What to do with this?

[LeadPoisonTX]

This factory round would not chamber in my rifle, so I did not force it. The reason was obvious - wrinkled case mouth. Most probably when the bullet was seated. Back at the ranch, I pulled the bullet, emptied the power, and began inspecting the case. The pictures tell the story... What should I do with this case?
I do not (will not) throw a live primer in the trash. I could use pliers to pinch the wrinkle enough for the case to chamber and fire it with just the primer, then put the case in the trash.
Or, after firing the primer, I could trim the case and re-use it? I will be 0.040" too short.
Or, I could make an arts & crafts project out of it, since I have so much time in my hands, not!
Or, I could use it as a reactive target for my pellet gun.
What would you guys do?
Remember, I already mentioned putting it in the trash after firing the primer.
190918190919

[nicholst55]

Personally, I'd toss it after killing/removing the primer.

[jrdztech]

Remove the primer and trow case in the metal recycling bin.

Got Brass

[nun2kute]

I am working towards swageing my own bullets, so I would fire the primer and save the brass for future use. I got a special bucket just for savers, and one just for recycling (spent primers) for the ones too mangled to save.

[15meter]

I recycle the brass on the range at my gun club, I don't worry too much about the odd live primer in the scrap bucket I sell to the scrap man. My brass gets dumped in to a big gondola with a bunch of other brass which moves up the scrap food chain into larger and larger bins/gons/trucks until it gets back to being re-melted. It then gets dumped in to a crucible with tons of other scrap brass. When that primer finally does pop buried down in that crucible I doubt that anyone would notice. I suspect trapped water in brass water fittings would make things way more exciting that a rifle primer.

A couple of years back just to prove to my self that everything I had read about cartridges being pretty innocuous in a fire was true. (find Hatchers Notebook he as a lot to say about ammo/components and fire--great read--just wish who ever I loaned it to would return it:)) I dumped a couple of 8mm mausers in a peach can with a 1/2 cup of gas, lit it and got away. It took AWHILE before there was a couple of pops, no big booms, the can didn't move or get dented. Just the primers and bullets popped out and lying in the bottom of the can.

If it is going into the municipal waste, I suspect the aerosol cans that get crushed in the garbage truck compactor is a lot more exciting.

[dragon813gt]

I recycle the brass on the range at my gun club, I don't worry too much about the odd live primer in the scrap bucket I sell to the scrap man.

This is exactly why a lot of yards won't accept cartridge brass. Their contracts state that no live primers can be in them. So instead of going through them they don't accept them. Not picking on you but contracts have different stipulations.

For the case in the OP I would deprime and either throw away or in the scrap bucket.

[C. Latch]

I have a pond in my yard. Stuff like that gets tossed in the middle of the pond.

[upnorthwis]

They won't take cartridge brass around here for that exact same reason, live primers.

[racepres]

I recycle the brass on the range at my gun club, I don't worry too much about the odd live primer in the scrap bucket I sell to the scrap man. My brass gets dumped in to a big gondola with a bunch of other brass which moves up the scrap food chain into larger and larger bins/gons/trucks until it gets back to being re-melted. It then gets dumped in to a crucible with tons of other scrap brass. When that primer finally does pop buried down in that crucible I doubt that anyone would notice. I suspect trapped water in brass water fittings would make things way more exciting that a rifle primer.

A couple of years back just to prove to my self that everything I had read about cartridges being pretty innocuous in a fire was true. (find Hatchers Notebook he as a lot to say about ammo/components and fire--great read--just wish who ever I loaned it to would return it:)) I dumped a couple of 8mm mausers in a peach can with a 1/2 cup of gas, lit it and got away. It took AWHILE before there was a couple of pops, no big booms, the can didn't move or get dented. Just the primers and bullets popped out and lying in the bottom of the can.

If it is going into the municipal waste, I suspect the aerosol cans that get crushed in the garbage truck compactor is a lot more exciting.

Reminds me of an episode on the Mythbuster turds..
Putting a 22rf cartridge in an automotive fuse block will not make it go off....but, they did Not put it in a Shorted circuit...the one that blows fuses..
The heat generated will set off the round..I know from experience...close range..but, the projectile goes virtually nowhere...the relatively light weight case however steps away at a rather rapid pace...it will bruise, but not Penetrate, my hide [covered by levis] anyway...

[Minerat]

Put a couple of drops of oil (WD 40) in the case to deactivate the primer then de-prime and scrap.

[Mk42gunner]

I've heard or read way too many stories of "killing primers" by either oil or water with them coming back to life to ever believe there is an easy and cheap way for the layman to make a small arms primer inert. I'm also not all that enamored with the idea of throwing a live primer in a fire.

That is a long way of saying that I would get the case in the chamber and fire the primer.

Robert

[LeadPoisonTX]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Some made me chuckle and others made laugh. Great stories. I will not throw it in the trash. I will recycle the brass after firing the primer.
Have a wonderful weekend & get out and shoot!!!!

[map55b]

Save it for a case conversion. Maybe you can shorten it for something. BTY: Who was the manufacture.

[racepres]

Wanna have some fun??
decap with one of those "hammer it out" decappers!!!
don't; stand Over it
do; have a Story prepared to tell your SWWBO how that "thing" got into yer ceiling!!!

[Skipper]

Poison the primer with WD-40 and punch it out.

Cut the head off and make a tie tack out of it.

Drill a hole in it and make a key chain.

[Geezer in NH]

I would just deprime it in the universal decapper by lee like any other case. almost 50 years reloading and have yet to set off a primmer decaping live ones.

It is in an enclosed die even if it goes pop so what guys they are not C4.

If you are not wearing eye protection doing anything in reloading it is you own fault for being a.ignorant. b. crazy. c. ornery.

[15meter]

This is exactly why a lot of yards won't accept cartridge brass. Their contracts state that no live primers can be in them. So instead of going through them they don't accept them. Not picking on you but contracts have different stipulations.

For the case in the OP I would deprime and either throw away or in the scrap bucket.

I'm lucky my local scrap yard takes it, he looks more for the odd bullet that is pushing up the weight. As for depriming, then throwing it away, the primer is brass why would you help fill up a landfill with an easily recycled metal? All my spent primers go in the brass bucket and help with the weight. I'm in a very small club with active reloaders and I still turn in anywhere from $150-200 to the club for range improvements from the scrap bucket. (and don't tell anybody but I get first pick of and of the stuff the non-reloaders leave--SHHHHSSS!)

Any club that is not recycling is missing the boat, first for the money, second every month at the beginning of our membership meeting we all stand and recite the conservation pledge. I try not to be a hypocrite. Off my soapbox now....

[Soundguy]

With the bullet pulled it will chamber.

Just pop it.

[nicholst55]

I've heard or read way too many stories of "killing primers" by either oil or water with them coming back to life to ever believe there is an easy and cheap way for the layman to make a small arms primer inert. I'm also not all that enamored with the idea of throwing a live primer in a fire.

That is a long way of saying that I would get the case in the chamber and fire the primer.

Robert

Many moons ago, I needed some dummy ammunition for function checking military weapons. We had around 80,000 rounds of assorted live ammo, but not s single dummy. So, I drilled holes in the case walls of a selection of ammo and trickled all the powder out, then wondered how to kill the primers. I squirted WD-40 into one group of cases, CLP into another, and water into a third, then left them over the weekend. Monday morning I chambered each round and fired it. Most of the primers in the WD-40 group fired with some authority. I had to tap the bullets back into the brass before I could eject the round. Only 1-2 of the rounds in the CLP group popped, and IIRC, none of the primers soaked in water popped.

While I certainly don't recommend drilling holes in live cartridges, I also don't recommend counting on WD-40 (or any oil) to kill primers.

I recommend this video to anyone even remotely interested in the subject of ammo in fires, especially to firefighters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SlOXowwC4c

[jim147]

I guess I'm a little different, I would smooth the neck with my needle nose, add a little Rex seat the bullet and shoot it.

It would then then go in my bucket of others for making into other cases.

i have deprived many cases with live primer and have had none of them go off but I know I have had one or two anvils come out.

[LeadPoisonTX]

Save it for a case conversion. Maybe you can shorten it for something. BTY: Who was the manufacture.

This was a 22-250 case, manufactured by a small mom & pop shop who went out of business a couple of years ago. They made some accurate ammo. I guess this one escaped quality checks.

[LeadPoisonTX]

I recommend this video to anyone even remotely interested in the subject of ammo in fires, especially to firefighters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SlOXowwC4c

Great video, very informative. Thanks for sharing.

[tankgunner59]

I have decapped several live primers in the past. My mistake in reloading. (Don't ask) AS long as you function the press lever slowly it's no problem. And I also reused the primers with no ill affect.

[turtlezx]

this makes me feel bad i just threw a good loaded shell in the garbage
not worth the effort to reunite it with its fellow commrads

[Eddie2002]

I would either push out the primer or clamp it in a vice and hit it with a hammer and center punch while wearing eye and ear protection. A primer is no big deal when it goes bang. I was using the punch and pry method of removing some berdan primers last year and found one that had a strike mark on it from the firing pin but was still live, boy did it make me jump, didn't hurt anything just was one heck of a surprise.

[flint45]

I would just deprime it in the universal decapper by lee like any other case. almost 50 years reloading and have yet to set off a primmer decaping live ones.

It is in an enclosed die even if it goes pop so what guys they are not C4.

If you are not wearing eye protection doing anything in reloading it is you own fault for being a.ignorant. b. crazy. c. ornery. Agree ,I have done many times never gone off. I have even done many crimped in military cases.

[WRideout]

At one time I tried to set off primers in salvageable brass by heating them with a propane torch. It takes an incredibly long time to get it that hot, and when it does go off, it has the effect of a projectile in a very short barrel. I did have to replace the glass in the garage window.

Nowadays, I just punch them out with the universal decapper, and put the live ones in a jar of waste oil.

Wayne

[EDG]

I think they are a big deal. I saw the x-ray of a large rifle primer shot about 2 inches into the back of a guy's hand. The primer hit at the last knuckle and penetrated about half way back to his wrist.


I would either push out the primer or clamp it in a vice and hit it with a hammer and center punch while wearing eye and ear protection. A primer is no big deal when it goes bang. I was using the punch and pry method of removing some berdan primers last year and found one that had a strike mark on it from the firing pin but was still live, boy did it make me jump, didn't hurt anything just was one heck of a surprise.

[Texas by God]

Give it a little funeral and bury it. And forget it.

[LeadPoisonTX]

Give it a little funeral and bury it. And forget it.
That's exactly what I did, after I took out the primer of course.

[GARD72977]

I cant believe there is a thread this long about a live primer! You guys have a lot more time in the reloading room than I do.

My 1050 will occasionally spit out a **** load of rejects.

[3006guns]

I had a quantity of 7.5 French with bad Berdan primers. I pulled the bullets, dumped the powder and took all the cases out to the shop. I put a piece of 1/2" water pipe in my vise vertically, put a case in the proper shell holder and placed it mount down in the upended pipe.....instant "gun barrel". Then, one at a time while wearing gloves, I popped all fifty primers with a small punch and hammer. The gloves were important as some of those old military primers had quite a kick. At that point I could use my Berdan decapper safely and reprimed with fresh Berdans.

[Larry Gibson]

I've salvaged numerous of those over the years. with needle nose pliers I bend the inner lip back a little so it won't fold back under. Then I put a punch close to caliber diameter securely held by the handle part in a vise. the pinch part is then slipped into the case. With a small ball peen or other small hammer I gently tap on the buckled portion of the neck at the base and work toward the case mouth. The wrinkle will "iron" out.

Trim and chamfer if needed. The case is then used for jacketed loads most often unless the wrinkle irons out smoothly. Annealing may also be necessary but I only ran into that once.

[Duckhunter]

I too, have removed live primers with a u iversal decapping die or a full length resizing die. I've never had a primer go off. I keep these live primers to make fire forming loads. Never had a problem with this either..

[rondog]

No telling HOW many live primers I've removed with a decapper. Hundreds. Only problem is trying to reuse them, I've found that once they've been seated, they tend to get smaller and next time they fit looser.

I also have no qualms about throwing them in the trash. They're not bombs.....