Depriming live primers

[beardking]

Ok, so after loading about 25 rounds of .40 I realized that somehow I had picked up Winchester Small Rifle primers instead of Winchester Small Pistol primers. So, I immediately stopped production and pulled all of those aside. I used my trusty hammer type bullet puller to salvage the bullets and powder, but now I've come upon a delimma. How on earth do I get those live primers out of there without blowing things up (even on a small scale)? What do you guys do?

Thanks in advance,
Beardking.

[m0ntels]

Just go slow and make sure you have your glasses on. You'll be fine. I primed a batch once before I realized I didnt size them first You might get a little dent, but it shouldnt be enough to do any damage. It sounds scarier than it actually is, just use basic safety rules.

Randy

[Edward429451]

Recently I had occassion to deprime 0ver 2400 223 cases, all live primers. Some guys rejects from a 650 machine. Not a single blow up.

Firing pins set them primers off with a hard fast whack. So you just set the decapping pin against the primer gently and a slow steady pressure pops it out safely.

[beardking]

Well, I'll try that tonight. If I'm typing hen-peck style tomorrow, it'll be on ya'lls heads. HAH.

I was kind of thinking that it would be fine to just deprime them as normal. Of course, before I even think about doing that, ALL powder type objects will be removed from the room. Just for that extra bit of comfort.

Thanks guys.

[Austin Charles]

I have done it on a universal decapping die a lot of times.

Just take it slow and don't just jerk down on the press, and make sure to wear ear and eye protection. You will be fine.

[CERBERUS]

why not just run them through the gun outside (depending on where you live)? this seems a lot safer then using a reloder to un-prime brass. plus you get a little dry fire time.

[beardking]

Well, if I didn't live dead center in the middle of town and less than 2 blocks from my local cop shop, that's probably what I'd do. But, alas, I don't need to see any flashing lights all over my lawn just so I can deprime my cases. I'll take it REALLY careful tonight and see if I keep all of my appendages.

[dodgestdshift]

Many moons ago, I would fire plastic rounds powered by primer in my basement. They make a noise but nothing unseamly. Load the empty cases single shot in your gun in your cellar and fire the gun. The noise won't bother anyone (tell your wife first).

I have also done it with my decaping die, very carefully.

[beardking]

Well, I tried the firing the primed cases in my garage last night. Glad I warned my wife or she would have thought I killed myself or something. I had ear protection on and it still about deafened me. So, I'll either have to go really slow and deprime them on my press or I'll just set those to the side and ignore them for a while.

[snuffy]

Ya should have just went ahead and shot the loads. Lots of people use small rifle primers in 40 S&W. I used up a bunch of rem 6 1/2 primers that won't work in .223 shells in my glock M22. They worked just fine.

Ed got it right, I'd add that the primer is also held against the bottom of the primer pocket and can't move, it has no choice but to fire. Pushing gently on the anvil with a decapping pin just won't set one off.

[Mal H]

You won't have a problem, beardking, following the advice already given several times - go slowly, wear proper safety gear, wear leather gloves if you're really paranoid about it.

The problem with firing primer-only rounds is : the gun gets really dirty, dirtier than firing normal rounds; the primer will often back out of the case causing the case to jam in the gun, that's especially true of revolvers; and most important - all the the noise without the fun.

[MADISON]

LIVE PRIMER DEPRIMING
Been there...Dun that and never set off a primer!
Over the last 35 years I have pulled and deprimed lots of military rounds. It requires caution.
[1] I lube the case
[2] Bring the ram down until it starts to size
[3] With you Open Hand ONLY tap the handle, lightly

[beenthere]

You could try pressing the cases thru a block of canning wax (makes a primed case with a wax bullet). Shoot them at a target for practice. Single load each time. Did that before plastic bullets became available. Less noise because it's not an open bore.

[Edward429451]

Ya know, now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever heard of someone setting off a primer while decapping it live.

I've been there twice when live primers went bang while priming cases though, and heard of other instances of the same.

[mikemayberry]

I goofed the other day and inserted a 44 mag primer upside down so that the pin side was inside the brass. Asked my mentor what to do and he said to ease it out with the decapper. Made sure I had the glasses on and did it very gently. Nothing happened, just a dent in the pin side so I guess the gentle touch tells the tale.

I did about half expect it to go off.

Mike

[Chick]

Put a drop of light oil onthe primer and let them set over night, is what i have been told. Then just use your regular deprimer. It ruins the primers, but who cares about 25 primers?

[hawkfeather]

I had primed 50 rounds of brand new Winchester brass before realizing I forgot to neck size it. I called Lee and the guy there said it is totally safe to deprime them with the sizer de-capper die. I did it and had no problems. He said it is the norm with them or he wouldn't suggest it. He also said just to do it slowly and don't "jam" it out.

[Zak Smith]

WSR vs. WSP

Just shoot them. IPSC guys including myself use WSR in our 40SW loads all the time.

Alternatively, I've deprimed live primers. The key is to GOOOO SLOOOOOWWWW. Impact, not slow crushing, is what sets off a primer.

-z