Frankfort Arsenal hand deprimer for live primers

I thought about asking first. Then I just tried it. All of the primers (32) were set by me, so I knew none were crimped. Just used some caution, hand over the primed cartridge while pulling the handle, safety glasses. Yea, I know but better my hand than an eye or neck. All small pistol, they came out no problem, no crushed primers or mangled anvils.

And if you ask, it was for a caliber I no longer have.

Some finesse is in order if you do this, I'm not saying it's safe for everyone. I made sure for each one that the remover stem fit into the flash hole, I'm sure that limits the danger.

I've not loaded more than 1000 in the last few years and only removed about 100, not one lost yet. (Well the carpet ate a couple and I've since found them.)

I don't like doing it, but I have done a few without any excitement.
I just sit back a little, go slow, and stay off to the side of where the gas can go if they did 'pop'.

Don't like to do it either, but just ease the decapper into the hole! Done, no fuse! Some folks get too keyed up about things. Throw the case out or shoot them off. Sometimes we get carried away, and over think things.
Yes, I like OEM (original equipment manufactured) just the way the good Lord made me. Everything and more is still attached to me, no extra holes or missing chunks! I also don't like wasting things.
My rambling/rant is over, sorry.
YMMV!

For me, it's easy-peasy. Set up a dedicated Lee single stage press with a de-capper die. When stroking, go slowly, looking for when the decapping pin just touches the primer, then squeeze a bit more. If you feel resistance, STOP! (keep extra decapping pins handy. I buy the pins by the dozen) Do not try with crimped primers.

Done it plenty of times with my Harvey. Just go slow and easy. Gloves and glasses too.

Goodness guys! I've been removing live primers for 40+ years in standard de-cap dies with no armor at all. I do wear safety glasses when reloading, and not just for live decapping. My Lee Universal Deprime Die safely removes even crimped primers.

After all, caps are just little bitty explosive pellets, not sticks of dynamite. But - IF one actually did go off - it's contained inside the die anyway. Not only have I never suffered any damage I've never heard or read of any other reloader being injured or killed by a popped primer. ???

I am generlly careful about the process, but I did accidentally run about 100 pieces of primed brass through the 650 one day without taking out the decapping pin and everything worked just like normal. I did not reuse the primers.

I have de-capped a few live primers on occasion. I re-used the majority of them without incident as well.

I de-cap on a press and keep my body parts away from die, wear glasses and go easy.

Three44s

I had 2 primers in the last 6 years that got inserted "Wrong" one was upside down, one was sideways.

I used a Lee depriming pin, a block of 2x2 with a hole drilled in it and a hammer. Both went off. Case directed all gases safely up and away from me. Left hand fingers holding the case tingled for a few seconds.

The FA hand deprimer would work as well. And would protect you better from the hot gases.

If the primer goes off it would go into the plastic primer catcher like a bullet. I'd be surprised if it broke the plastic though.

I'm fortunate that I started loading pre web so I wasn't hearing any "warnings" about all the "dangerous" things I was doing. Can't remember why I wanted to remove some live primers but I wanted to so I just did. I had figgered out how primers work so I was easy in removing them and got about 20 out with no problems (and all fired in new loads). IIRC I used a Lee Loader depriming rod with an old bottle capping press...

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Originally Posted by mister gizmo

For me, it's easy-peasy. Set up a dedicated Lee single stage press with a de-capper die. When stroking, go slowly, looking for when the decapping pin just touches the primer, then squeeze a bit more. If you feel resistance, STOP! (keep extra decapping pins handy. I buy the pins by the dozen) Do not try with crimped primers.

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I do it the same way , never had one go off , if it did it's contained in the universal de-capping die and primer would go down thru the shell holder.

I've de-primed humdreds of live primed cases , all with no incidents and even re-using the primers .
But all were done on a single stage press , being careful to keep fingers , hands, face and eyes out of harms way ... just in case one pops ... I'm not sure I would use a hand de-primer...
If you do ...Just make sure if a primer pops a fragment of primer can't hit hand , face or eyes .
If one does go off ... holding de-primer in your hand could get to be an exciting event ...
Be Careful,
Gary

Are you saying you put your hand over the open mouth of the cartridge? That’s not something I would consider ever doing. If a primer did pop you could end up with a nasty injury. Other than that, I’ve removed countless live primers without incident but always on a press.

Attachment 280060
There is some risk. Not from the mouth area though.

My first reloads were for my 03 with a few hundred .30-06 pull-down 1941 and 1942 surplus cartridges that had corrosive primers. I only had a Lee whack-a-mole at the time so an old codger friend with a press and bullet puller pulled them apart, the rest was up to me.

I knocked out the crimped primers while sitting cross-legged on the living room floor with my three very young daughters playing in the same room. Best I remember, little more than maybe 75% of the crimped primers popped under the hammer blows.

Being no fool, I had realised that at least some of the primers would likely go off so I wore an old leather work glove to protect my left hand while holding the decap punch and hammered it with my right hand. I (and my now 60ish girls) survived; I had no mangled fingers; I wasn't blinded; my ears weren't destroyed; there were no smoking holes in my floor or ceiling. And I still have a modest bit of that now very old brass!

I've decapped live primers wearing a welding glove to shield and absorb any flying cap or anvil if it fires and sends one out.
Being careful I have bought discounted shells with mashed and side wise mounted primers as well as upside down primers.
Worth the extra work and no danger involved if precautions are observed.

Decapping live ones is the main reason I have that tool. These are always ones that made it past the primer on my LNL-AP and something went wrong seating the bullet, resulting in a mangled case. Pull the bullet, dump the powder, and then go slowly just as others have said. I keep it point down and away from me, into an empty drawer on my reloading bench. I do not have the plastic catch tube in place. It slides off easily enough and I'm sure it wouldn't explode, but it prevents it from becoming a projectile. Safety squints in place, obviously.

I feel the most dangerous part of this operation is if you don't warn the wife first. Tell her in advance that a primer MAY go off. When it doesn't, you're a pro...or at least not on her radar. If you forget to tell her and set one off, you're incompetent and reloading shall be exiled to the garage.

aside from detonations incurred while driving a primer out with hammers or similar concussion device, has anyone actually had a primer detonate while de-priming with a press type die/tool?

I recently got done tearing down a small ammo can of 223 loaded with j-words in LC 07 brass.

LC 07 brass has bad primer pockets and once the crimp is removed the primers like to fall out when fired --- not good for an AR or for accuracy in a single shot.

I've never had a problem de-priming and re-using live primers.

I'll re-load all of them, the same charge of powder, with the same primers, and bullets in good brass.

I’ve deprimed way more live primers than I care to admit over 30+ years and never had one detonate. I’ve reused every single one without a failure. I just use a Lee universal depriming die on my Lyman Orange crusher. Just go easy on it.