Removing bad primers

[Bigcat_hunter]

I have about 100 short mag cases sized, trimmed, chamfered and primed. I load them when I need them. I just realized I have had a bad batch of primers. About one in three is a dud.

How can I remove these primers without re-sizing the brass? I would like to pop them out and just put new ones in and be ready to load.

 

[Barrelnut]

Lee makes a decapping die. Go sloow..

Lee Decapping Die : LEE DECAPPING DIE | Brownells

 

[Pdvdh]

Lee makes a decapping die. Go sloow..

LEE DECAPPING DIE

Yup. The Lee unit works well.

 

[bigngreen]

Shoot something into the case to kill the primer then adjust your decapping rod down so it pops the primer out before the case sizing starts. I do this all the time to pop out old primers so I can get case measurements prior to sizing.

 

[boomtube]

"Shoot something into the case to kill the primer ..."

I don't know what you shoot your primers with but they're a lot more difficult to kill than most people think. I suspect if you chamber and fire some of your 'ded' primers you'll get a surprise. Hardly matters, it's perfectly safe to decap live primers anyway you want to.

 

[MudRunner2005]

I don't spray anything in the case...I just very very easily and carefully pop them out with an RCBS universal decapping and depriming die. Then I put them in an old powder container that I use for an old powder dump, then when it gets full we take it out to my buddy's land, then mix in some tanerite and shoot it from a long ways away and watch it go BOOM! Safe and fun disposal.

 

[Sully2]

I don't spray anything in the case...I just very very easily and carefully pop them out with an RCBS universal decapping and depriming die. Then I put them in an old powder container that I use for an old powder dump, then when it gets full we take it out to my buddy's land, then mix in some tanerite and shoot it from a long ways away and watch it go BOOM! Safe and fun disposal.

Mine go in the trash and into the landfill!

 

[MudRunner2005]

I used to dump powder in the terlet (Futurama joke)...But the tanerite method is so much more fun.

 

[FEENIX]

, it's perfectly safe to decap live primers anyway you want to.

I have to admit, I've only done 5 but only after a friend showed me using normal de-priming process with regular dies; apparently he's been doing it for many years.

 

[bigngreen]

There is no way I'm depriming a live primer, I soak them with penetrating oil and they won't go of in a rifle so GTG. Didn't we have a thread a few years ago on here that a guy had to have a primer anvil removed from his fingers, I know one other incident of a primer lighting during reloading.
Reloading has the potential to be dangerous, why push your luck in any way shape or form!!

 

[Pdvdh]

I've deprimed a few live primers over the years. I wear ear muffs and eye protection. Then I go slow motion. Never had a live primer go off during depriming. That doesn't make me an expert on the subject. I haven't removed 100s of live primers. Just saying I haven't had one ignite.

I like the Lee Decapping Die referenced earlier. It's very stout and only deprimes. Doesn't resize the cases at all. Deprimes all the differing cartridges I reload for. It will even remove military crimped 5.56 fired primers. Great for depriming field pick up 5.56 casings.

 

[Barrelnut]

I load the cartridge with the live primer and fire it out the back door. It is not loud, but you can see a little smoke/spark come out of the barrel. I then decap it. I have done it both ways (decap live) with no issues.

From what I have read ( not a primer or explosive expert by any means) that explosive in primers has to have high impact before exploding. Crushing does not do it. I have actually crushed a few priming the cartridge before, sometimes I am an idiot. BUT I have heard/read that primer dust is a different story, it CAN explode. So there is risk from decapping live primers to accumulate primer dust after decapping a lot of primers and it IS possible to set that off. I believe that is why Hornady no longer sells the auto priming tube for their press. There were reports of primer dust accumulating and exploding.

 

[Cold Trigger Finger]

Potentially dud primers are good for practicing sight picture/ trigger squeeze/ follow thru. .
Or u can just deprime the cases. I've done it lots. . Say at least a couple hundred over the past 30+ years of roloading. .
Yup. Hundreds! Never had one go off yet. Long skiff rides home. 50+ miles in rough weather. In a the winter. Action Packers are great for keeping stuff dry from rain and snow. But they are not water pruf when submersed. I had about 8 bricks of LRM primers get soaked 1 time. I dried them out on top of my Blaze Queen wood stove.
It's amazing how cruddy a primer can look with dried salt on it and it still works great. It's also amazing how a primer can look pristine and be a dud. ????? Go figure.