best way to deactivate a live round

F

flexible

Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2013
Messages
235
Location
New Jersey
Hi everyone, flexible here. I have about 30 rounds of 6mm PPC ammo i loaded up and they're too tight to chamber correctly.

What's the best way to take them apart? Spray with WD 40 right on the primer? Then breakdown with a bullet puller?

thanks
 
I had about 100 rounds of 6mm Rem like that. Used a collet style bullet puller to break them down. Save bullets, dump powder. Then resized brass so it would chamber with a sizing die that had primer extractor pin removed so as to leave primer intact where it was. Then reloaded with same components.
 
flexible said:
Hi everyone, flexible here. I have about 30 rounds of 6mm PPC ammo i loaded up and they're too tight to chamber correctly.

What's the best way to take them apart? Spray with WD 40 right on the primer? Then breakdown with a bullet puller?

thanks
Click to expand...

I believe you will ruin the primers with WD-40. No need for that.
I have only used the hammer type of puller and I put a cleaning patch in it so I didn't ruin the polymer tips on the ones I pulled.
 
Howa 9700 said:
I had about 100 rounds of 6mm Rem like that. Used a collet style bullet puller to break them down. Save bullets, dump powder. Then resized brass so it would chamber with a sizing die that had primer extractor pin removed so as to leave primer intact where it was. Then reloaded with same components.
Click to expand...
My method for multiple cartridges..
Yankee1986 said:
I believe you will ruin the primers with WD-40. No need for that.
I have only used the hammer type of puller and I put a cleaning patch in it so I didn't ruin the polymer tips on the ones I pulled.
Click to expand...
Same here for when pulling just a couple. I stuck a piece of foam in the end of mine to protect the bullet.
 
Howa 9700 said:
I had about 100 rounds of 6mm Rem like that. Used a collet style bullet puller to break them down. Save bullets, dump powder. Then resized brass so it would chamber with a sizing die that had primer extractor pin removed so as to leave primer intact where it was. Then reloaded with same components.
Click to expand...

If (I) loaded them up then I will save the powder. Why toss it, I know its history and it will be just fine.

If I don't then YEA toss it.
 
flexible said:
thanks everyone, I can just do a VERY slight shoulder bump setback and reload right away.
Click to expand...
:thumbup:Yep, you got it flexible. There's no need to waste any WD-40 and make a mess in the process. ;)
WD-40 will not reliably deactivate primers anyway. I learned that through an experiment I conducted (and posted about) a while back. I conducted that experiment back when primers were only a penny apiece, and I learned that filling primed cases with water, gun oil, or WD-40 and letting them sit overnight will make the primers sound kind of "weak" when they go off, but many of them will still go off! o_O
 
Last edited:
Chuck R. said:
My method for multiple cartridges..

Same here for when pulling just a couple. I stuck a piece of foam in the end of mine to protect the bullet.
Click to expand...
You are also, for all I have used, whichever plastic one it is, protecting the puller. Spitzers will start to damage the housing immediately, big cracks appear. Just a foamy earplug works fine.

Also agree with above. Have pulled hundreds when misloaded things mean recovery to re-charge, resize, or check no more squibs. It's tiring but doable, totally safe.
 
30 rounds is about the max I will pull with a hammer puller. More than 30 I will usually setup the collet puller.

I do not understand why they would be sprayed with WD40? I have never heard of this?
 
Howa 9700 said:
I had about 100 rounds of 6mm Rem like that. Used a collet style bullet puller to break them down. Save bullets, dump powder. Then resized brass so it would chamber with a sizing die that had primer extractor pin removed so as to leave primer intact where it was. Then reloaded with same components.
Click to expand...
That worked for me with 30-06 cases that were primed but not resized first, decaping pin removed, Ron.
 
I’ve pulled more than my share of reloads. We’re talking masses over 50-yrs. I’m talking hundreds.

For only 30 rifle cartridges use one of these. I’ve had several and the RCBS has held up the best. A Frankfurt Armory lasted pretty good too. For 30, easy-peasy.

www.rcbs.com

Pow'r Pull Kit | RCBS

Buy Pow'r Pull Kit at RCBS, the leading producer of high-quality reloading equipment supplies for over 60 years.
www.rcbs.com www.rcbs.com

After the bullet is out, pull the de-prime shaft out of your full length die. Resize, and reload. Most presses should have a spent primer bore under where the live primer in the case will sit so you don’t have to worry about a discharge.

I have a cam lock which works well for rifle. Not so well for pistol.

 
The hammer isn't so good for crimped lighter bullets. I've broken two over the years. More than three or four hits I give up and use a press and dikes with a notch ground in
 
About a decade ago I did an experiment to test the story of detectives who sprayed their concealed carry guns down with WD40 and wiped them off at the end of the day and ended up eventually with dead primers in their carry ammo.

l directly sprayed WD40 on primers in .45 ACP, 7.62x25, and .38 Special cartridges, a full magazine or cylinder worth of each, sealed them wet in a zip lock bag, and set aside an equal number of dry cartridges from the same boxes of ammo, and tested them at the end of 2 weeks. Of the WD40 sprayed cartridges, ONE fail to fire, a few weak ejections with my 1911A1 and CZ52.

WD40 is not a sure fire primer killer. It's not good to live ammo. Depending on time exposed it can weaken or kill primers and powder depending on how good the seal is around the primer or bullet.
 
Last edited:
On the hammer pullers, I have one and could never get it to work. I whacked it pretty good.......on top of work bench topped with 3/4" plywood and I was hitting it directly over a large corner post. No joy.

Then one day, decided to try it again. This time I whacked it on the "anvil" like flat area on top of the 5 inch vice clamped to the same bench. One good whack and the bullet fell out. I had a really hard time believing that one would work and the other not. Apparently the wood bench top has enough "bounce in it to defeat the process. Am I the only one who this has happened to?
 
Howa 9700 said:
On the hammer pullers, I have one and could never get it to work. I whacked it pretty good.......on top of work bench topped with 3/4" plywood and I was hitting it directly over a large corner post. No joy.

Then one day, decided to try it again. This time I whacked it on the "anvil" like flat area on top of the 5 inch vice clamped to the same bench. One good whack and the bullet fell out. I had a really hard time believing that one would work and the other not. Apparently the wood bench top has enough "bounce in it to defeat the process. Am I the only one who this has happened to?
Click to expand...
No, I have a piece of hardwood that I place on concrete in order to get good results. A piece of pine is too soft.
 
Show Me said:
The hammer isn't so good for crimped lighter bullets. I've broken two over the years. More than three or four hits I give up and use a press and dikes with a notch ground in
Click to expand...
Ah well, you can mitigate that by using a 2x4 which I personally detest. I use the flat anvil on my shop vice. Works great at the cost of a couple of kinetic bullet pullers.

When you have a couple hundred to do at one time ........ This all was before I got wise and bought some cartridge gages. No screw-ups these days unless I don't like the performance.

Oh, and get some earplugs. Sidewalks I don't like either. If it's not a steel-pounding surface, you've burning daylight. BTW, wrist action helps. Keep a loose wrist. Hard crimped rifle should take about 5 whacks.

I sold a 22-250 I didn't like. I had about 250 rounds loaded and a friend asked for those. They were fit to my chamber, and I knew they wouldn't fit his rifle, so I pulled them all and handed him the components. I used a kinetic so I didn't damage the bullets. I had plastic containers each for bullets, cases, and powder. I think it took a couple of days. Earplugs, gloves, and my wife could hear it all in her kitchen and got tired of it all fast. Anyway, a Frankfurt made it through all that and much more.

Wail away.
 
I had some Tula steel cased .357 Mag that I have pulled the bullet and powder, popped the live primer out, and reused all everything except the case. Just be easy when popping out a live primer(always wear safety glasses and gloves when operating the press), nice and slow.
 
I only shoot 22 caliber rifles now and use a collet puller to remove bullets when doing a load workup and that particular load isn't that great. I save both bullet and powder for reuse. When doing the same with handgun loads which almost always involve lead bullets I grab the inertia puller. I have a very heavy duty steel work table inside my garage and basically it's twin outside. Depending on the weather one or the other is used as an anvil. I am another that uses a foam ear plug in the puller to protect both it and the bullet from damage.

Do not worry about the primers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
  • Locked
Deactivate a live round?
2
Replies
39
Views
3K
rcmodel
R
L
  • Locked
Ideas for destroying live rounds?
Replies
17
Views
1K
sniper5
S
H
  • Locked
Dismantling Reloaded Rounds Question
2
Replies
25
Views
2K
KB0VSO
K
C
  • Locked
Safety Issues
Replies
24
Views
924
Charles Z
C
74man
A HOW TO QUESTION??
Replies
21
Views
729
Thomasss
Thomasss
Back
Top