Not really, but I did save a ton of money on car insurance. hehehehe

Guys, I've loaded up some 30-06 that wouldn't chamber. I have figured that I goofed and had the dies set wrong. I have pulled the bullets and powder, but how do I remove the primer in order to re-size the cases? The gun will not chamber the cartridges, so I can't just shoot them. Is it safe to do a full length resize/primer extraction(de-capping) with live primers? If not is there any other way to either get them out or can I remove the decapping pin and bump the shoulders back with the primers in? Any help appreciated...

This should present no problem.

Primers detonate on impact....no impact, no BANG. I've routinely removed live primers with the decapping pin for many years, and have NEVER had one fire in the process. Just be very gentle on the press handle, and wear safety glasses just in case (same as you ALWAYS should when handloading, right?).

In your present case, I would remove the decapping pin and resize as needed. Since absolutely NO mechanical force will be applied to the primer at all, this should be perfectly safe.

Regards from BruceB (aka Bren Mk1)

Just take the expander ball off, take the decapping pin out, put the ball back on, and have at.

Not that I have had to do that sort of thing before . HTH, Dutch.

you should not have any problems. I have deprimed many of live primers.
Even if one primer does go off, if you are wearing safety glasses you will not be hurt. Keep the powder away.

I have done the same thing you mentioned. Tried to set up a Lee full length size die like I do RCBS full length sizing die -- no go.

David

I would go with Dutch's answer. No need to waste the primers, just take off the expander ball, remove the pin and resize.

You did not say what line of dies you were using but the easiest thing to do is remove the decapping pin and FULLY resize the cases leaving the primer in place, saves step or two later on also.
Check to be sure that this will solve your chambering problem BEFORE wasting much time on sizing them all. The whole bunch of them may still not chamber after this exercise. Been there, done that with my tight chambered Donaldson Wasp.

If you have a Lee sizing die, the pin is NOT removable. Just it back off until the decapping pin is ineffective.

Be careful with this approach, on some Lee dies the expander section of the decaping rod is so long you will not be able to to this without modifying the entire decapping pin/expander ball shaft (you will crush the case where the expander ball closes off the neck of the die). If you have to modify the expander ball and do not have access to a lathe, it can be done with a electric drill (drill press) file and/or some silicon carbide paper. Spin it slowly against the file and back it (using your hand to back it up will fill your skin full of metal chips) up so you don't bend the shaft of the expander ball!

LouisB

I'm so cheap I'll do anything to save a few primers!

[ 09-17-2003, 04:48: Message edited by: TCLouis ]

I have to agree with Bruce. If you use a light touch and gently push on the primer, it should dislodge safely. If you feel you are a bit heavy handed then then pull the depriming pin from the resizing die and try it. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Thanks everyone

I recommend you follow the "leave the primers in" method. I had to remove a couple of primers and when I tried to re-insert them, they were real soft going in, kind of like they might not be tight enough. Just my $0.02 worth.

Alittle trick I learned, from reading the instructions ( not that we guys ever do that, since it is unmanly to read the instructions)

If you raise your expander ball all the way as high as it will go in the die, you can resize a case without the decapping pin touching the primer!

I have started doing that to all of my dies, as I like to decap them with a universal de capping die anyway. Saves on having too many stuck cases.

This was in a RCBS and the Speer manual if anyone was interested./

Just something to think about if you deprime live primers, and I sometimes do as well:

Stand off to the side also. The primer is usually popped out at the top of the ram stroke and if it did blow, it would surely funnel right down and out the bottom front of the ram, possibly into your body!! I'm not sure how deep it'd get into you, but I doubt it would feel good if you did.

I just finished depriming a batch of 38-40 brass that I mistakenly put rifle primers in. (hammer blow is too light for them)
I used a 45-70 die, it has no expander ball (Lyman)
Did a beautiful job, never touched the cases, and no detonations either. Kinda like a universal decapping die, as long as your case is no longer than the 45-70.