Decapping Live Primers

[masan]

Gents,

A co-worker of mine approached me today about an issue he is having with his handloads. Long story short, he has only been loading for a short period of time, got a "good deal" on some once fire LC brass, "ran off" 100 rounds on his 550b, found that nearly every round has a high primer, and wants to know if it will affect accuracy.

I asked if he had removed the crimp from the primer pocket, the answer was no, he had no idea that you could do that to primers.

MY advice was not to shoot it at all, especially from a gas gun, due to the risk of a slam-fire. I suggested he pull the bullets, so he could re-use his components, and just re-prime the brass after removing the crimp. He asked me if it was SAFE to decap live primers which brings me to the point of this thread...

How do you (personally) go about decapping live primers?

I was taught to put the case(s) into a standard 50 rnd ammo case, fill the case(s) with water, let sit for a few days, decap.

I know a few hand loaders who will decap live primers without any attempt to neutralize the primer.

What do you do/reccomend?

*edit: I should have noted that eye protection should be worn at all times when doing any kind of reloading...

*edit #2: Primers are CCI 400's

[markm]

I've decapped thousands of live primers without a hiccup. As long as there's no Paul Bunyaning on the press, it's a very low risk operation.

Depending on how high they are, I'd just shoot the damned things. But pushing them back out isn't dangerous.

[Ryno12]

I have no problem de capping live primers. I wear safety glasses "just in case" but never had one detonate.

Just go slow 'n smooth.

[LRRPF52]

Any time I deal with primers, I wear eye protection. I have had 2 primers inadvertently activate on me, once being when I was using an inertia puller (not fun).

I have also tested what will happen with de-priming a live primer. I went slowly, nothing happened.

[masan]

This raises another question that I have been mulling over for some time. Do you prefer hand priming or using the press? I can honestly say that I was super excited when I first got my first Dillon press, but ultimately I went back to using a hand primer. I personally feel that priming on the press takes away my ability to "feel" the primer seat.
The same goes for my old Rockchucker and my T-7, I just can't get into priming with the press.

My co-worker primes with his 550b, I wonder if he would have been able to notice the crimp in the primer pocket better if he was using a hand primer or if that is something that comes with more experience.

[.46caliber]

When we knock out a live primer we usually squirt a bit of wd-40 inside if we're trashing the brass. Otherwise, no fluid. Just go real slow and stand away with head turned or eye pro.

We have a cheap Lyman press setup with a decapping die. I've thought about building some guard or deflector to hang on the press for this task.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[.46caliber]

We hand prime since we're on a single stage setup and you know when you have a tight pocket.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[opngrnd]

The info in this thread is good to know. How do you guys go about getting rid of the live primers you've pushed back out?

[Whiskey&beer]

I absolutely hated priming on my 550b! It would "scrunch" up a primer on probably 30% ratio. I'd also have to check constantly for this weird crescent moon shape debris that would get under the primer which would leave that shape imprint on the primer. Always made me wonder if that could ever cause one to go off?.. Anyways it took me all of a month before I started using a hand primer and it works perfect. Using the Dillon also caused me to de-prime a few live ones here and there without issues.

[HKGuns]

The info in this thread is good to know. How do you guys go about getting rid of the live primers you've pushed back out?

Throw them in the trash. Unless you've got a whole bunch of them they're not going to hurt much. I don't usually do a ton of them all at once, usually just a couple that aren't going to hurt anyone / anything.

[masan]

primers can/do dry out and become active again if you soak them, so I wouldn't worry about throwing them away

[Ryno12]

The info in this thread is good to know. How do you guys go about getting rid of the live primers you've pushed back out?

If they get distorted in any way, I trash them. The good ones I'll reuse.

[Leaveammoforme]

I don't go any easier on a live primer than I do a spent one. I don't re-use any primer I remove. I have heard of some frugal people re-using live primers but at 2-3 cents each I don't care. When I'm overflowing with removed primers I suck them up in a dedicated small shop vac that has a few inches of water in it.

[davidz71]

I absolutely hated priming on my 550b! It would "scrunch" up a primer on probably 30% ratio. I'd also have to check constantly for this weird crescent moon shape debris that would get under the primer which would leave that shape imprint on the primer. Always made me wonder if that could ever cause one to go off?.. Anyways it took me all of a month before I started using a hand primer and it works perfect. Using the Dillon also caused me to de-prime a few live ones here and there without issues.

Never had a live primer detonate but only done this maybe 50 times. Strange about your 550b. I bought one just as it changed over from the 450 in 1983. I had those strange imprints on primers and traced it to an irregularity on the priming ram. I dressed it up with a file and the imprints went away.

[Ready.Fire.Aim]

The info in this thread is good to know. How do you guys go about getting rid of the live primers you've pushed back out?

I just leave them on the floor. It's funny when the wife vacuums up a spilled live primer.

Vacuum cleaner impellers are easy to replace.

I use a Dillon 650. I use it to prime and can feel the primer seating on the upstroke. I only loaded about 20,000 9mm on it but so far so good.

[markm]

The info in this thread is good to know. How do you guys go about getting rid of the live primers you've pushed back out?

I put those mofos right back into another piece of brass. If they're deformed from decap, I'll toss them in the trash or wad them in a ball of paper and toss them in the fire pit out back.

[markm]

I absolutely hated priming on my 550b!

It's good to see other 550b primer misery survivors. :sarcastic:

I took the operating rod out of my primer system and it just sits there gathering dust. Running the 550b with primed brass is SO MUCH more enjoyable when you aren't clearing stations because of mashed fukking primers..... and you don't hand someone one of your loads with an upside down primer in the pocket.... which makes you look like an idiot.

[FloridaWoodsman]

I just went slow and easy while depriming (wearing safety glasses) and had no problem. So that nothing bad happens at the county incinerator, I squirt oil on them before putting them in the trash. My brother, who works faster than I do, has had them go off, but says it wasn't a particularly bad experience, just be mindful of where the little shrapnel may go and keep the protective goggles on.