question on pistol primers
- Thread starter RM
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alexcue
Member
Nope... first some may go off, secondly the priming action "arms" the anvil in the primer. It's a disaster waiting to happen. So many won't go off...
ArchAngelCD
Member.
I have never done 800 at once but I have done it in the past. Every single one went bang when reused. Everyone I know who reloads has done it and never had a failure. If you pushed the primers out easily and didn't damage the hammer there is no reason not to reuse the primers. I probably wouldn't use them in ammo that is important just on the outside chance one would fail but for range ammo I wouldn't think twice.
ReloaderFred
Member
You can reuse them for practice and plinking ammo. You've already pushed them out of the primer pockets, so that part is done. You "might" get some misfires, but I never have. I don't make a practice of saving primers for use after depriming, but the few I've done have all gone off as intended.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Hope this helps.
Fred
Blue68f100
Member
This is not recommended practice but most of us have removed a few and reused them. I have not had any duds from doing this.
If you were very careful in removing the primers, with the anvil still in place, it will work. But like said there is always the possibility of them not going off. Use these only for practice and non critical use.
The reason why is when you seat a primer you preload the anvil. Removing and reinstalling may not preload properly.
If you were very careful in removing the primers, with the anvil still in place, it will work. But like said there is always the possibility of them not going off. Use these only for practice and non critical use.
The reason why is when you seat a primer you preload the anvil. Removing and reinstalling may not preload properly.
I had surplus IMR 4895 go bad in the case and ruin 700 reloaded rounds of 308 match ammunition. The case necks cracked on unfired rounds. Initially I had a few cracked case necks on fired ammunition, then all case necks cracked on fired ammunition with a few cracked case necks on unfired rounds. Then most of the unfired ammunition developed case neck cracks.
So it was not a total waste I removed the CCI #34 primers from the cases. I was very gentle using my Lee decapping die and none went bang as I recall. I later primed brass to be used in rock busting exercises and as I recall, they all went bang, but, maybe not. I used them in situations where it was not important or critical if I had a dud.
So it was not a total waste I removed the CCI #34 primers from the cases. I was very gentle using my Lee decapping die and none went bang as I recall. I later primed brass to be used in rock busting exercises and as I recall, they all went bang, but, maybe not. I used them in situations where it was not important or critical if I had a dud.
JimKirk
Member
It is not recommended ..... the primer makers had rather you throw those away and buy new ones .... BUT I used deprimed primers many times and never had any problem with them .... I would not use them for self defense or a hunt of a lifetime ... but plinking, paper punching or the like .... I have zero problems ... I never removed 800 at once though ...
Schwing
Member
I also fall into the category of folks who know you shouldn't do it but have. I don't see much risk in decapping live primers either. I don't really see how you would detonate one unless you were really trying.
As already stated, all of mine have gone bang after being reused.
As already stated, all of mine have gone bang after being reused.
I've never done 800, but I've done a couple hundred and reused the primers.
I only lost one due to the anvil falling out of the cup
I only lost one due to the anvil falling out of the cup
Reefinmike
Member
I take it that you are posting from experience due to the conviction in your post?
I've decapped and fired at least two thousand primers without any issue. Various reasons, getting out of the caliber and demilling all my ammo or inherited ammo that I demilled, tossed the powder and kept the primer. I haven't had a failure yet.
Go ahead and use em OP. I just always note on my load data slip that the primers were "pulls" as I call em. I have another 2500 or so "pull" primers to use up. I expect them to fire just fine as the first 2,000+ did.
ljnowell
Member
380 auto brass sells for pretty good money, you should have just sold them
as primed brass and bought more primers.
as primed brass and bought more primers.
alexcue
Member
LOL... While I haven't done 800 at a time, I've done more than a few dozen over my reloading career. I'm impressed that he didn't have at least one go off!!I take it that you are posting from experience due to the conviction in your post?
I've decapped and fired at least two thousand primers without any issue. Various reasons, getting out of the caliber and demilling all my ammo or inherited ammo that I demilled, tossed the powder and kept the primer. I haven't had a failure yet.
Go ahead and use em OP. I just always note on my load data slip that the primers were "pulls" as I call em. I have another 2500 or so "pull" primers to use up. I expect them to fire just fine as the first 2,000+ did.
I've done that... but the last time, I did it there were some loose primers that I didn't want to chance. So what the heck... deprimed them, and one or two were obviously ruined from the anvil falling off. That left me weary. Tried them, and had at least 3 squibs before I chickened out. It made for some great drills on my gun though. Out of ~25... three was too many for me. Just pulled the rest.
I will amend my statement to say, what others have said, don't use them anywhere your life will depend on them. Personally a few cents ain't worth it (obviously 800 would have been at least $24). I'd have just left them alone or sold them to a friend for a drink or two.
Reefinmike
Member
I agree! Certainly not to be used for carry ammo, but I have no issue using them for range ammo. I've never had an anvil fall out of a live decapped primer. Plenty of fired ones will fall out but yeah, I wouldn't use a live one with where the anvil came loose. I probably wouldn't use them either if I had 3/25 fail. That is just a pain in the butt.
Not saying it can't happen, but I have never had an anvil fall out of an unfired primer that I have decapped, and haven't had a reused one fail to fire. I am talking about maybe 300 over the years. 99% of them went into plinking loads. I still have a handful of LR primers I have not reused yet. Primers are pretty tough.
Maybe the ones that have had anvils fall out were seated way to hard to start with, crushed so to speak.
Maybe the ones that have had anvils fall out were seated way to hard to start with, crushed so to speak.
Jesse Heywood
Member
Bingo. The only ones I have lost were 223 with crimps. Powder had gone bad and corroded the brass. And I had to try. Salvaged about 10% and gave up. The ones that stayed together fired, but most had pushed out the pocket.
Dudedog
Contributing Member
I would not use them for SD ammo or anything critical but for practice ammo no problem.
One thing to consider is how nice were you to them when you removed them.
If you really knocked them out you will may have failures,
The ones I have removed look like new because I was gentle, and haven't given me any issues.
Add me to the "No Big Deal" camp. Every primer I removed from one case and inserted into another has gone bang. I seat all primers to the bottom of the pocket with a hair more ummph. There has been only one instance where I had to "preload" primers to any extent and that was with one gun in one caliber and one make of primer. Even those "preloaded" primers worked when reused (only did 8 so mebbe it's not a good example, as I was trying military brass instead of commercial).
BTW, there's only one way to eat an elephant, that's one bite at a time. Just deprime as many as you feel comfortable doing. No need to do all 800 at one sitting...
BTW, there's only one way to eat an elephant, that's one bite at a time. Just deprime as many as you feel comfortable doing. No need to do all 800 at one sitting...
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Blue68f100
Member
They flatten back out when you seat them....
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