Question? Primers are very easy to prime into case.
I have a question for you more experienced reloaders. While I have reloaded a few 1000's 9mm round in my lifetime. I have never experienced this.
I picked up a few 100's range brass, cleaned them up, resized, deprimed, etc. Now here's the question. While repriming the new primers in the cases, the primers fit in very easy, no resistant. While in the past I have had just a little resistant, something like the "the feel" most people talk about. These went in like butter. Before I go any further is this safe?
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Good question...glad you're playing it safe by asking!
I agree with Big Dog, if in doubt, toss them out...especially with brass of unkown origin. I'm all for using range brass, but after good cleaning and a close inspection, should I find something that doesn't look or feel right; I have no issue culling them from the herd. I'd rather lose the cost of a few primers...than something worse.
Range brass can be like sleeping with a blind date...if you don't know thier history and fail to proceed with caution, both could leave you with a broken piece and a trip to the doctor.
Al
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Last edited by Recluse; 08-07-2012 at 05:29 PM.
Reason: comments changed from rated R to PG :)
I am with B I G DOG. I would definitely toss them out. Any time you even think a primer is starting to get loose in the primer pocket I would toss them out. It's a shame you went through all that work just to find out the primer pockets are bad.
Do you really want to take a chance on de-capping a live primer. Personally myself I don't think so. If you don't think a primer is a big thing just pitch one in your burning barrel and see what happens when it goes off. 0 By the Way if you do stand way back. I would not I would not suggest you pitch one in a burning barrel. Please take my word for it. A primer has quite a bit of explosive power seen a friend of mine try to save some primers a few years ago. When the primer went off let me tell you it came flying out of the press and hit a wall pretty good a few feet away. Just pitch the casings. Remember it is always better to play it safe.
Isn't just about the same force applied to a primer in putting one in the cartridge as in taking one out? I think the danger is a little overstated there.
Or, you can go on the other hand, since primers are fairly cheap, is it worth the chance of one going off while removing it? Plus you are applying the force to remove it from the other end of the primer than inseting it. Does this make it more likely to go off? I'm not an engineer to figure it out. You can go either way.
I see that you already disassembled and tossed them.
Just wondering if you had tried a different brand of primer in a few cases? Primers SHOULD all be standard sizes and tolerances. But being the frugal person that I am, I woukd want to check if the cases were expanded too much or maybe it was an undersized batch of primers?
everything I've come across in print says to never attempt to unseat a live primer.
I myself have unseated many live primers over many years with never a one going off.
the trick is to use very gentle increasing pressure to push them free. a decapping pin striking them smartly (by trying to work too quickly) could cause one to go off.
I have never had a failure to fire from a reseated primer.
this is a pretty touchy subject. if you choose to try and do this some time in the future, absolutely wear eyeand ear protection.
this is a tough one, because I don't recommend doing it, but on the other hand, I wouldn't hesitate if I myself needed to do so.
Loose primers means high pressures at sometime in the past, toss 'em.
Or...could have been crimped primer pockets that had been reamed too much.
Glad you tossed'em.
I used a Lee pocket reloader many years ago. While priming one case the primer ignited...sent the priming rod flying into the ceiling...****ed thing stuck in the ceiling. I guessed there was some foreign matter in the shell holder I didn't see. I was sure glad I wasn't leaning over the thing at the time.
Yeah, It had to be the 9mm cases. I loaded up some .38 spl rounds, once fired brass with primers from the same batch. They seemed to fit fine. I had "The feel" that we all know & love. I will stay away from the range brass.
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A key to picking up range brass...this is true in most cases...can't and won't say 100% though.
If the primers in the pick-up brass is silver colored, the cases in question have been reloaded at least once...factory (once-fired) brass the primers are usually a brass color similar to thecase color.
Range pick-up is a 50-50 proposition but reloaded range brass of which you have zero knowledge...toss it.
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Okay, while we are talking about primers and safety, I have a couple of questions. I don't reload yet, because I am still at the book learning stage. I have learned a lot by reading the posts on here. I really appreciate the information regarding safety issues. Thanks guys.
One of my surplus 8mm Mauser cartridge failed to fire. I cycled it through the rifle a second time - no bang. I used a kenetic puller to pull the bullet and emptied out the powder. Then I stopped, waiting for my knowledge to catch up. I want to make it into a dummy load. How do I safely remove the possibly live primer? From what I am reading here, I don't.
I would also like to make some dummy cartridges for my Mosins. Would it be possible to pull the bullets from the surplus ammo, dump out the powder, and then fire the primers in a rife, without hurting anything? Yeah, I know it is difficult to pull bullets from surplus ammo. I was afraid I was going to break my puller removing the bullet from that Mauser case. I might buy one of those other kinds of pullers to do this.
If it is 8mm surplus, probably a 99%+ chance it is Berdan primed. Even a foolish person like me would NEVER try to remove a berdan primer. Just get a boxer primed 8mm case from elsewhere.
Goat Roper I agree with gang dog it's probably a berdan primer if that is surplus. And the only way those can be taken out without damaging the case is by hydraulic water pressure or a special tool for decamping those type of primers. And if it is cramped I don't think you're going to get it out without damaging the case. Besides the danger involved in trying to remove that primer is not worth it.(I have never been wild about the idea of using a kinetic hammer to remove bullets. I'm sure it's quite safe to use on ammunition that is not had a firing pin strike the primer. Myself I would air on the safe side by using a collect type bullet puller. I use a RCBs:collet puller. Dummy rounds are nice thing to have. When you do get into reloading their very useful. Especially when you come up with a load and you want to set your dies. For seating depth. Primers usually are not super dangerous but they do have some inherent risk myself for what little they cost will not bother trying to salvage them.
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