Primer didn't fire, what to do?

[John Boy]

What I'm nervous about is the primer going off as I'm pounding the puller. Just because this primer didn't go off from a firing pin strike, doesn't mean the primer is dead.

In order for the anvils in a primer to ignite, the have to be hit fast and hard. The primer in a kinetic hammer is not being hit hard and fast

[JBinMN]

I am getting the impression that this is starting to become a case of.....

I unsubscribed a while back, but this topic keeps popping up in the daily pages I check. Like this time, I kept checking to see what had happened...

Only thing I am curious about, is what did SkookumJeff ( The OP), do with the cartridge???

Otherwise, even though I am not trying to stop folks from posting here, & I am not sure about the rest of ya, but I am all for letting this topic "die". That is "my" vote anyway.

[fatelk]

Call the bomb squad. They’ll come in wearing those level III armored suits and dispose of it safety with a controlled explosion.

[fatelk]

A damaged primer can become sensitized without going off. Sometimes, rarely, they go bang later with little pressure when you try to press them out of the case

Interesting, learn something new every day. I’ve never heard of this before. Is it something you’ve seen personally?

[SkookumJeff]

Only thing I am curious about, is what did SkookumJeff ( The OP), do with the cartridge???

Can't find that cartridge right now dang it. Put it back in the ammo box, but, I have a LOT of ammo in my ammo locker, so far haven't found the box it's in. That said, once I do find it, I'm just gonna take some wire cutters and pull the boolit in my press. Then I'm gonna hit that primer with a torch to see if it pops. I'm betting it will. I'll post the results in case anyone has an interest early next week.

Skook

[mold maker]

By heating the head of the case enough to fire the primer, you will likely render the case useless. The process is called annealing which is good for the mouth and neck, but not the head.
Push the primer, pour the powder, and save the case and bullet.
If little rocket man can hold the world hostage surely you can accomplish this simple task.

[fatelk]

I’m sure I don’t need to say it, but be careful and wear good safety glasses and gloves when you do that. That primer will likely pop and come shooting out like a little bullet.

I knew a guy who pulled apart an old shotgun shell and shot the primed hull with a BB gun. Part of that primer came across the yard and embedded itself deep in his arm. He had to go in and have it surgically removed.

[44MAG#1]

He had to be a phenomenal shot with a BB gun or he had a very small yard.

[yeahbub]

Of all the commercial primers I've loaded over 40 years of reloading, I only recall two duds. One had an empty primer cup, no trace of compound at all. The other I'm not sure about. Both, and a bozillion others were successfully pulled with kinetic pullers. Pull it and go.

The only kinetic puller horror story I ever read about was some fellow who detonated a WW2 8mm spotter bullet when it pulled and hit the bottom of the tube, but that's a whole different animal.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I knew a guy who pulled apart an old shotgun shell and shot the primed hull with a BB gun. Part of that primer came across the yard and embedded itself deep in his arm. He had to go in and have it surgically removed.

He had to be a phenomenal shot with a BB gun or he had a very small yard.

My Dad (God rest his soul) had a awesome story about a BB gun and a live 12ga shotshell...I believe it happened when he was 8 or 9 ?

It's not a real long story, but it's too late for me to type it, tonight.

[fatelk]

He had to be a phenomenal shot with a BB gun or he had a very small yard.

Or just really (un)lucky. It was 30+ years ago, an elderly friend of my grandfather. The way I heard it he set the hull on a fence and took a shot at it, then immediately realized the foolishness of his actions. As I recall he only had one hand . The other had been lost in a hunting accident when he was younger. The primer piece hit the stub and traveled up his arm. It’s been a long time so I may not have the details quite right.

[fatelk]

Another friend has a story of throwing live 22lr ammo into a fire. It involved picking a sliver of brass out of his ear.

[6bg6ga]

When I see a post such as this generate three pages over such a simple thing as a dud round I can't help but shake my head. I remember when this site was a place to come and learn, to share novel ideas with like minded individuals. Now I see how much time I wasted just getting to this point I begin to wonder why I stop in here at all anymore. In ten short years in amazes me to see where we have gone, and frightens me to contemplate where we are headed. D.

Sir, I for one apologize that you had to be put out reading this thread. That you wasted your time reading all the way thru it. We should in fact do some soul searching on what may be acceptable threads and simply forward them to you for your thoughts and consideration before posting anything.

[44MAG#1]

While I have found this thread entertaining. The question in my mind is did it really need to generate this many responses?
Depriming a live round isn't very dangerous unless one tries to do it with a hammer by beating the manure out of it.
I would have used side cutters put the round in the press raising the cartridge grabbing the bullet and lowering the hammer. That way no whacks or anything else. Regular loaded cartridges I use a hammer style puller. And have for years.
I don't soak cartridges in oil or other liquids.
There is very, very, very, very few things in reloading the requires rocket science intelligence.
This is one of them.
Too many now wants to be spoon fed rather than digging after the knowledge. I had to dig. Still do quite a bit of research now although information is now more prevalent than in 1970.
Until I bought my Glock M20 a few months ago I knew nothing a bout a 10MM. But I am learning through working for the knowledge not sitting back and wanting to be spoon fed.
We will always have the both kinds the spoon fed types and the study, work and dig after knowledge types.
I guess we need both types.

[lightman]

I'm just guessing, but I expect the OP wants to salvage the case because its part of a batch of brass that he is keeping together. He will eventually loose some to loose primer pockets or splits but he mentioned 50, so I'm betting he has these in boxes.

Anyway, the method I like best is in post #12 that Grmps posted about the PVC pipe. I do the same thing with the top of the press when the cartridge is long enough to stick through the threaded area.

[mdi]

I think this thread shows how paralyzing fear can be. A simple operation, done prolly tens of thousands of times, is so frightening to a person that he cannot decide what to do with a single misfired round.

I took apart a primer very early in my reloading career to see what actually happened when hit with a firing pin. The compound needs to be crushed, with force, between the primer cup and anvil for any ignition to take place. No crushing taking place in an inertia bullet puller...

[RED BEAR]

For a single bullet if you are worried about it at all. I would say toss it in a river or creek. Why bother over a single round.

[SkookumJeff]

I think this thread shows how paralyzing fear can be. A simple operation, done prolly tens of thousands of times, is so frightening to a person that he cannot decide what to do with a single misfired round.

I took apart a primer very early in my reloading career to see what actually happened when hit with a firing pin. The compound needs to be crushed, with force, between the primer cup and anvil for any ignition to take place. No crushing taking place in an inertia bullet puller...

You ask a simple question, expect to get a few simple answers. I never could have imagined the commotion this question created...and I'm the one who's over thinking this?

Since this thread has spiraled out of control...here's one for y'all...

My first experience with live ammo took place when I was 9 yo. I came upon a kid younger than me who I thought was lighting firecrackers. Turns out he had a paper bag of 22 shells, was placing them one at a time on a flat rock and smashing them with another rock. BANG! After I saw what he was doing I thought that was 'bout the most fun a kid could have so I joined in we spent a few hours smashing all those 22 shells with big rocks. By the time we were done a whole passel of kids had surrounded us to watch the fun. Course being the responsible youngsters we were, we didn't let any of the 'little' kids participate, too dangerous. This was fifty years ago. No one was injured, nobody got arrested, nobody got sued.

Skook

[gray wolf]

You ask a simple question, expect to get a few simple answers. I never could have imagined the commotion this question created...and I'm the one who's over thinking this?

Since this thread has spiraled out of control...here's one for y'all...

My first experience with live ammo took place when I was 9 yo. I came upon a kid younger than me who I thought was lighting firecrackers. Turns out he had a paper bag of 22 shells, was placing them one at a time on a flat rock and smashing them with another rock. BANG! After I saw what he was doing I thought that was 'bout the most fun a kid could have so I joined in we spent a few hours smashing all those 22 shells with big rocks. By the time we were done a whole passel of kids had surrounded us to watch the fun. Course being the responsible youngsters we were, we didn't let any of the 'little' kids participate, too dangerous. This was fifty years ago. No one was injured, nobody got arrested, nobody got sued.

Skook

And this means what ?
Other than Kids can and do participate in doing dangerous things.
Don't smash your bullet with a rock.
Put it in an inertia puller and be done with it, cheese man.

[crackers]

"As I recall he only had one hand . The other had been lost in a hunting accident when he was younger."
I'm surprised the guy was elderly. That type usually doesn't even get to retirement.