Primed cases??

[Tom-ADC]

How loud are primed cases if you fire one in a revolver say 45 colt. Would somebody think a gun had been fired?

[nicholst55]

Quite possibly. Primed cases in a handgun are LOUD. In a revolver the primers can also back out and tie up the gun. If you're trying to 'un-prime' the brass, a decapping die is your best bet.

[beex215]

yes its still loud.

[Certaindeaf]

Wear hearing protection. Primers out of a handgun are pretty loud.

[Tom-ADC]

What I was thinking of doing, I have a new conversion kit for my new Pietta 1858 Remington and yesterday at the range only 3 out of 10 rounds fired, the rest had very light primer hits. I tried the kit in my other older 1858 and using the kit makers advice and it checks out great, so thought I'd install the kit and try 5 primed cases to see if the primers would go off saving me a drive to the range, but from what I'm reading, looks like a range trip is in order.

[Stick_man]

Primed cases are fairly loud, but nowhere near as loud as a loaded round. I used to fire the Speer plastic bullets (target rounds that are powered only by primers) in our basement. They are louder than a cap-gun so you will want hearing protection. A lot depends on your barrel length and the kind of environment you are shooting it in.

[paul h]

Primed cases are fairly loud, but nowhere near as loud as a loaded round. I used to fire the Speer plastic bullets (target rounds that are powered only by primers) in our basement. They are louder than a cap-gun so you will want hearing protection. A lot depends on your barrel length and the kind of environment you are shooting it in.

Yup, not as loud as a gunshot, but louder than a cap gun. I popped off a box of speer plastic bullets in the garage a few weeks back and was wearing hearing protection.

Not only are primers loud, they produce a fair amount of fouling so you'll want to clean your gun after using them.

[Tom-ADC]

How about wax bullets?

[Wayne Smith]

If you are wondering about sound transmission, I have fired primers and .22 CB caps in my insulate, closed garage and my wife in the house did not hear it nor did any of the neighbors complain. Neighbors are close, too. Yes, it is illegal to "discharge a firearm" within the city limits, with exceptions and do not live in one of the exceptions.

[TheBigBang]

I've fired primers in my house before, NOWHERE near the level of a live round. Didn't bother with any hearing protection. And it didn't damage my VERY GOOD hearing. If you were in a small bathroom with tiled walls, it might be more of a concern. To my mind it really didn't seem much louder than a loud cap gun from my childhood, but I don't have kids & kids today don't seem to have cap guns anyway, so it's been many years since I've heard a cap gun. I don't think the neighbors would ever notice if that is your concern.

[firefly1957]

Don't worry unless you are in an apartment the sound is less than a 22 rifle. just a little louder than some cap guns.

[MtGun44]

LOL! pretty darned loud in a basement!

The wife was helping me reload about 30 yrs ago and was running the Lee hand primer, the
one before the Autoprime without the feed tray. She was holding the case and priming tool
out at arm's length and pointing it away and closing her eyes as she seated each primer.
I said "Good grief, they aren't going to go off and besides, it's just a primer! Here let me
show you" I grabbed a primed case and popped it into a 1911 and pointed it across the
basement (away from both of us) and fired the primed case only. WOW! :shock:

My ears were ringing and I sheepishly told her - "Boy , that was a lot louder
than I thought it would be, but they never go off, just keep them pointed
away from yourself, and you'll be fine. "

Pretty loud in a closed space with hard walls like a basement. :grin:

Bill

[bearcove]

Fill a box with some rags and stick the muzzle in it. Mild pop.

Ear plugs for pop out of barrel/cyl gap.

Try one.

When I was a kid we used to hit the ones that got loose with a hammer.

[Tom-ADC]

Just for the sake of discussion how about a one liter soda bottle with a hole in it?

[markinalpine]

I wanted something to add weight to the base of this reading lamp I was always knocking over, so I emptied about 6 12 gauge shells out, and ballasted the lamp with the shot held in the base with paraffin wax. This still works good, but then I thought I should get rid of the powder and primed shells. The powder was just added to a bag of lawn fertilizer, but when I put one of the shell, base up, in the jaws of my mechanics vise in the garage and set it off with a hammer and nail, it was very loud. I took the rest of them, put several drops of 3-in-1 oil in each, let them sit until I got around to them weeks later, by which time they were all "dud-ified."

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Personally,
I think a primed case, discharged in a revolver is alot louder (to the shooter) than a standard 22LR shot in a rifle.
ALOT LOUDER !!!
Jon

[GilaMonster]

In a revolver the primers can also back out and tie up the gun.

Yes, they can. I've experienced it in my Security Six...

Can anyone explain how/why this happens?

[Bad Water Bill]

I have fired MANY rounds of Speer plastic bullets into a box with pieces of hanging towel to save the bullets.

This in a 8 foot deep concrete basement.

If the next door neighbor at that time could have heard anything he would have had the city,county and state swat teams kicking in my door. Yes he was nasty.

If I had to fire the gun I would take the bottom out of a large coffee can, replace the plastic lid and stuff the now sleeve with rags. Insert the revolver up to the cylinder in the rags and fire away.

Have a bucket of water handy just in case the primers start something.

[gray wolf]

They are quite impressive and will back out tying up a revolver.
Hold off till you get to the range, pop off a few primers and decide for yourself.

[nvbirdman]

When the primer is fired all that gas is trying to get out through the little primer hole and the pressure sets the primer back. It happens too in a bulleted round, but the pressure that pushes the bullet down the barrel also pushes the case back and re-seats the primer.

[WRideout]

Not too long ago, I had some cases that I wanted to scrap, and did not feel like running them through a decapper, so I came up with a brilliant idea. I held the case with pliers, and put the head end into the flame of a propane torch. When the primer blew, there was nothing to stop it's rearward progress, and it flew out the primer pocket as a projectile, breaking a garage window. I felt suitably chastened. Newtonian physics at work.

Wayne

[Echo]

Just run them through the sizing die and knock out the live primers - sorta gently, but should be no drama - I've done it, and re-used the primers.