What Would Happen If....?

[metweezer]

Say I purchase 500 cartridges of once fired brass and I start depriming the brass in my Lee single stage press. One of these brass shells has a live, unfired primer. When my depriming die comes into contact with the primer what happens?
Thanks, Steve

[uncle joe]

I have seen posts on here that say they have just deprimed the case, I for one will do my best to avoid this. I know how loud a primer pops.

[462]

Whenever I buy previously-fired brass, the first thing I do is clean it. Afterward, as part of the inspection process, I check the primers and have found a few that were unfired.

I've deprimed many hundreds of live primered cases without incident, but that's not to say that one can't ignite. I press them out slowly and carerully, and make sure they land in the primer catcher. If one goes elsewhere, I stop and look for it.

If you find some that are live and decide to remove them, think safety first.

[Kraschenbirn]

Say I purchase 500 cartridges of once fired brass and I start depriming the brass in my Lee single stage press. One of these brass shells has a live, unfired primer. When my depriming die comes into contact with the primer what happens?
Thanks, Steve

If the brass is milsurp with primers crimped (or lacquered) in place, you could, possibly, hear a rather loud noise. On the other hand, if it's commercial brass with pressed-in primers, the primer will pop out and you can probably reuse it.


Bill

[bumpo628]

I have deprimed and reused several hundred live primers.
Just deprime them slowly and wear eye protection. I haven't had one go off yet.

[a.squibload]

Dang, hadn't thought of re-using. Have found a few.
Usually put 'em in the gun and pop 'em before depriming.

Bought primers here yesterday from a Gander store, $40/brick, no Hazmat.

[462]

"... $40/brick, no Hazmat."

5000 Wolf primers, Powder Valley, less than $22 per 1000 including Haz-Mat and shipping.

[94Doug]

have pulled many loads apart and de primed them without incident.

Doug

[Splatter]

I can't begin to count how many live primers I've pushed-out. It's certainly in the multiple hundreds over the past few decades.
And mostly I've reused them. When they were my own loads and I knew the primer, I treated exactly like a new one (target, hunting, etc.) and when they were unknown, they just went to plinking ammo.

[Wayne Smith]

Back when I was 16 and had my first Lee Loader I purposely popped a few just so I would know what would happen when I did it accidently. Very anticlimatic - the priming rod would fly maybe a couple of inches up out of the die. Since then I've deprimed many without popping one. I wouldn't worry unless, as mentioned, they are crimped primers.

[metweezer]

Thanks. I thought the decapper die would cause a mini explosion.

[Sonnypie]

Say I purchase 500 cartridges of once fired brass and I start depriming the brass in my Lee single stage press. One of these brass shells has a live, unfired primer. When my depriming die comes into contact with the primer what happens?
Thanks, Steve

Once fired brass...
And one of these "Once fired brass... has a live, unfired primer.

I wonder how said bullet and powder got fired out of it.

I have a bunch of old military rounds that had corrosive primers in them. Rather than deal with boiling out my bore, I chose to unload them (Inertia puller), and punch and replace the primers.
Not a single one went off. Out of 1500-1600 rounds.
But I made sure to hold my tongue in. That way if one did happen to go off I wouldn't bite it.
Where I have had primers go off was way back in the 1960's when seating primers with a C-press. BANG!
I looked at Dad, and he at me. He said, "Well, I guess we won't be putting powder in that one right away."
They make a loud noise, but the few I've known to go off weren't even enough to wet your pants over.

If you wanted to err on the side of caution, maybe you could soak the casing in water with a tiny dab of soap in it. It might permeate the primer and render the powder dead.
Or just dispose of it.

[metweezer]

I wonder how said bullet and powder got fired out of it.

Sonnypie, Let's say a caster inadvertently put a new primer into a spent case and mistakenly got it mixed up with old brass. Would that fit your scenario?

[a.squibload]

462, thanks, I'll look at that.

Edit:
Found this on their site:
"WE CAN COMBINE UP TO 48 LBS. OF POWDER AND PRIMERS UNDER ONE HAZMAT TO SAVE YOU MONEY."
Might be worth looking into!

Wolf primers are listed at about half the price of other brands, I suppose they're OK?

[angus6]

a.squibload our shooting group has gone through well over 110 K of them and the only one to have troubles was using a RL 550 , I took what he had left and they all worked for me

[1hole]

"When my depriming die comes into contact with the primer what happens?"

Either the last thing you will ever see is a blinding flash, your press will be blown through the wall, that end the room will disappear and the shattered roof will collapse on your mangled carcass OR you will hear a sharp "pop" making you will flinch and then continue to work OR, far more likely, you will never even know when you eject the live cap.

[sabot_round]

462, thanks, I'll look at that.


Wolf primers are listed at about half the price of other brands, I suppose they're OK?

I have used around 2.5k or so for my AR loads with differrent powders and bullets and I never had any issues with them. The way my AR performed with them was just as if I hadn't changed a thing. I hope this helps!!

[Gadzooks Mike]

I just disassembled 35 live rounds this past weekend, including removing the live primers, on a Lee press. When I was done resizing the brass (one should check this first, really) I then re-primed the brass with the primers I removed earlier.

What will happen is you'll never know you decapped a live primer.

Remember what it takes to set off a primer. If you've ever had a weak primer strike, you know what I mean. It takes a pretty good whack to set one off. Most strokes on a press are slow and steady, with no fast, hard strikes.

[jonk]

I have had one go off on the depriming stroke when I dropped the ram a little too fast on a live one with my universal depriming die. It went 'pop' and shot down the spent primer tube into the bin (RCBS) without even enough force to come out of the bin.

In short, not much happens.

The die contained the very minimal flame, didn't even cause any ram bounce back.

I've also had them go off on a lee loader when priming. Again, not much happens.

Don't worry about it.

[QUON]

Many many years ago.using the lee handloader in 30 mi carbine. I set off the primers with a heavy blow to the priming punch. It was never mentioned to use a lube on the case before sizing. The carbine case is not straight walled or neck sized like others. Since then I have deprimed a lot of mistakes misfires or pre 53 military ammo without any going off. Always wear eye protection,be gentle and slow on all depriming. of course be extra careful of miltary ammo with crimps.