In cleaning out my parents house, I found several OLD 50 cal. cases that were brought home by either my father or brother from their stints in the service. The bullets have been pulled and the powder dumped, but the primers seem to still be intact. They are crimped in and showing some corrosion around the edges of the pockets. I would like to keep these cases around but with kids in the house I want to make sure the primers are inactive. Since I do not have a 50 to fire them in, does anyone have a sure fire method of deactivating possibly live primers? Would solvent or oil poured inside the case kill them if they are still live? Thanks, Mike

Mike. Try spraying a little penetrating oil or WD-40. Let them sit for a while and the primers should be dead. Be advised thogh, they still could go bang if the shells should fall into a fire.
Paul B.

Set them upright, take a small oil can (3-in-1 type), put a drop or two in the mouth of each one, and let them set a day or two. The oil will "puddle" in the bottom, on the primer. If you don't use too much, it won't run back out later when the cases are sitting around. Kills them every time...

mbk,

In addition to the advice my friends have given you, you might like to bear in mind the following.

I did a test on what would kill a primer.

Practically any oil will do it if it penetrates to the priming compound.

The trouble starts if you have primers that have some sort of lacqer protection. These will still go off even after a whole week of being immersed in WD40?!

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saeed@ emirates.net.ae

www.accuratereloading.com

Buy an AR-50, put the powder back in the case, put the bullet back in the case, and have a ball!

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http://stevespages.com/page8.htm

I think someone in Precision Shooting (?) did a test, and not all oils will deactivate a primer, as Saeed mentioned. My recollection is that the author of the story had much better luck with lacquer thinner instead of other oils.

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I know the next rifle will be perfect.......

It is best to spend the primer, hit them with a dull pointed object(while wearing hearing protection), then soak the case in water or oil.

Maybe I should post this in the "stupid things I've done" thread, but I had a couple cases just like that, no bullet or powder. I put on a motorcycle helmet, leather jacket, gloves, etc., and used a center punch to detonate the primer. It blew out of the case and stuck on the punch. Pretty loud too.

That is a set of stainless steel cahonies you have!! HA! I would love to have seen that.

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If you have no 50 to shoot them in, loan them to someone who does, and ask them to return the empties.

Saeed,

Never knew that about laquer sealants. I read my Dillon manual and thought WD40 was the cure-all.

H. C.