unsuccessful killing primers

[corvette8n]

I had about a half dozen cases from some berdan primed 7.65 Argie ammo that I pulled the bullets and dumped the powder from, I then filled the cases with motor oil and forgot about them for about 3 months, dumped the oil and set them on a concrete block and held a torch to the end, they all went POP!. Now I want to pulldown a couple of hundred Turk 8mm, should I just did a deep hole and bury the brass?, I've got some propery out back that no one will dig on for a long time.

[imashooter2]

Burn them to kill the primers and then scrap the cases for cash.

[Andy_P]

Soak them in water for 48 hours.

[Harry Eales]

Hello Corvette,

Berdan primers have tiny flashholes and if the oil was thick it may not have got through them. You could try something thin and penetrating like WD40.

I wouldn't suggest you bury them, someone will find them sooner or later, and if it's a nosy kid he may do something stupid, like throw them on a fire. You may be dead and gone when that happens, but that won't console the kid or the parents.

If you have to get rid of them, give them to someone with an 8mm rifle to fire them off or turn them in to the authorities or a gunsmith.

It may save you a guilty concience.

Just out of interest, when I was young and dumb I shot off a load of old BP rifle ammo that was over a century old, most of it worked, those that didn't had the bullets pulled and the cases were thrown into a local water filled clay pit that was about to be filled in. I wish I'd kept that ammo now, it would be worth a lot of cash.

Harry

[Larry Gibson]

Apparently you have an aversion to using corrosive primers or are they corroded cases? I'd take the Turk cases, if in good condition, off your hands and wouldn't charge you anything for the "disposal" if you live anywhere near me. I use them for regular J bullet loads or for cast bullets.

Larry Gibson

[mike in co]

most wetting of primers is only a temp "fix".....when it all drys out they are still good to go.


shoot them is a pretty solid way ......

[dromia]

I remember reading an article somewhere by Dean Grennel where he was making the point that primers are hard to kill with oil and he had some process that involved muriatic acid. It certainly seemed more of a job than just scooshing WD 40 into a case.

Hey Harry where do you shoot in Co Durham?

[madcaster]

Would Kroil work?

[dubber123]

One thing to mention about burning off primers, they can and frequently will exit the rear of a case with a surprising amount of force. Crimped in mil stuff will likely stay put, but I have read about a fellow getting one buried 2" into his bicep trying to make a live appearing dummy round. I cooked off a few by pinching them in Vise Grips, and you really have to pinch them hard. Took about 6 or 7 tried before I could hold onto one, the rest "disappeared". They are surpisingly powerful. Be careful.

[lovedogs]

I asked a fellow at CCI about this once. Mike in Co. is right... primers will dry out and be good again. The safest way is to just set them off by firing them in your rifle and then clean the rifle.

[imashooter2]

One thing to mention about burning off primers, they can and frequently will exit the rear of a case with a surprising amount of force. Crimped in mil stuff will likely stay put, but I have read about a fellow getting one buried 2" into his bicep trying to make a live appearing dummy round. I cooked off a few by pinching them in Vise Grips, and you really have to pinch them hard. Took about 6 or 7 tried before I could hold onto one, the rest "disappeared". They are surpisingly powerful. Be careful.

It's true they can penetrate at very close range, but they are also very light and sectional density is very low. Toss them in a burn barrel and you'll be perfectly safe. Heck, just toss them into any old fire and walk 10 feet away.

[Ross]

They should hydraulic decap just fine.
Cheers from Darkest California,
Ross

[Blammer]

I find time and time again people trying to find ways to "kill" a primer.

I have yet to find someone who has done it successfully with water, oil, or other stuff.

Just burn them or fire them all at one time then clean gun good and be done with it.

[hydraulic]

I tried to remove a "dead" primer from a 7.7 jap with a sharp nail. Went through the fleshy part of my little finger. Hurt.

[Ross]

I tried to remove a "dead" primer from a 7.7 jap with a sharp nail. Went through the fleshy part of my little finger. Hurt.

I guess I should have specified a wet type of hydraulic primer removal.
Ross

[buck1]

I did that once, I guess i didnt do it right. I just got wet. LOL


They should hydraulic decap just fine.
Cheers from Darkest California,
Ross

[qajaq59]

The safest way is to just set them off by firing them in your rifle and then clean the rifle. That, or see if your state police can have them burned for you. I had some bad ammo when we lived in CT and the local police accepted them and then had the staties burn them. No hassles, and I didn't have to worry that some kid would get his hands on them later.

[tom barthel]

I find time and time again people trying to find ways to "kill" a primer.

I have yet to find someone who has done it successfully with water, oil, or other stuff.

Just burn them or fire them all at one time then clean gun good and be done with it.

I've popped a lot in rifles. Just use the old military cleaning method. Scrub with hot soapy water, dry, and then use normal cleaning methods.

[Andy_P]

From time to time, you might find yourself with surplus ammo for which you don't possess a firearm to discharge it, or it is collectible and you prefer a "vrigin", but deactivated primer. Under those circumstances, you might want to deactivate it by other means than firing them off.

The problem with oil is that it's messy and not appreciated by recyclers. Water has its obvious charms, but it has been observed that when the primers dry out, they become alive again.

I'll try an experiment with water. I'll take 10 1940-vintage corrosive berdan primed cases, soak them in water for 48 hours, dry them, then try to set them off: immediately, and then over progressive two day periods (e.g. 2, 4, 6, ...18 days.). I'll report back on what happens.

EDIT - I'll do the same with another 10 by boiling them in soapy water for 10 minutes vice sitting in water for 48 hours


BTW - the last thing I'd do is bring anything to the police for disposal........

[slughammer]

[QUOTE=Andy_P;183050]and not appreciated by recyclers. QUOTE]


Why don't you just see if the recycler will take them the way they are? If they process range brass, I'm sure they have an enclosed container for safety from loaded rounds while smelting.

[grumpy one]

A word of caution here. Old military primers may be fulminate of mercury rather than lead styphnate. These two substances are very different, and there may be processes that kill one more successfully than the other.

And while I'm at it, as a personal view I'd say passing live explosives to the scrap metal industry for disposal is not likely to enhance the public image of shooters as responsible experts on their chosen field of specialization.

[TAWILDCATT]

you can fire in bolt only just wrap case and bolt with cloth.just keep hands away.or put whole unit in pipe.

[JSH]

All I can see in the above, rag pipe method, is a trip to the hospital.
I have had a few cases that have failed to chamber for one reason or another and have had to use a brass rod to tap them out with. Some of them it drove the CB down into the case and past the neck where the projectile was not visible.
Jeff

[Andy_P]

I'll try an experiment with water. I'll take 10 1940-vintage corrosive berdan primed cases, soak them in water for 48 hours, dry them, then try to set them off: immediately, and then over progressive two day periods (e.g. 2, 4, 6, ...18 days.). I'll do the same with another 10 by boiling them in soapy water for 10 minutes vice sitting in water for 48 hours. I'll report back on what happens.

Well neither of the two water soaking methods work. 24 hours after treatment, the primers were "dead" (so far so good), but by 48 hours they had apparently dried out because they went "bang". That's good enough for me to abandon water soaking to kill primers.

[Old Ironsights]

I don't know why WD40 shouldn't work... I've had to scrap enough Police Issue ammo (removed from "broken" guns at the range) that was totally inert because the officer's method of "cleaning" his revolver was to hose the whole thing down with WD40 and wipe it dry... :roll:

Oddly enough the gummy old revolvers fired off NIB ammo just fine. Gee, I wonder why? :coffee:

[MGySgt]

'Deactivate' primers with WD-40.

If you deprime them when they are still wet - All is fine. If you wait until the WD-40 'Dries' - they go bang!

Trust me I know.

[alamogunr]

Would Kroil work?

There was a discussion on CB_L this week on this subject. I had tried to kill a primer by soaking it in Kroil for 2 days. I took it out of the Kroil and covered it with several thicknesses of paper towel and hit it with a 4# drilling hammer. It went BANG. The primer was still wet with Kroil.
The concensus was that firing in appropriate chamber (same as here) was preferred.

John