How to deprime live primers?

[Greasegun]

I just recently deprimed a bunch of live SR primers with my decapping die. Wore safety glasses and went slow and smooth. None detonated, but even if one did I dont think it would have been a big deal.

I would advise against doing it with your sizing die however, because there would be nowhere for the pressure to escape if one did go off.

 

[MNbogboy]

Would be interesting to know if anyone has had one go off. My guess it would "shoot" itself downward/away from the pocket with only a minimal amount of the pressure escaping through the flashhole.
A sizing die most likely would protect the user from upwards gasses. But the violent projectile action of the primer could be lethal to any dog or cat under the press. My press is located off to the side of where I sit, but it makes me think twice about working in stocking feet.
When we were kids we removed shotgun primers from shotshells with a nail...they didn't go off...but we then hit them with hammers on the sidewalk....did a few before a piece of shrapnel went completely though my cheek and I picked it out with my tongue.

 

[SavageHunter11]

I've always just used my press. Never set one off.

Same here. I used to shoot a squirt of water in make the primer inert but I stopped doing that and haven't had one pop yet...honestly don't know what it would do (besides make my ears ring) if I had one pop off at the reloading bench.

 

[cape cove]

Would be interesting to know if anyone has had one go off. My guess it would "shoot" itself downward/away from the pocket with only a minimal amount of the pressure escaping through the flashhole.
A sizing die most likely would protect the user from upwards gasses. But the violent projectile action of the primer could be lethal to any dog or cat under the press. My press is located off to the side of where I sit, but it makes me think twice about working in stocking feet.
When we were kids we removed shotgun primers from shotshells with a nail...they didn't go off...but we then hit them with hammers on the sidewalk....did a few before a piece of shrapnel went completely though my cheek and I picked it out with my tongue.

I have been handloading for over 35 yrs and have removed many a live primer with a decapping die in a single stage press. Never a problem, UNTIL 3 yrs ago. I wanted to remove spent primers from my 30/378 Wea cases to get a better comprator reading to set my shoulder bump. The 30/378 case is standard in nothing so my decapping die could not be used. I had to remove them by hand with a lee decapping rod by tapping them out. I chose 3 fired cases to do this. Mistakenly I picked up a sized case with a live primer. Deprimed the first case with the spent primer, all went well. Grabbed the 2nd case not knowing it had a live primer. Placed the rod in the case and while holding it in my left hand I tapped the depriming rod. The primer ignited driving the primer through my fourth finger and fracturing my little finger. There was blood everywhere,and scared the **** out of the wife let alone me. This is an example of the power primers have.

 

[TheLongRanger83702]

what is the best commercial deprimer tool to use after bullet and powder removed. Most I've seen state use for deadprimers. Is there a tool for safe live primer removal?

I have 2 models. 1 for my 300 WinMag and 1 for my .308 Winchester. Not worth the risk to try and save a few pennies. \\|;^)

 

[unleashed]

Just use your press. I've done this with thousands of rounds with no issues. The cases of folks setting off primers are from priming, where the primary interface with the primer is on the bottom and it's meant to go off from there. Just make sure you don't try and re-use the primers after they've been removed....no matter how much you paid for them. Ask me how I know.

 

[stljc2]

I've always just used my press. Never set one off.

That makes 2 of us. Primers are designed to go bang when struck from the OTHER side of the primer...not the anvil side. Never had one go off in 40 years of handloading.

 

[RD57]

I use the Lee Universal depriming die and go slow with no impacts.

 

[WYO300RUM]

I've always just used my press. Never set one off.

Same here except when you seat one upside down. When I was a lot younger I used to put primers one at a time into feed arm and seat. Once in awhile I got one upside down. I would slowly resize to pop it out. One day one went off. Scared the chit out of me. Never did it again .

 

[RetiredSniper]

I too use my press but I use a single stage press and there is no powder or primers near when I de-prime. Never had one go off. You should were safety glasses and ear protection when doing this! Also, the primmer is made to be hit from the flat side or rear of the primer. This is probably why there is not much chance of it going off when pushed out from the inside. Just my opinion!

 

[misterc01]

I deprime as usual, albeit slowly, and have a small hand towel over the press just in case as a little extra eye protection in addition to my regular eye protection. I keep a fire extinguisher handy as well.

 

[msmith57]

what is the best commercial deprimer tool to use after bullet and powder removed. Most I've seen state use for deadprimers. Is there a tool for safe live primer removal?

I've used the normal Primer removal tool many times without the primer going off and reused the primer. I just set the pin onto the primer softly and push gently or tap softly both PRESS and hand load LEE Loader tools. if you are worried or it's really stuck put some water in the shell and remove the primer, it may or may not be usable after this tho.

 

[nikeandros]

what is the best commercial deprimer tool to use after bullet and powder removed. Most I've seen state use for deadprimers. Is there a tool for safe live primer removal?

Only press never had issues...

 

[azarcher10x]

I've always used a recapping die as well with no issues. The only ones I won't do that way is crimped primers. Just fire those off.