I Come Seeking Guidance and Knowledge: Damp Primers

[challenger_i]

Last night, Mother Nature took the roof off my shop and deposited in my neighbor's yard.
Everything in my shop managed to get wet in various degrees.
I had a box of #34 primers setting on the table next to my loading bench, waiting their turn
in the brass.
The exterior box (this is a box of 1000) got damp, but not drenched.

What should I expect for the primer's usability? What might I do to salvage them?

Thoughts? Hints? Suggestions?

[MUSTANG]

I would put them in a dry place, take each box of 100 outside of the 1000 overwrap box. Let sit for a week and all moisture should be gone. I would then Reload and fire as normal.

Some primer mixtures actually use water as an activating agent. Some others; use an alcohol/water mixture as a "Temporary" desensitizing agent while loading the Primer Cup and then the anvil - letting them dry in a dehumidifier or for 24/48 hours before being packaged to let the primer mixture dry.

[elmacgyver0]

I would bury them in cat litter for a couple weeks, then test random samples.
Make sure the cat litter is new and in one of those resealable plastic buckets.
Or use a dehydrator as long as it doesn't get too hot.

[challenger_i]

Thank ye, gents! You have soothed my ruffled feathers!

[Half Dog]

Give them time to dry and you might be surprised. Primers seem to be very durable in environmental conditions. After you think they are dry seat a handful in brass without powder or a bullet. If they all go boom when you shoot them I would call them good.

[imashooter2]

You should expect no change or degradation to the primers after they dry back out.

[Hogdaddy]

Rice works ; )
H/D

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Priming compound is made wet so as to be handled safely at the factory. I would think that 99.9% of them should be good after being allowed to dry out. One problem might occur, which is that if the cups are steel they may begin to rust.

DG

[GhostHawk]

I agree with Mustang.

A warm sunny place and a week of dry should do the trick. If you want to be sure load up 5 rounds with just a primer and test.
I would take one primer from each of the top 2 boxes, 1 ea from the 2 bottom boxes and one from the middle.

If any one does not fire cook em in sunshine for a few more days.

[challenger_i]

Thanks! Now to bathe my loading equipment in oil!

[fastdadio]

I had an old machine gun belt of about 30 rds of 30-06 dated from the early 40's that I decided I wanted to be inert for display. I pulled the boolits and dumped the powder and soaked the primed brass in a bucket of water for two days. After they dried out I decided to try a couple before I reseated the boolits. I cycled them through my bolt action and all but two went bang.

[MrWolf]

Rice works ; )
H/D

Yup. Keep it simple. Primers can take it.

[Winger Ed.]

You'll shoot your eye out kid.

Better let one of us older guys safely dispose of them for ya.

[JimB..]

I wouldn’t mix with rice, litter, or anything else that might leave stuff behind. Setting on a paper towel on a cookie sheet either in the sun or by a fan overnight will be plenty. They’ll all go bang.

[challenger_i]

Ah, NO!

You'll shoot your eye out kid.

Better let one of us older guys safely dispose of them for ya.

[Rapier]

Things dropped in water or wet by rain, get a new box of rice bath in the AC, unless it is a salt water bath, then, it is rare when your electronics ever function again. Primers should do well in a rained on the outside box deal, just in the AC, and if not actually under water soaking.
Hurricanes, repetitive, give us a lot of unwelcome practice at reserection.

[compass will]

And sorry about your roof

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I use the dash of my pickup, truck pointed south for my dryer. Thermometer goes up past 140* F sometimes, usually makes 90+ even in the winter. A week in the sun, should be good to go. Humidity is very low here.

[challenger_i]

Thank you, sir!

And sorry about your roof

[Black Beard]

They will dry out quicker if they are open side up. You could shake them about in a priming tray to do that and then leave it in the Sun.