly at first, and increase the force until it goes off. You'll find that it takes a considerable whack to set a primer off, and exactly how much explosive force a primer really has. Sorry, I've been wanting to get that off my chest for a while. Flame away... -nosualc Beware the fury of an aroused democracy. -Ike | |||
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| one of us |
This may be true but the thing about primers is that they come in 100's. My dillon 650 got a primer sideways and set one off while loading. One primer detonated all of the primers in the primer tube. Fortunately the primer tube system is well designed in the Dillon 650 and the steel tube around the primer tube directed the force straight up. It shot the Primer sensing rod through the light fixture above it. I was impressed not only by the explosive force in the 40-50 primers that went off but by how well the Dillon controlled it. I was wearing good safety glasses and wasn't injured in any way but it did make me respect what a group of primers could do. Dillon also replaced everything damaged free of charge. I guess the point here is that you don't need to fear 1 primer, respect what they can do and be carefull but don't worry too much about them. DO worry about a box or brick of primers...............................DJ ....Remember that this is all supposed to be for fun!.................. | |||
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Good point DJ, no argument here. -nosualc Beware the fury of an aroused democracy. -Ike | |||
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I’ve reused primers before. Not that many but I have reused them. I used them for fowling rounds and plinker rounds. They all worked, no problems. I have probably "punched" out less then a 150 over the last 30 years (I’m proud of that fact compared to other people). Each reclaimed primer gets inspected and if it is deformed in any way, it gets “killed”. As far as using WD-40 to kill primers, I took a dozen small mag pistol primers and soaked them in WD-40 for 3 days. I pulled them out, dried them off and loaded them up without powder and bullets  ….. They need to soak a lot longer than 3 days! | |||
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LOL,,, I’m glad you shared that experience with us but I think I’ll pass on your recommended experiment.  I can live my life vicariously through the experiences of others when it comes to smacking primers with a hammer. | |||
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| one of us |
I have decapped lots of live primers over the last 40 plus years of reloading and Never had any trouble I have place most of them back into cases and used them to fire rounds. Do it slowly and and catch them in something put them back into a good case unless they are damaged and go shooting. | |||
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For all you i'm affraid of primers try to set one off squash it in a vice WON'T GO OFF until you hit the vice right where the primer is with a hammer, put a primer in backwards in a case try to fire it WON'T GO OFF, throw them on the ground cement as hard as you can WON'T GO OFF. I have knocked primers out with a hammer & nail. And yes I reuse all my old primers. | |||
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| one of us |
I have to diagree. I don`t recall the brand but in the late 60`s, early 70`s my dad had a primer go off while priming 38-357s with an old Lee "thumb" type tool. I don`t think he was "smackin`" the tool or primer while doing so. We all knock live primers out at some point in our hobby, and we get away with it 99.9% of the time. We tend to forget primers are designed to be very sensitive to impact, shock and pressure. A little caution and a gental hand usually is all we need to get them out without a problem. A little heavy handedness or a turn of our luck and one might just wake us back up.
Don`t let HotCore hear this or you`ll never live it down..  ------------------------------------ The trouble with the Internet is that it's replacing masturbation as a leisure activity. ~Patrick Murray "Why shouldn`t truth be stranger then fiction? Fiction after all has to make sense." (Samual Clemens) "Saepe errans, numquam dubitans --Frequently in error, never in doubt". | |||
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 Good post. with or without Hotcore. | |||
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| One of Us |
Like folks mention above, punching out live primers isn't the safest thing to do, but, I've done it a whole lot in the past without one primer ever going off. The song, "Gentle on my mind" rings clear when depriming live primers.  | |||
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| one of us |
OK,OK, for all you History Buffs, that does remind me of The World's Most Ignorant Reloading Suggestion from tnekkcc's hero. Hey Hunt-ducks, Have you graduated to filling a Beer can with Match Heads and smashing it with a Sledge?  | |||
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That certainly discourages tongue-in-cheek. ________________________ "Every country has the government it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre | |||
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+1. I don't see them today but as a kid I and everyother kid I knew had "cap pistols" which fired paper rolls of caps that were virtually the same as todays primers, which many of us still call caps. No kid every lost a finger, an eye, an ear or bleed to death from snapping away on a couple hundred caps a day. Of course, today's weinie society says it's either to dangerous or not PC to play with such dastardly things as cap guns. But, those grown-up of us who know better are not afraid of those itty-bitty brass caps with a tiny dab of primer compound that will be pushed out in a solid steel die that's totally plugged at the top and nearly so at the bottom. ?? I feel no need for goggles, leather gloves or ear mufffs when pushing out live primers. Next. | |||
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My experience is a little different than yours. On a few occasions I HAVE had a primer go off when I pulled the trigger on it but it was in the primer pocket wrong-side up. Think about it... the way a primer is designed to function in a bolt gun is to have an 18-30+ lb spring power a firing pin with a very small tip area into the center of the primer. That action pinches the priming compound between the primer cup and the anvil, causing the compound to explode. It doesn't always matter which is struck, the anvil or the cup. If knocked together briskly, they sometimes will pinch the primer compound into exploding regardless. I agree with your comment that de-capping can be done safely and that the primers can be re-used. But my experience with banging* firing pins into primers inserted in cases upside down has occasionally yielded some different results than your experiences. (*pun intended) | |||
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Jim, I’m sorry but a few kids did loss their eye from “snap caps” (my brother for one, in the 60s) that’s why you don’t see them anymore. As far as smashing primers with hammers on an anvil, vise, or on the concrete back porch, be careful. Primers are built from metal, not paper and it’s going to fly. Were the metal stops, no one knows,, maybe your forehead?  | |||
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Hey Hotcore,
I take it that you did it at least one time. You are a brave man indeed. | |||
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I'm sorry too. I and my "cowboys and indians" buddies must have fired a couple hundered thousand of the paper roll caps in the 40s-50s with no injuries of any sort. I know we wore out dozens of the cheaply made pistols and went thru many jumbo boxes of the caps! Can't visualize how that could happen but .... okay. Maybe a couple, three kids tussling with a cap gun and it being fired while really near your brother's open eye? | |||
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Yup, maybe only two kids, and maybe while I was holding the gun. But that was a long time ago. Bruce is a long time dead now. Died from AIDS in the early 90s before anyone really knew what AIDS was. My dad called him, “an adventurous boy”. Oh Well! | |||
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There's a HUGE difference in the explosive force available in the small dab of black powder in those old caps and in the compounds used in modern primers! Your post is about like saying don't worry about sticks of dynamite because firecrackers won't kill you. One primer anvil shooting in your eye could blind you, a simple pair of shop glasses can prevent it. It's easy to be careful and smart when handling primers, it's stupid not to be. ...........................DJ ....Remember that this is all supposed to be for fun!.................. | |||
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