Safely dispose of messed up primers in brass

BondoBob · August 16, 2020, 11:07 AM

I had a couple of 38 spl primers seat a little sideways and got flattened. I'm not sure if I can just load and shoot them or should dispose of them. I was going to just bring them to the range, load the empty primed cases in my cylinder and fire them off. Is this acceptable/safe way to dispose of suspect primers? Or, is there a better way. I suppose I could do the same with auto rounds, if I placed them in the chamber by hand one at a time. Any better ideas?

oley55 · August 16, 2020, 12:54 PM

Deprime, place in a small/tiny container and spray/saturate with most any petroleum based lubricant (WD-40) and then toss them in the trash. The lubricant will stay in there and continue to neutralize the components.

I promise a water/detergent soak will not reliably kill a primer, even after days of soaking. They are remarkably resistant to water.

LE-28 · August 17, 2020, 04:31 PM

WD-40 won't reliably kill them either but It's a lot better than anything else we've found.

I just throw them in the trash anymore, or if there is a fire in the fire pit, I throw them in there and run.

I know, you said safely.

Nick_C_S · August 19, 2020, 09:06 PM

I'm curious how one seats a primer "a little sideways?" Or exactly what that means?

FITASC · August 19, 2020, 09:29 PM

The primer flips sideways just as you go to seat it. It is easily remedied by simply pushing it out with the decapping pin and throwing it in the trash.

hounddawg · August 19, 2020, 09:49 PM

Quote:

It is easily remedied by simply pushing it out with the decapping pin and throwing it in the trash.

yep

cdoc42 · August 19, 2020, 10:03 PM

I have a bazillion empty Hodgdon powder bottles. One is used for brass with a live primer that I don't feel like knocking out. The other is for primers as described here that didn't seat correctly. Both are filled with water because I recall Unclenick mentioning water would cause their eventual deterioration. I don't know how long that would take but both bottles have been sitting on my reloading area for at least 3 years and not yet full enough to discard. Any guesses on what would happen if a trash truck would squash a bottle full of water with previously live, but damaged, primers in it?
They didn't go off by being squashed in the primer tool. I'm willing to bet they won't go off if the trash truck crushes the bottle of water.

FITASC · August 19, 2020, 10:52 PM

Put them in a mineral water bottle or similar with a cap and throw in the trash.........

**Unclenick** · August 22, 2020, 07:32 PM

We had someone test primer submersion a few years back using different solvents. IIRC, he had one in Kerosene for two weeks that still fired. So I don't know of any guarantees. You could probably drop them off with the local fire department for disposal if one is convenient to your location. But if it is only a couple and they aren't too deformed to seat, you could drill out a spare case's flash hole with a 1/8 inch drill and shoot wax bullets with them. Just firing them will be fine, too (though be aware that if you use a revolver and don't drill the flash hole out, they can back up hard and jam cylinder rotation, as there is no powder pressure backing the case up to reseat the spent primer).

August 16, 2020, 11:07 AM	#1
BondoBob Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2020 Posts: 163	Safely dispose of messed up primers in brass I had a couple of 38 spl primers seat a little sideways and got flattened. I'm not sure if I can just load and shoot them or should dispose of them. I was going to just bring them to the range, load the empty primed cases in my cylinder and fire them off. Is this acceptable/safe way to dispose of suspect primers? Or, is there a better way. I suppose I could do the same with auto rounds, if I placed them in the chamber by hand one at a time. Any better ideas?

August 16, 2020, 12:54 PM	#2
oley55 Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2013 Location: JAX, FL Posts: 377	Deprime, place in a small/tiny container and spray/saturate with most any petroleum based lubricant (WD-40) and then toss them in the trash. The lubricant will stay in there and continue to neutralize the components. I promise a water/detergent soak will not reliably kill a primer, even after days of soaking. They are remarkably resistant to water. __________________ “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.” ― Ronald Reagan

August 19, 2020, 09:06 PM	#4
Nick_C_S Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2013 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,621	I'm curious how one seats a primer "a little sideways?" Or exactly what that means? __________________ Gun control laws benefit only criminals and politicians - but then, I repeat myself. Life Member, National Rifle Association

August 19, 2020, 09:29 PM	#5
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,655	The primer flips sideways just as you go to seat it. It is easily remedied by simply pushing it out with the decapping pin and throwing it in the trash. __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

August 19, 2020, 10:52 PM	#8
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,655	Put them in a mineral water bottle or similar with a cap and throw in the trash......... __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

August 17, 2020, 04:31 PM	#3
LE-28 Senior Member Join Date: September 24, 2012 Location: North Carolina Posts: 759	WD-40 won't reliably kill them either but It's a lot better than anything else we've found. I just throw them in the trash anymore, or if there is a fire in the fire pit, I throw them in there and run. I know, you said safely.

August 19, 2020, 10:03 PM	#7
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,772	I have a bazillion empty Hodgdon powder bottles. One is used for brass with a live primer that I don't feel like knocking out. The other is for primers as described here that didn't seat correctly. Both are filled with water because I recall Unclenick mentioning water would cause their eventual deterioration. I don't know how long that would take but both bottles have been sitting on my reloading area for at least 3 years and not yet full enough to discard. Any guesses on what would happen if a trash truck would squash a bottle full of water with previously live, but damaged, primers in it? They didn't go off by being squashed in the primer tool. I'm willing to bet they won't go off if the trash truck crushes the bottle of water.

August 22, 2020, 07:32 PM	#9
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,743	We had someone test primer submersion a few years back using different solvents. IIRC, he had one in Kerosene for two weeks that still fired. So I don't know of any guarantees. You could probably drop them off with the local fire department for disposal if one is convenient to your location. But if it is only a couple and they aren't too deformed to seat, you could drill out a spare case's flash hole with a 1/8 inch drill and shoot wax bullets with them. Just firing them will be fine, too (though be aware that if you use a revolver and don't drill the flash hole out, they can back up hard and jam cylinder rotation, as there is no powder pressure backing the case up to reseat the spent primer). __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle