I have some .350 Rem Mag cases primed with large rifle primers that I would like to remove and replace with magnum primers. Is it safe to run them into the decapping die? The suppliers all seem to be out of .350 Rem brass.
Thanks.

Just put the cases in the decapping die and pop the primers out. You can even save the primers to use in another reloading project.

Some will advise you to wear glasses, etc. which I suppose is prudent; I just look in another direction. I've never had a live primer detonate when removing it from a case.

From real experience.

I punched out 40 or so like that last night with no problems. Have done several times with out a problem. I clean off the bench first, put the powder away and wear safety glasses.

Hiya
This is no problem at all. Just do it slowly and gently.
If you examine how the anvil in the primer is designed, you see that the only way to set a primer off is to punch the primer where the firing pin normally punches it.

So, using a decapping pin from the opposite direction cannot pinch the priming material between the anvil and the cup, at least it would be very difficult to do so.

I always have, or save, extra primer containers of each type I use, just to properly store 'extra' primers I might wind up with.
As Grumulkin said, you can certainly use them for something else.

Hope this helps a bit.

Of course, using all safely precautions is prudent..

quote:

Originally posted by Grumulkin:
Just put the cases in the decapping die and pop the primers out. You can even save the primers to use in another reloading project.

Some will advise you to wear glasses, etc. which I suppose is prudent; I just look in another direction. I've never had a live primer detonate when removing it from a case.

This is exactly how I do it as well....

I've even (stupidly) tried to detonate a primer by squeezing it in a long pliers...I wrap it in a heavy cloth and squeeze it flat and it don't go off! The only primers I've ever set off was with a sharp hit with an object like a hammer and of course a firing pin.

That said.....I can guarantee you that it has happened.....just ask Dillon! Folks have set off an entire stack of primers in their presses and it can happen to you too.....

Just because it's never happened to me don't mean it's safe to do.....

Wear eye protection and be observant as to your hands.....are they in a place where they can catch some flash.....?

On the rare occasion I install a primer sideways or even upside-down....and remove it in the sizing die but using the precautions of eye protection and other.

I removed a couple hundred primers from some 223 brass a year, or so, ago. Just went slow and all primers came out unblemished. Went on to use all of these primers without a single problem.

I, too, simply de-prime them with my Lee Decapping die and have never had a problem. As others have said, wearing safety glasses is certainly a prudent thing to do. I recently went through about a 100 .308s this way without any problems.

Thanks for all the input.....worked like a charm!

I don't know how I did it but I accidentally removed a live primer via decapping die without incident-

Yep, it can be done but as others have said, slow and gentle is the key IMO.