Depriming live primers???

[Remmy4477]

Have some loaded Jamison 45-75 brass that I would like to break down.

Pulling the boolits with a kenetic puller, easy part.
However the primers are a different story, there live and I have no rifle these will fit to pop the primers.
Thought about soaking them in water for a day to kill the primers, but even then I am wary to do so. My late father used to unprime live primers every now and then running them back through the die set, never had one pop. Me no way I'm not that lucky.

I don't have a shell holder that fits them and the brass is too big to fit in my universal decapping die. Figure a small nail and sitting the brass on a bolt and a love tap with a hammer would exit the primer if they were dead, but there not.

Not really that big of a deal but I think the usps might have a fit if I ever ship them somewhere with live primers in them?

Ideas? Or just leave them alone?

[Texas by God]

I have decapped many live primers with sizing dies with never a problem over the years. I go slow and catch the primers as they fall out, save and label them for plinking load use.

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[Dave W.]

Have removed live primes on a press several time with no issues, but I do pull the handle slower than normal. Using a nail and hammer would be a concern because of the speed that the anvil is compressed. It is my understanding that nothing completely kills a live primer, not water, oil or what ever. Some have used WD40 with varying degrees of success.

If it were me, I would figure out some way to press them out.

[Elroy]

I always do like you Dad,but I go slow with the ram. I think that as long as you don't have open,or spilled powder close,and wear eye protection you have nothing to worry about.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Just treat 'em gentle as you use the sizer die or a universal decapping die to push out the primer. As long as the primers are not staked or crimped, depriming live primers is just go easy exercise. Jamison 45-75 would not have crimped primers. The primers can be reused, I would just label for non-critical use.

[country gent]

Having to use the punch and hammer I would deaden them also. Here soak n water and deprime while wet after it dries they can become live again. Im not sure if modern primers are immune to water or not.It may take a solvent.

If you have a drill press chuck a depriming rod in the spindle and use the ram to PUSH them out. A board with a hoe drilled thru it to hold case and give primer somewhere to go. The push square and straight will take a lot more to detonate them than the impact blow of a hammer. You dont need the spindle turning just the spindle and ram.

A bench vise with a punch and block could be used also. Again the push will be much safer.

While not a lot of pressure primers will fly and hit fairly hard if not contained and they detonate. Used a wood cup ( simply drill a rim sized hoe 1/4'deep then a smaller hoe another 1/2-3/4" deeper. This contains the primer if something should go south. Dont allow legs or body parts under near the workings,Just in case.

[JimB..]

Brass for which you have neither the equipment to reload nor the rifle to shoot. If you plan to sell the brass just leave it primed and sell it. If you plan to put it on a shelf just put it on a shelf as it is.

[Minerat]

You can ship primed brass just label it per USPS regs.

[Conditor22]

I'm in the middle of tearing down small ammo can full of loaded 223 in LC 07 brass (that has oversized primer pockets and the primers blow out when shooting)

I broke a kinetic bullet puller so I bought a Pile Driver to Remove the bullets (works easy but is a little loud)

I'm saving the 55 FMJ bullets, military ball powder (I weighed the amount in the cases), and the primers to re-build these cartridges in other 223 brass.

I've never had any problem decapping and reusing live primers!!


IF I needed the primers I would de-cap them otherwise I would sell the primed brass at an exorbitant price to someone who is out of LRP

[Winger Ed.]

The drill press with a de-prime pin and a wooden block with a hole in it for them to have a place to go is how I'd do it.

But unless I really needed them, and there was a pretty good bunch of 'em, I wouldn't bother.

[Texas Gun]

As long as they’re not crimped In they will deprime just fine I have tap Live primers out Believe it or not it takes quite a bit to set off a primer

[remy3424]

/\What he said /\. If you need them out just use the decapping rod in with the sizing die...if you don't have a sizing die for that cartridge, slow and easy with a universal decapping die. Never have I had on detonate while removing. I have had the anvils fall out after removing, but if intact, I will reuse them and they all have worked. Put some safety googles on and get after them, no need to make a big deal of it.

[GregLaROCHE]

No reason you can’t deprime them if they are not crimped. I’d go for a press with a universal depriming tool.

[dverna]

At least wear safety glasses or a face shield. I would sell the primed brass if I did not have a gun chambered in the caliber...but that is me. I have a lot of primers and no need to salvage some.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Since you don't have the correct tooling to do this on a reloading press, then I'd use the Drill press as Country Gent spells out.

[RP]

I remove a fair amount of primers with the lee decapper die only one problem was on a crimped case. Warning when the primer goes off and your hand is in the catch that sucker as it comes down the chute and the primer is just about out it travels very fast downwards. Not only the primer but a amazing about of hot gas. Hit the tip of my finger breaking the skin and burning it not sure what hurt more the impact or the burn lol.
This primer was really hard to remove lets say more then normal crimped primers so if you find one that is really taking some pressure to remove that should raise your caution level.
Will I still remove live primers YEP commercial brass to me is no issue at all crimped I just watch for those that really tight and not hold my hand so close to the exit area lol.

[Bazoo]

I've decapped live primers with a hammer and punch using a loading block for the base when I didn't have correct dies for the cartridge. I did 40 something with no issues.

[MrWolf]

I've deprimed them with my Harvey deprimer. Just go slow and should have no problems.

[TNsailorman]

I have deprimed at least 2000 or more live primers(not crimped) with the Lee de-priming rod and cup on a wooden 2x4 block. I now wear a glove on the hand that holds the de-primer rod just in case a primer goes off. I did not do this and after 2 or 3 primers went off (since 1963) and I got powder blackened fingers, I started wearing a glove. No damage at all to the fingers but blackened finger tips take a good scrubbing to remove the black. I only use light taps only to drive the primers out but the 2 o 3 that did go off were my fault when I got in too big of a hurry. The bigger problem when one does go off is that you might need to change your drawers. my experience anyway, james

[jmorris]

I am in the group that says, if you don't have a 45-75, don't worry about it. As others point out primed brass ships without hazmat.