I've loaded about 20 bullets and then realized that the load is a little too hot. If I pull the bullets, I know I can reuse the powder and bullet, but what do I do about the primed case. I imagine the the neck tension is loosened so that I couldn't just repowder and seat a new bullet. Can I? Can I just neck size with it being primed? Is is unsafe to resize punching a live primer out? What do I do? Thanks.

I've neck sized a bunch on new primed cases to square the neck. I just remove the decapping pin from the die. I don't think I'd want to decap live primers.

Thanks. I didn't even think about removing the decapping pin. Will there be a problem since the expander ball wont be expanding the neck?

forgot to add. I only have FL resizing dies. Would I have to get neck sizing dies. I know you can neck size with the FL die, but I'm just worried about the expander ball thing not being used. Thanks.

Well it's no problem. You can just reseat the bullets, they should be reasonably firm.

If you decide to resize, no worry. Instead of taking the decapper right out, just screw it out enough to miss the primer. DON'T FORGET TO RE-LUBE THE CASE.

If you do knock the primer out you would probably be the first in the world if it went off. But take precautions anyway ie safety classes and or a towel between you and the die.
And deprime SLOWLY, they don't like impacts.

If you had a Lee crimp die you could tighten 'em with that instead of the FLSizer.
But then the more loose ones MAY just shoot better.

The decapping PIN should be removeable leaving the expander ball attached to the stem. Just remove the PIN, pull the bullets, dump the powder, resize, refill, reseat the bullet and shoot!

Wot JAL said, the neck tension should be OK, but if you're not happy with it, back the neck expander/depriming pin back up into the die so the pin won't contact the primer, back the die out 1/2 to full turn (I have a thin washer I put under the die if I want to neck size only) & resize your necks, but in my experience with this sort of thing you probably won't need to.
Steve

Thanks guys. I'll seat a new bullet without sizing and see how the tension feels, and if I feel I need to resize I will with the expander/pin backed up into the die. Thanks again. This site has been a great help to me. Thank God for the internet and sites like this.

I just pulled and reseated new bullets once and this is what happened.The cartriges that were in the magazine would start getting the bullets seated deeper from the recoil each time the rifle was fired.I began blowing a primer every once in a while,this is how I noticed it.Do as recommended,pull the bullet,dump the powder,remove the decapping pin,resize the case,add the powder and reseat the new bullet and you're back in business.

I went ahead and neck sized the cases. I figured I might as well go ahead and do that since it isn't much extra work. The cartridge is 338 win so I figure I might as well do that so I don't have the problem that baldhunter described. Thanks again.

I have decap live primers with ever having an incident but I do wear safety glasses just in case.

Youo shouldn't even have to resize the case, if you use an impact bullet puller...

I dis-assemble old ammo all the time, and just reseat a bullet...

ammo that I have 9 of these left after hunting season, 12 of these, 13 of those.. etc..

Also if you need to resize a case with the primer in it, just adjust the decapping pin until it is as high in the case as it can go...

then it won't even touch the primer...

This will probably never happen to you or anyone else on this forum, but just so you are aware of it...

On page 11 of the January 1988 issue of Rifle magazine, there is a discussion of unintentional powder ignition by percussion and other means. It CAN happen both when dislodging loaded rounds stuck in chambers, OR when disassembling loaded rounds.

Apparently the larger the loaded round, the more common the occurance is, to the point that knowledgeable commercial recyclers of surplus ammo components (powder, cases, or bullets) intentionally set up their processes so as to "eliminate the risk of injury" when such happenings occur.

On a lightly different topic, that same page lists two more accidents (other than the two benchrest match related ones I was already aware of) where shooters were injured (one adult male killed) by a round going off when knocking a stuck loaded round from a chamber with a rod down the barrel.

I'm not sure what you're describing here Alberta. Someone accidently had a round explode while trying to pull a bullet? How does a loaded round get stuck in a chamber? Thanks.
edit to add. somewhat new to this whole thing.

quote:

How does a loaded round get stuck in a chamber?

Easy.

You take one idiot, give him the idea he can reload. He reloads, wonders why his ammo wouldn't chamber at the range so back at home, with the lounge full of people, he hammers the round in with his shoe or something. Then when he hammers the bolt open and the rim tears off, he hammers a brass rod onto the cartridge from the muzzle end untill the brass rod wedges between the bullet and the throat.

Am I being a bit harsh?

When I finally got that round out, I found the neck/shoulder to have a longitudinal split. I kept that round for posterity. (And it was not the fault of some 'cheap' factory ammo like he told me).

quote:

Originally posted by Ckemp:
I'm not sure what you're describing here Alberta. Someone accidently had a round explode while trying to pull a bullet? How does a loaded round get stuck in a chamber? Thanks.
edit to add. somewhat new to this whole thing.

I have heard of a couple of "ignitions" while using impact bullet pullers. On at least one the powder didn't burn, and I don't think there were any injuries.

Easy to get a loaded round stuck in chamber, if its a bit oversize in the case for various reasons. Owner tries hard to chamber it, bolt not locked to give primary extraction or stripped rim etc. Take to it with a cleaning rod and hammer . . . and bang. If the bolt has been taken out the case can come out with enough force to kill.

quote:

Originally posted by Ckemp:
I'm not sure what you're describing here Alberta. Someone accidently had a round explode while trying to pull a bullet? How does a loaded round get stuck in a chamber? Thanks.
edit to add. somewhat new to this whole thing.

Actually I was introducing to the conversation a caution that depite popular belief, smokeless powder IS subject to explosion by various means far more easily than a lot of people and books will tell you.

That being the case (groaner pun), one needs to take special safety precautions when pulling bullets by impact pullers or any other kind of pullers. You will probably never have a problem with any method of pulling bullets, but you should think through in advance how to best protect your eyesight, fingers, and middle torso while conducting that activity, in case an unintended ignition does occur.

The part about unintentional discharges with live ammo stuck in OPEN actions was just to help make the point that smokeless CAN and does sometimes ignite without a primer being used.

There is a way cartridges can get stuck quite easily. Fire the rifle - it gets warm. Chamber cold cartridge that just doesn't quite make it. It goes in that far easily enough. But then it warms to the chamber temperature and brass expands more than steel. That cartridge will be stuck! Even when the chamber cools down.

(But the idiot method also works! )

Although I agree on the principles of neck tension being an issue, Out of many hundreds of stripped rounds, (using the cam-lok tool), I have not had any problems just re seating bullets, perhaps I'm just lucky or maybe it's a calibre/cartridge thing?