Welcome guest, is this your first visit? Create Account now to join.
  • Login:

Welcome to the NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.

DPT Alpine


User Tag List

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 28
Like Tree18Likes

Thread: Decapping live primers

  1. #1
    Member Kiwiman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Shannon
    Posts
    133

    Decapping live primers

    Hi all, I've brought a handful of cases to reload but they look like they've been sitting for a while, gone all dark and some tarnishing inside the neck, I want to put them in my tumbler and resize them but they have been primed, is it safe to decap them?

  2. #2
    northdude
    Guest
    ive done it and havnt had any go off wear ear muffs and glasses
    mimms2 likes this.

  3. #3
    Member Kiwiman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Shannon
    Posts
    133
    Cool thanks thought it be ok with care but easier to ask lol

  4. #4
    Member Cordite's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    NZ Mainland (Dunedin)
    Posts
    5,522
    Just do it ... slowly.

    I'd not do it with a hammer and Lee loader.
    canross likes this.
    An itch ... is ... a desire to scratch

  5. #5
    Member Kiwiman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Shannon
    Posts
    133
    Quote Originally Posted by Cordite View Post
    Just do it ... slowly.

    I'd not do it with a hammer and Lee loader.
    Haha yep I certainly won't be rushing

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    Okawa Hawkes Bay
    Posts
    3,039
    Greetings,
    Have done it with the Lee Loader punch and base but applied the force with a vice rather than a hammer.
    Grandpamac.

  7. #7
    Member janleroux's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Wellington
    Posts
    441
    Quote Originally Posted by Kiwiman View Post
    Hi all, I've brought a handful of cases to reload but they look like they've been sitting for a while, gone all dark and some tarnishing inside the neck, I want to put them in my tumbler and resize them but they have been primed, is it safe to decap them?
    When I had to remove live primers in the past, I filled the cases with water to kill the primer, then tip the water out and decap them as per usual.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    shooternz, Moa Hunter and Cordite like this.
    What you see, is what you get!

  8. #8
    Member G.I_Joel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Wellington
    Posts
    415
    I was wondering about the same issue the other day. I like the water trick. Could you not just shoot them in the chamber with no powder/projectile then decap?
    Go fast, Don’t suck

  9. #9
    Member zimmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Waikato
    Posts
    4,986
    @Mauser308 covers it very well including reseating them.
    I always wear safety glasses when priming at any rate.
    I have decapping my fair share of live primers, usually due to some cock up.
    I don't normally reuse them but have done on occassion and used the loaded rounds for fouling rounds prior to group shooting.
    Velocity and ES always appeared normal with them.
    I wouldn't reuse them though to load my premium stuff.

  10. #10
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    574
    As others have said, wear at least safety glasses for piece of mind and just decap them as you normally would without banging down the press arm. No over thinking or mucking around with pointless steps required. It works, go for it.

  11. #11
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    christchurch
    Posts
    17,957
    hadnt had any issue but you could always put your cases under water for an hour before decapping, dont forget eye and ear protection though

  12. #12
    Gone but not forgotten
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Hamilton
    Posts
    4,129
    Quote Originally Posted by G.I_Joel View Post
    I was wondering about the same issue the other day. I like the water trick. Could you not just shoot them in the chamber with no powder/projectile then decap?
    That’s what I did when I had quite a few. Fired the primed case, suppressor on, into an old gumboot. Flames will come out the end of the barrel so watch where you point it or you will have scorched carpet!
    Joe_90 likes this.

  13. #13
    Member zimmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Waikato
    Posts
    4,986
    Have soaked primers in water overnight and tried them next morning. You would be surprised how "healthy" they still are. May not be typical of all brands.
    Light oil is supposedly the primer killer. I just treat them as still good to go no matter what.
    Moa Hunter likes this.

  14. #14
    Member zimmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Waikato
    Posts
    4,986
    Ha ha yes the sealant in them makes a mockery of the oft published warning (repeated forever on forums) about handling primers as skin oils will contaminate the primers and kill them.

  15. #15
    Member canross's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Chch
    Posts
    603
    Quote Originally Posted by Mauser308 View Post
    I never bothered trying to kill them. They are coated in a layer of sealant to protect the priming compound from oxidation and contamination, and it usually does it's job really well. It's actually quite an effort to reliably kill off a bunch of primers.

    My advice is pull projectile and remove powder charge, and either decap live and treat with appropriate respect - or inert them by chambering the empty primed case, pointing in a safe direction and discharging into some old towels or similar. Note with the second method you are still going to get a bang and high speed projected gasses and debris from the priming compound, so hearing protection, eye protection, and neighbour protection (so you don't end up with a visit).
    I think cartridge collectors sometimes use the penetrating oil method if there's something about the primer they want to keep intact when sectioning them. It does work, but when you can just fire them it's easier to do that. Take them to the range next time and fire them off before you get down to the shooting to get yourself in the groove. Or let a mate shoot them in then make fun of him when he can't hit anything

 

 

Similar Threads

  1. 800 odd winchester primers swap for remmington large rifle primers
    By Boaraxa in forum Projectile and Factory Ammo Exchange
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 29-11-2017, 06:25 AM
  2. Decapping unfired primers
    By llewelyn in forum Reloading and Ballistics
    Replies: 28
    Last Post: 19-10-2017, 08:09 PM
  3. Decapping Die
    By robh500 in forum Reloading and Ballistics
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 16-07-2017, 10:41 PM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
Welcome to NZ Hunting and Shooting Forums! We see you're new here, or arn't logged in. Create an account, and Login for full access including our FREE BUY and SELL section Register NOW!!