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Thread: safe/fast way to fire off primed cases?

  1. #21
    Boolit Master



    mac60's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 308Jeff View Post
    I've never had one go off while depriming, but I did have one go off while priming with the Lee hand priming tool. Now that was exciting.

    Totally my fault. Was a crimped pocket that I must not have swaged well enough. Primer was part way in and stopped. I forced it. It was loud.
    What did it do to the tool?
    So many guns, so little time
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  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by mac60 View Post
    What did it do to the tool?
    My guess is nothing.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master 308Jeff's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by M-Tecs View Post
    My guess is nothing.
    Correct. Once I got over the shock, I started priming again.

  4. #24
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    A group of primers has a lot of energy. Singles not so much

    I have an Efemes power punch berdan decapper. It uses a standard boxer primer to remove berdan primers. Not very cost effective but other than being loud it works very well.

  5. #25
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    i decapped 40,000 rounds of live primers ....if you are careful (and cheap) you can do it.

  6. #26
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    As above primed brass is OK to ship, no Hazmat. Primers not seated into a case require Hazmat.

  7. #27
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    In 63 years I have never had a primer go off, even removing live primers. I do not reuse them since the anvil can crush the compound.
    Now a friend had one go off on the bench. He lost a primer and was soldering with a torch, the torch found it and the POP made his shorts a different color but no damage.
    Just go to UPS and send the cases.

  8. #28
    Boolit Master
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    Just deprime as normal. I did pop a live primer in my rcbs turret. There is a lovely hollow ram that allows spent and missed live primers to get trapped in and work out until the jam the ram, ie get cut in half if u r moving to quickly. I cut a LG pistol in half and it blew the ram out of my hand.... I now keep Trac of missing live primers and keep the ram clear

  9. #29
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    As others have said primed brass is OK to ship Fed up or oops.

    If one insists on de-priming live primers go Slow and keep the live ones far away from the one currently being de-primed.
    Like others I have de-primed many without issue, But Bob at the LGS in Waukesha WI was not so lucky!
    He was de-priming Many 45LC cases and had a detonation. This caused the primer catcher full of live primers to go off all at once turning a small "oh carp" in to a long visit to the ER & ICU! Be safe out there.
    We all make our own choices and have to deal with the consequences.
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  10. #30
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    Thanks for all of the thoughts/replies, interesting to hear the different solutions.

    Depriming on the press or a hand tools seems like what everyone is doing. Maybe I'll have to rig up a system that can catch the primers but keep them away from the press (drop tube to jar of water?) in case the one being deprimed goes off.

    I know that you can ship primed brass and that it is not HazMat but you can't ship it though USPS so the cost increases accordingly. Flat rate boxes are much cheaper than ups/fedex for this sort of thing, so it makes depriming worth it. Just to be clear this is talking about depriming live primers, not decapping spent primers.

  11. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andy View Post
    Thanks for all of the thoughts/replies, interesting to hear the different solutions.

    Depriming on the press or a hand tools seems like what everyone is doing. Maybe I'll have to rig up a system that can catch the primers but keep them away from the press (drop tube to jar of water?) in case the one being deprimed goes off.

    I know that you can ship primed brass and that it is not HazMat but you can't ship it though USPS so the cost increases accordingly. Flat rate boxes are much cheaper than ups/fedex for this sort of thing, so it makes depriming worth it. Just to be clear this is talking about depriming live primers, not decapping spent primers.
    How much brass are you talking about and what calibers? Maybe someone around here is local enough to you that if the price was right, they might drop by and buy it.

  12. #32
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    Years ago before I had a reloading press, I tried to deprime a .308 case using one of the Lee kits, the kind you use a mallet to deprime, size and seat a bullet with. The primer may have been inserted upside down, I can't remember now as it was probably 40 years ago but I do remember how much it hurt. I set the case in the depriming base, dropped the punch in and struck it with a mallet. BANG! and the case launched itself up the depriming tool taking the pads of my thumb and forefinger with it. I now deprime in a press when I need to and so far no detonations. I think you could rig up something to hold the case that would allow a place for the removed primer to g and squeeze it out in a vise or with a c-clamp.

  13. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andy View Post
    Anyone know of a simple way to fire off primers from primed cases that you don't own a firearm for? Or that don't easily chamber unloaded for whatever reason.

    ...SNIP
    I've done this.
    I had a pile of berdan primed 8x57 brass, that I had pulled bullets and powder. A member wanted them for swaged jacket material, but didn't want to deal with the live primers. I drilled a dual stepped hole all the way through a 2x4 (the long way), so the case would sit up-side-down in the hole about half way, but the smaller portion of the hole would allow the gases to escape. Using a hammer & center punch, sitting at the patio table on a sunny summer day, I set them all off.
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  14. #34
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    I have de capped thousands myself. If you are selling brass it is better to deprime, that way it
    can go in USPS. You can ship primed brass or loaded small arms ammo by UPS, with no additional
    charge. They just have you mark the box with ORD symbols. I do this frequently. I don't know
    FEDEX regs.

  15. #35
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    I was told by FEDEX that we had to have a hazmat approved shipper to ship 22lr primed cases. They insisted that we do this even when going to the corporate FED EX office to ship them. Those rats were wrong and messed us up. We did manage to ship them but I will not divulge how in public. And they wonder why I am an outlaw. The government never ceases to anger me.

    Quote Originally Posted by M-Tecs View Post
    Shipping primed brass is not a problem and legal with UPS and FedEx. With USPS it is a no go. About a year ago I checked all the references and they were still current.

    http://forum.accurateshooter.com/thr...e-law.3812580/

    After a ton of confusion, misinformation (on other blogs) and general assumptions regarding the shipment of primed brass, here are the particulars/facts and the regs that back it up. I have confirmed all of this with UPS and FedEx's hazmat shipping folks and they all confirmed.
    FOR UPS AND FEDEX ONLY -
    Cases, primed (up to and including 50 caliber) are regulated for shipment by ground only through 49CFR § 172.102 SP(special provision) 50 that states:
    " Cases, cartridge, empty with primer which are made of metallic or plastic casings and meeting the classification criteria of Division 1.4 are not regulated for domestic transportation"
    49CFR § 172.102 (page 312) - http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-201...sec172-102.pdf
    Primed cases meet the classification criteria of Division 1.4c UN0379 - however they are exempted and classified as NON-REGULATED (NOT ORM-D, NOT HAZ-MAT, NOT the new "Y" Limited Quantities classification that will replace ORM-D). Some manufacturers (as per the MSDS) classify their primed cases as UN0055, but the same DOT 1.4c classification applies, as does SP50.
    Packaging for primed cases is regulated by 49CFR §173.62 - Packaging instruction #136, which specifies that the primed cases have to be in a bag or box, then packed in a UN 4G standard box - which is defined by 49 CFR §178.601 (g)(2). So - you can't just ship them to your buddy in a shoebox, but most of us out here have received boxes of reloading components from various vendors, and most/all of these shipping boxes meet this criteria. For more mind-bending regulatory details, refer to 178.601.
    49CFR §173.62 - http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-201...-sec173-62.pdf
    49 CFR §178.601 (g)(2) - http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-201...sec178-601.pdf

    There is no hazmat fee, extra paperwork, no sign-by-adult or other hoops to jump through - BUT - both UPS and FedEX advised me to clearly mark (with a sharpee) "non-regulated as per SP50" on the outside of the box to ensure that no in-transit problems occur..........because I guess their employees can be as confused as I have been on this subject and you don't want your box torn or ripped into.
    As per both UPS and FedEx - You CANNOT take packages with primed cases to your local UPS/FedEx store or mom-and-pop drop off service. They must be taken to a UPS/FedEx corporate-run package hub that has walk-in/retail shipping services.
    FOR US POSTAL SERVICE -
    Prohibited. Period.
    See page 160 at: http://pe.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub52/pub52.pdf
    ***USPS Publication 52, Appendix A, "Cases, cartridge, empty with primer"***
    They don't have to subscribe to all parts of 49CFR § 172.102's special provisions......because they are special I guess.

  16. #36
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    I had an issue with shipping primed brass at UPS once. By the time it was over I had a written apology from the UPS cleric and the first line supervisor.

  17. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by M-Tecs View Post
    I had an issue with shipping primed brass at UPS once. By the time it was over I had a written apology from the UPS cleric and the first line supervisor.
    Normally, the UPS hub in Glencoe is very good about this type of stuff. But one time, when I wanted to ship a Pre-1898 Rifle (Foreign mil surp), I got some guff from the UPS clerk saying I can't ship that. I just left after I told the clerk, "I'll go home and research this". I went back the next day and got a different clerk ...problem solved. Some fights just aren't worth the trouble, if you know the rules.
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  18. #38
    Boolit Master Yodogsandman's Avatar
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    While I've slowly deprimed a few live primers, I prefer to shoot them off into a 55 gal barrel in my barn. I'd rather not wince each time I deprime the cases.
    A deplorable that votes!

  19. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gazz View Post
    Years ago before I had a reloading press, I tried to deprime a .308 case using one of the Lee kits, the kind you use a mallet to deprime, size and seat a bullet with. The primer may have been inserted upside down, I can't remember now as it was probably 40 years ago but I do remember how much it hurt. I set the case in the depriming base, dropped the punch in and struck it with a mallet. BANG! and the case launched itself up the depriming tool taking the pads of my thumb and forefinger with it. I now deprime in a press when I need to and so far no detonations. I think you could rig up something to hold the case that would allow a place for the removed primer to g and squeeze it out in a vise or with a c-clamp.
    I got a kick out of this, I am not sure what you expected it to do. lol
    I never had one go off when priming with a lee whack a mole, but it is pretty common. From what I have heard it just causes your heart to skip a beat.
    I have deprimed a few hundred on a press with a lee universal decapping die, with no issues.

  20. #40
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    I had a primer go off while depriming cases and like said earlier it was a non event. It didn't even go bang, it just kinda sizzled and a little smoke came out of the die. That caused me to slow back down to the speed I started at. Deprime them and then reuse the primers.
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BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
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LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check