How do you remove a live primer from a hull? Shoot the primer first???

Same way you do a spent primer.

quote:

Same way you do a spent primer

+1 I always wear safety glasses while loading. If I'm going to remove live primers I use ear covering as well. But then again I don't ever remember a live one going off. But with 60% loss already I take no chances.

Seems like they would go off. As much fuss as Lee makes about primers going off...I was always too nervous to decap a live one.

Slow and steady with the press handle. They come right out. Of course eye protection is a given.

I have never had one go off.

I've decapped hundreds of live primers.

I've had ONE go off.

It was crimped into the case and I was TRYING to make one go off by really jerking the handle.

AD

hang a couple rags over press and wear eye protection.

quote:

Originally posted by Allan DeGroot:
I've decapped hundreds of live primers.

I've had ONE go off.

It was crimped into the case and I was TRYING to make one go off by really jerking the handle.

AD

What is a primer detonation like in a press...no big deal??? Of course eye protection!!!

Boxer slow and easy, have done quite a number of them for case collection, never had one go off. If crimped or Berdan, use a small propane torch, that is, after bullet is pulled and powder dumped - outside lay them on a board and under a rock. Mercury Berdan primers are not affected by heat, I don't know how to get them out without first firing them off and then drilling them out, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

My very first loading tool was a Lee hammer die set in 22-250 and I was de-priming a few cases one night and it just happened to be a thunderstorm at the time. A primer went off just as a thunder plump hit. Wife thought I had blown the house up for a second or two. Priming rod jumped a bit but with the weight of the hammer above it wasn't much to worry about. That was in the 70's and havent had one go off since although have never used a lee hand die again.

Von Gruff.

I'm gonna get on the band wagon that sez put the depiming pin gently against the primer and gradually add pressure until it pops out. Think of it like you are pushing the primer out.

Yup, should be able to reuse it too. Go slow and easy. Are you depriming to resize or depriming to anneal? If you are resizing just a dab of lanolin based lube or iImperial wax on the neck and take the depriming pin out of the stem and you can resize with the primer in. Another option is to get a body die.

I had some .500 NE brass given to me and some of it is primed.

They have been sitting for a while and don't know conditions...was going to reprime before loading. It is new brass.

Take a few primed one at random . Load some practice rounds give Em a squeeze onto paper target ,see what happens all they can do is go Bang or Thud . If they thud make sure they do it twice before removing them .

Then as wasbeeman says :

I've done many of them that way ,an never had one go bang in the press . Some of those Military ones are NO Fun ,some of them bastards are Sealed for Life . I've actually broken extracting pins on them and don't recommend it, because they can and do go Bang . I made a little hydraulic press for removing primers on .308 30/06 ( .30 Cal ) it works just fine however it actually split a few necks ,so I kind of shelved it . Now if I get any belts with Armor piercing and or tracers ,I pull the bullets save powder for Gopher & squirrels bombs . Reload the cases with my components less the primer and shoot em !. Have yet have one fail to go Bang Boom !.

Jam them out as hard as you can...let us know the results

I have no idea how many live primers I've decapped and have never had one fire. DO WEAR SAFETY GLASSES JUST IN CASE. Just a smooth stoke on the decapping die and they pop right out with no problem.

quote:

Originally posted by Allan DeGroot:
I've decapped hundreds of live primers.

I've had ONE go off.

It was crimped into the case and I was TRYING to make one go off by really jerking the handle.

AD

I would still like to hear how bad the pop was when one went off???

quote:

Originally posted by mrjulian_1970:
Slow and steady with the press handle. They come right out. Of course eye protection is a given.

I have never had one go off.

+1 BTW you can recycle the unfired primers as well they will still work.
You can test it by decaping an unfired primer, re seating the same primer then firing it in your rifle with out powder or bullet with hearing eye protection on.

But don't reuse them in a DG load! Practice loads only.

quote:

Originally posted by Oday450:
But don't reuse them in a DG load! Practice loads only.

That...is why I am removing these. They were put in brand new brass and stored. I don't know the conditions or time.

I have plenty of used practice brass...these new ones are for ele.

As you are using these for a purpose I'd reprime. If they were a target or practce load I'd say try 5 or 10 to see if the primers are good. For a game, defense, or scored match load it's a good decision to reprime. Primers are hard to kill but there are times you definately want it to know it will go bang.

Squirt some wd-40 or such down the case first-should remove most of the slight chance of a primer det and still come out when cleaning.

SSR

I have never had a single primer go off while being decapped.

I have had one or two go off, however, while priming cases with a Lee Loader!