Shooting casing with new primer, but no powder

NoleMan · May 17, 2009, 06:53 PM

This may sound sort of crazy, but i was thinking about resizing a few casings, depriming, repriming, and then skipping the powder and seating a bullet. Reason being, I'd like to hear what a primer with no powder sounds like, going off in a gun. I'm thinking, sometime during my lifetime, I, like most, will forget to charge a round...when I do, I'd like to be completely aware of how it sounds.

Has anyone done this, and are there any adverse effects to the gun?

crshooter · May 17, 2009, 08:02 PM

Just be sure you have a wooden dowel to push your bullet back out of the barrel, it probobly wont make it all the way out. Also, if fired in a revolver, the primer may back out enough to make the cylinder not turn.

Sport45 · May 17, 2009, 08:42 PM

Do this with a cast bullet. They're a lot easier to push out (or push back into the brass if it hangs up between the cylinder and forcing cone of a revolver).

With proper hearing protection you may not hear it at all. If you touch off a primer in a handgun without a bullet it can be suprisingly loud. Liek the report of a .22lr without the supersonic crack of the bullet.

Oh yeah, do this test at the range. The primer can have enough oomph to get a cast bullet all the way down the barrel.

NoleMan · May 17, 2009, 09:16 PM

Thanks for the responses gentlemen! I'll try it out.

Death from Afar · May 17, 2009, 10:02 PM

I really dont think you will learn much. A squib round is noticably short on recoil and report, which is what you expect. Can i suggest you just use a blank round instead? Or a round with a paper wadding ( again, use at range, it could start a fire) , which will given you the idea.

madmo44mag · May 17, 2009, 10:09 PM

Definitely do this at the range when there are a number of shooters around.
I say this because out in the yard or at a range and no other gun fire around the sound will be pronounced.
In a noisy range, you well experience what will most likely happen in real life.
Just my 2 cents

rogn · May 18, 2009, 06:17 AM

Definitely get a brass or alumium rod that fits the bore easily, then place a few wraps of electrical tape in a few places to center the rod and avoid metal to bore contact. Avoid wooden rods like swine flu- they have a distressing habit of splitting, or mushrooming and becoming wedged in the bore. This is real deep DD. The metal rods avoid this, brass is probably the most desireable.

wncchester · May 18, 2009, 08:26 AM

Don't know what "most" people will do but, in some 45 years, I've never missed or doubled a charge. Having a methed for confirming my work may have helped.

I have had two failures to fire due to bad primers but that wan't hard to notice!

Sevens · May 18, 2009, 08:51 AM

I don't think there's much to be gained from the experiment. Fact is, there's a better than average chance that you won't hear anything due to ear protection and all the shooting that may or may not be going on around you wherever you happen to be if you shoot a REAL squib. Add to that the fact that your REAL squib may not be primer only, it may be a light charge. And it would change depending on caliber and platform. A squib in a 5-inch .45 would sound different than one in a 3-inch .357 revolver.

Anyway, if you pull the trigger on anything other than cheap rimfire fodder (which misfires occasionally and we all know that), you should get yourself in to the habit of waiting a moment for a possible hang-fire, then emptying your firearm and checking for a bore obstruction. This is the only way you'll ensure that you don't bulge or split a barrel or blow out a magazine or take something violently apart with a follow-up shot on a lodged bullet.

Trying to use your hearing to determine the severity of a problem is never going to serve you well when you can easily use your eyes to check the bore.

Can you do it? I guess... but you may have to pound out a bullet, and you won't learn anything of substance. And if you make more than one primer only squib or you lose the one you did make, then you'll actually get it mixed in with your ammo and NOW where will you be?

Death from Afar · May 18, 2009, 04:08 PM

THats really good thoughts from Sevens- hes totally right.

Good thoughts on the hang fire. Many years a go a friend of my dads was shooting deer in the Southern Alps. He was using a number 1 enfield and Boer War Vintage ammo. He fired a shot, click, opened the bolt and the round went off. As well as taking the tips off three fingers, the bolt tore from his graps and hit him in the lower jaw, removing 4 teeth and a good chunk of his tongue. It was a long three day walk out apparently.

May 17, 2009, 06:53 PM	#1
NoleMan Member Join Date: March 13, 2009 Posts: 40	Shooting casing with new primer, but no powder This may sound sort of crazy, but i was thinking about resizing a few casings, depriming, repriming, and then skipping the powder and seating a bullet. Reason being, I'd like to hear what a primer with no powder sounds like, going off in a gun. I'm thinking, sometime during my lifetime, I, like most, will forget to charge a round...when I do, I'd like to be completely aware of how it sounds. Has anyone done this, and are there any adverse effects to the gun?

May 17, 2009, 08:42 PM	#3
Sport45 Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 1999 Location: Too close to Houston Posts: 4,196	Do this with a cast bullet. They're a lot easier to push out (or push back into the brass if it hangs up between the cylinder and forcing cone of a revolver). With proper hearing protection you may not hear it at all. If you touch off a primer in a handgun without a bullet it can be suprisingly loud. Liek the report of a .22lr without the supersonic crack of the bullet. Oh yeah, do this test at the range. The primer can have enough oomph to get a cast bullet all the way down the barrel. __________________ Proud member of the NRA and Texas State Rifle Association. Registered and active voter.

May 17, 2009, 10:02 PM	#5
Death from Afar Senior Member Join Date: November 7, 2004 Location: Living the dream in Christchurch, NEW ZEALAND Posts: 1,635	I really dont think you will learn much. A squib round is noticably short on recoil and report, which is what you expect. Can i suggest you just use a blank round instead? Or a round with a paper wadding ( again, use at range, it could start a fire) , which will given you the idea. __________________ "Beware of the Man with one gun...he probably isnt into guns enough to be safe with it".

May 17, 2009, 10:09 PM	#6
madmo44mag Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2008 Location: Ft.Worth, Texas Posts: 1,522	Definitely do this at the range when there are a number of shooters around. I say this because out in the yard or at a range and no other gun fire around the sound will be pronounced. In a noisy range, you well experience what will most likely happen in real life. Just my 2 cents __________________ Texas - Not just a state but an attitude! For monthly shooting events in DFW visit http://www.meetup.com/TexasGunOwner-DFW

May 18, 2009, 08:51 AM	#9
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	I don't think there's much to be gained from the experiment. Fact is, there's a better than average chance that you won't hear anything due to ear protection and all the shooting that may or may not be going on around you wherever you happen to be if you shoot a REAL squib. Add to that the fact that your REAL squib may not be primer only, it may be a light charge. And it would change depending on caliber and platform. A squib in a 5-inch .45 would sound different than one in a 3-inch .357 revolver. Anyway, if you pull the trigger on anything other than cheap rimfire fodder (which misfires occasionally and we all know that), you should get yourself in to the habit of waiting a moment for a possible hang-fire, then emptying your firearm and checking for a bore obstruction. This is the only way you'll ensure that you don't bulge or split a barrel or blow out a magazine or take something violently apart with a follow-up shot on a lodged bullet. Trying to use your hearing to determine the severity of a problem is never going to serve you well when you can easily use your eyes to check the bore. Can you do it? I guess... but you may have to pound out a bullet, and you won't learn anything of substance. And if you make more than one primer only squib or you lose the one you did make, then you'll actually get it mixed in with your ammo and NOW where will you be? __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

May 17, 2009, 08:02 PM	#2
crshooter Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Posts: 15	Just be sure you have a wooden dowel to push your bullet back out of the barrel, it probobly wont make it all the way out. Also, if fired in a revolver, the primer may back out enough to make the cylinder not turn.

May 17, 2009, 09:16 PM	#4
NoleMan Member Join Date: March 13, 2009 Posts: 40	Thanks for the responses gentlemen! I'll try it out.

May 18, 2009, 06:17 AM	#7
rogn Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2005 Posts: 203	Definitely get a brass or alumium rod that fits the bore easily, then place a few wraps of electrical tape in a few places to center the rod and avoid metal to bore contact. Avoid wooden rods like swine flu- they have a distressing habit of splitting, or mushrooming and becoming wedged in the bore. This is real deep DD. The metal rods avoid this, brass is probably the most desireable.

May 18, 2009, 08:26 AM	#8
wncchester Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2002 Posts: 2,832	Don't know what "most" people will do but, in some 45 years, I've never missed or doubled a charge. Having a methed for confirming my work may have helped. I have had two failures to fire due to bad primers but that wan't hard to notice!

May 18, 2009, 04:08 PM	#10
Death from Afar Senior Member Join Date: November 7, 2004 Location: Living the dream in Christchurch, NEW ZEALAND Posts: 1,635	THats really good thoughts from Sevens- hes totally right. Good thoughts on the hang fire. Many years a go a friend of my dads was shooting deer in the Southern Alps. He was using a number 1 enfield and Boer War Vintage ammo. He fired a shot, click, opened the bolt and the round went off. As well as taking the tips off three fingers, the bolt tore from his graps and hit him in the lower jaw, removing 4 teeth and a good chunk of his tongue. It was a long three day walk out apparently. __________________ "Beware of the Man with one gun...he probably isnt into guns enough to be safe with it".