Pulled primers

[abunaitoo]

Friend that let the islands, gave me a large lot of pulled primers.
Yes...............pulled primers.
He was like me. Never waste anything.
I've been using them for load/powder testing.
Small pistol only so far.
I would sort them by color, shape, and anvil.
Seems to work OK.
Get a dud sometimes.
I can only hope that when he put them in the package, they were the same.

[Traffer]

I didn't know you could remove them without setting them off. Learn something every day.

[Bazoo]

I've used pulled primers before, mostly just to see how they did. I've decapper above 50 rounds without a detonation, and with no misfires upon loading.

[BNE]

I've done it a few times, and re-used them, mainly to see if they would work. All did work with no issues. BUT IT MAKES ME NERVOUS, so I try to avoid needing to do it!

BNE

[Three44s]

I have recycled a few. No unintended firings thus far.

How they are stored if in large numbers before they are re-seated concerns me more than reusing them. Understand that they have been sensitized twice already, once upon seating and the second time as they were unseated. If safe storage was important in original form, then twice sensitized primers are logically more in need of such treatment than even the new ones are.

Three44s

[lefty o]

once they've been seated once, if they are pulled, they are trash. you may get away with it 999 times out of a thousand, , but i dont like things accidently going bang.

[dangitgriff]

I have decapped primed cases—very carefully—with no issues. Since I rent a room in a friend’s house, where I do my reloading on small modified work table, I take the unusual precaution of putting a rag on top of the decapping die to keep the ceiling from getting powder burns if one lights off.
I know, I know...[emoji16]
I was instructed by my reloading mentor to never reuse the decapped primers, so I do not.

[Winger Ed.]

I've done a few, with a towel over the press, but it still scared me, and I thought I was fearless.

[Bazoo]

Y'all talk like it's an earth shattering kaboom if a pimer blows. I've never had one blow when decapping live, but had a few blow when using a lee loader. You'd think the rod would go trough the ceiling, it dont though, just scares you constipated. Long as you got eye protection, I don't see how they could do more than scare you.

[Winger Ed.]

I don't see how they could do more than scare you.

For single guys, that's very true.

But when mama get's TOO excited or startled, TOO suddenly, ,,,,,,,ahh,,, not so much.

[Bazoo]

Man the look on the wife's face the first time a primer exploded while using a lee loader in the house. I told her it could happen beforehand. Scared us both pretty good. She's an understanding sorta gal.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive done it with no problems. When mass loading rounds like 556 and 300 bo and 308 that I don't keep track of how many firings they have I occasionally get a loose primer pocket and little resistance when seating a primer. IF you use them theres a good chance the primer will fall out of the case and jam somewhere and stop your gun. I take these cases and throw them in a coffee can. When I get enough to bother with I deprime them with lee depriming die and reuse them. When I reuse them and I get another sloppy fit I toss that piece of brass and primer. Probably a waste of time unless your loading 1000s of rounds. I wouldn't bother for 2 or 3 primers.

[RU shooter]

I've done a few hundred and never had an issue as long as it's not a crimped in primer they come out as easy as they go in just don't work that press handle like a maniac .

[dangitgriff]

Y'all talk like it's an earth shattering kaboom if a pimer blows. I've never had one blow when decapping live, but had a few blow when using a lee loader. You'd think the rod would go trough the ceiling, it dont though, just scares you constipated. Long as you got eye protection, I don't see how they could do more than scare you.

I always wondered about that. Looks like I’ll have to start wearing Depends for this operation...[emoji1783]

[dangitgriff]

For single guys, that's very true.

But when mama get's TOO excited or startled, TOO suddenly, ,,,,,,,ahh,,, not so much.

Don’t want to scare her out of the kitchen...took long enough to get her in there.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190829/9cab3cd9610e1c8a02bc0d424b34a0ba.jpg

[trapper9260]

I remove and reused the primers with out any problems. It is when I reload shotgun primers is when I had then go off.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
With a press an even gentle handle movement gets the removal accomplished. Remember a light hammer strike will not fire a primer. A gentle push from the inside is no different.
Mike in LLama Land

[DocSavage]

The only problem I see is for large rifle and pistol primers seeing that large rifle primer are taller and can cause some revolvers to jam up due to the protruding primer.

[lightman]

I have removed a lot of them with no problem. I just go slow and smooth and wear safety glasses. I've also reused them but I save them for plinking or blasting ammo, not for hunting or competition.

[fast ronnie]

I've re-used them, too.
No need to get all panicky about removing them. The only primer I've had go off was when installing one on a tight case, and that was not a recycled one.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I decapped hundreds of cases with live primers.
Usually when I've bought brass which was primed, but not properly stored or properly processed...once a batch of brass had different color primers...I want primers from the same batch in my ammo.
I only use salvaged/pulled primers for non-critical applications, like forming cases, or another one is, when I'm loading a large batch of pistol ammo, I always load in batches with matching HS cases, but when I get near the end of a large batch, there is always some mixed HS cases...I will use pulled primers for those and label them blasting ammo...I don't even call it plinking ammo...blasting ammo is used for testing, whether testing a gun or a new type of target or something else wear accuracy and 100% reliability isn't needed, I am much more aware of squibs and things when shooting blasting ammo as well. Lastly, I will say I have never had a Dud primer that was pulled and reused...but I expect to someday.

[Nueces]

Ain't they "pushed" primers? :mrgreen:

[Idz]

Primer sensitivity is usually advertised as an all-fire energy of a weight dropped on the firing pin. However to fire a primer you need not only the listed energy but sufficient power. Supplying energy slowly like a gentle hand on the de-capping press doesn't generate enough power to fire the primer.

[Texas by God]

I keep them in a bowl labeled "De-caps" and use them for shot loads, wax bullets, and experiments.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[fatelk]

My son and I occasionally pick up brass at the range. After a match especially, there are many thousands of mostly 9mm on the ground. We also find a fair quantity of live rounds. I always pull them apart with an inertia puller, dump the powder, keep the jacketed bullets and melt the cast ones. The primed brass gets checked for high or dented primers and thrown in a can.

When I accumulate enough I load them up. Free primed brass, why not? I use a moderate load that should be safe with the hottest magnum primer, and use them for informal shooting. I’ve been surprised to find them pretty accurate, or at least plenty accurate enough for shooting clay targets off the 25 yard berm.

[Traffer]

I set off a 22lr primed case by accident in a case sizing die. About as loud as a primer. I apologized to my wife who was in the same room. She said,"oh I thought you just hit something really hard with a hammer".
Good wife!

[bob208]

in one of his books skeeter tells of a guy that took the primers out of .45acp and used them in .44spl. while in panama.

I have used primers I have removed from other shells. never a problem.

[DCP]

Y'all talk like it's an earth shattering kaboom if a pimer blows. I've never had one blow when decapping live, but had a few blow when using a lee loader. You'd think the rod would go trough the ceiling, it dont though, just scares you constipated. Long as you got eye protection, I don't see how they could do more than scare you.

Yes those Lee Loaders keep you on your toes you just never know when!

[sharps4590]

It ain't no thing. I couldn't tell you how many I've pushed out and re-used with nary a problem or detonation. If the anvil and priming compound are still as they should be what's to happen? I HAVE set off a couple with the old Lee loader as others have described. I've set them off with a hammer on a concrete floor as an exhibition as well. They go bang pretty good but with precious little effect other than that. On a few cartridges I didn't know what was in them I've pulled the bullet, dumped the powder and just fired the primed case in my basement shop. Nothing remarkable. I still prime my brass shot shells with a hammer and dowel on a piece of granite and I've had a couple primers inadvertently tip on their side when I tried to seat them. Drove them nearly flat and none have gone off to date. Common sense and care go a long way. I've read of a couple guys who went to all kinds of extremes to make the primers they pushed out inert before disposing of them. Seemed an awful waste to me.

[shooterg]

They ain't "pulled" primers - I "push" mine out ! lol

And I reused them also and they all went bang. But these were from rounds I loaded and not unknown origin.

[WRideout]

Man the look on the wife's face the first time a primer exploded while using a lee loader in the house. I told her it could happen beforehand. Scared us both pretty good. She's an understanding sorta gal.

The woman is crazy in love with you!
Wayne

[jsizemore]

I use my RCBS universal decapping die. Very roomy inside and will vent downward. SLOW, EASY pull on the press handle. Haven't had one go off yet. I use the pulled primers for starting load powder charges and no bullet case forming. So far every one has gone bang.

[Walks]

Never "reused" a decapped live primer. It has never occurred to me to do it.

Why was powder, lead and time on something that may or not go off.

[EMC45]

I have decapped 100s of primers and only have had 2-3 not fire. Had a buddy give me a 5 gallon bucket of spent brass and rejected reloads and I reclaimed a bunch of the bullets and primers and overall they did just fine. I'm cheap and when the opportunity presents itself to save and re-use I take it.

[jsizemore]

Never "reused" a decapped live primer. It has never occurred to me to do it.

Why was powder, lead and time on something that may or not go off.

If you've been through component shortages, you don't want to waste anything. And, if you pulled it down once, you can pull it down again especially if it doesn't go bang.

[skeettx]

The common sense thing here is to use these primer
to load low powered loads for a revolver.
Should not be an issue in 38 Special with 3.1 grains of Win 231
What FUN

[docbrown]

Like others have mentioned, I have used pulled pistol primers for light practice loads. I have also set off primers off with my Lee Loader, and a couple of weeks ago, even managed to set one off with my RCBS hand primer. Thankfully, I was home alone and no laundry was soiled. :shock:

[Bazoo]

I've used pulled primers for full power 30-30 and 45 acp with no issues. I didn't group them.

[rbt5050]

I have been reloading for 55 years and have pull primers and never had a problem. but still be careful you never know.

[mdi]

If you talked to a bunch of experienced reloaders, they would admit they have popped out live primers and reused them, no big deal. When I first started reloading, 1969, I took apart a primer to see how it works. It needs a solid blow on the cup to crush the compound between the cup and a solid anvil. Pushing from the anvil side won't set off the primer, unless the decapping pin is slammed into the primer. Of course reloading manuals will say "Nope, never", but that is mostly a CYA statement...

Edited year. I've been playing with guns a long time but not 900 years...

[kevin c]

I am another who will use pulled primers in noncritical use applications. Most of the time, though, I let cases from disassembled rounds accumulate, rather than deprime them. When I have enough of one caliber, I'll pull the decapping pin out of my press and reload the primed cases as plinking ammo.

[The Dar]

My son and I occasionally pick up brass at the range. After a match especially, there are many thousands of mostly 9mm on the ground. We also find a fair quantity of live rounds. I always pull them apart with an inertia puller, dump the powder, keep the jacketed bullets and melt the cast ones. The primed brass gets checked for high or dented primers and thrown in a can.

When I accumulate enough I load them up. Free primed brass, why not? I use a moderate load that should be safe with the hottest magnum primer, and use them for informal shooting. I’ve been surprised to find them pretty accurate, or at least plenty accurate enough for shooting clay targets off the 25 yard berm.

I do exactly the same thing with 357 mag, medium load of BE86 and a Lee 158gn RNFP. I pull the bullets with a set of side cutters and my single stage press. Then remove the primers with a universal decapping die. Recently loaded up over 500 of them. They shoot fine and are surprisingly accurate. Rifle rounds, no way, those get tossed, but any small pistol primer I reuse.

[ioon44]

My son and I occasionally pick up brass at the range. After a match especially, there are many thousands of mostly 9mm on the ground. We also find a fair quantity of live rounds. I always pull them apart with an inertia puller, dump the powder, keep the jacketed bullets and melt the cast ones. The primed brass gets checked for high or dented primers and thrown in a can.

When I accumulate enough I load them up. Free primed brass, why not? I use a moderate load that should be safe with the hottest magnum primer, and use them for informal shooting. I’ve been surprised to find them pretty accurate, or at least plenty accurate enough for shooting clay targets off the 25 yard berm.


I do the same thing what is not to like, free bullets, brass and primers for practice.

[Taterhead]

I am far more nervous de-capping a primer that was inadvertently seated upside down. Right-side-up primers have the pin pushing against the anvil. In my rudimentary understanding of how primers work, seems less risky. Nonetheless, I go SLOWLY.

I do reuse said primer in range type ammo. I do notice that they seat easier the second trip into a primer pocket.

[44magLeo]

The Dar, what's the difference between pistol or rifle when reusing primers?
If they work in a pistol why can't they work in a rifle?
Leo

[ioon44]

I would never use pistol primers in a rifle, the pistol primers are softer and thinner and you will have blown and ruptured primers.

I loaded small pistol in .223 by mistake and had gas leaking in to the rifle .

[The Dar]

The Dar, what's the difference between pistol or rifle when reusing primers?
If they work in a pistol why can't they work in a rifle?
Leo

It's my understanding that pistol primers have thinner cups. I'm also well set for small rifle primers. I had gotten down to less than a brick of small pistol primers and I tried the pulled primers for an experiment. I have since purchased a case of SPP but I still intend to reuse pulled primers from live rounds I pick up from the range for plinking ammo in my 357 mag. I usually get 30 to 40 live rounds each week.

[Walter Laich]

just got through tearing down something in excess of 1K cartridges

other than the primers have were put in sideways or had visual defects I kept them all.

To echo others above: fine for practice rounds. Primers are too expensive to waste

[mdi]

I haven't seen any difference in a once seated primer and a new out of the sleeve primer. If some of the compound is lost when the seated primer is pushed out, (isn't there a foil or paper "seal"?)maybe there would be reason for "only using for low powered, practice rounds". As a matter of fact, I have had the same failure rate of "once seated" primers and factory ammo; too small to count (can't remember any). I've deprimed some factory loads, some handloads with 4 different primer manufacturers, some military rounds (watched closely because of the primer crimp) and re-seated them in "new" handloads. Same failure rate; zero...