Author Topic: Depriming live primers? (Read 1531 times)

the rifleman · « **on:** June 04, 2003, 08:01:12 PM »

Every once in awhile, I will get a wad that catches the edge of a hull as I am inserting it. I figure that the gas seal of the wad, has probably been compromised, as well the top edge of the hull is usually bent out of shape, and not good for reloading.

Question; Can you safely deprime a live primer from a shotshell? I have done it with success on rifle cartridges.
Reason to bother; I hate having to load 99 shells. I want a hundred like I planned on. :?

Bill

Graybeard · « **Reply #1 on:** June 05, 2003, 01:33:18 AM »

I cannot and will not say with total certainly you'll never experience a problem decapping a primed case with live primers but I've been doing it for 30+ years and have never experienced a situation where the primer exploded yet.

Just load the hulls. You are being too critical. Most experience shotshell loaders have used much worse and had no problems. Now if you are competing in a big match you might want only your best ammo but for most shooting just load them and fire them. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how well even such shells work.

GB

the rifleman · « **Reply #2 on:** June 05, 2003, 06:57:44 PM »

Well that's great! I will actually be able to load a 100 shells now!
I have one box of primers that is missing a few, to make up for the ones I had lost to the jam loads.

I am sure you are proabably right on the money, GB, about experienced loaders not being to finicky, give me another few thousand loads, and I will be doing the same....

A good example was recently, while going off to shoot sporting clays, one of the fellow was talking to me about loading the old compression formed AA hulls, and how they lasted thru load after load. He pulled some handloads out of his pocket, and showed me some of the ones he was shooting that day. I had to laugh, the crimp would no longer hold, and the shells had sprung open, and looked more like a shell that had been only run thru the crimp start position. I cant imagine how much shot he must lose from them in his pocket. He says he trys to keep them upright, so the shot dosen't spill out. :shock: Yee haw, now thats what I call making a hull last!

I wouldn't advise loading them till that point, as you may get a failure, that could be dangerous...

Bill

Graybeard · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2003, 08:10:17 PM »

You're not a real shotshell loader until you have shot in all the places you keep your shells from it falling out of the crimps that came open. Candle wax is the best answer to that problem tho and gets you another 2-3 loads on that hull before you finally have to trash them.

GB

rickyp · « **Reply #4 on:** June 06, 2003, 04:33:19 PM »

I too deprime live primers both shotshell and rifle/handgun rounds. I am very carefull not to slam the decapping pin into the primer and do it slow and above all use eye protection when doing so and do not have any other live primers around you when you are doing this

Bob_K · « **Reply #5 on:** June 08, 2003, 03:15:48 AM »

I believe it is more risky depriming rifle and pistol primers than shotshell primers. When you run a decapping pin down a rifle or pistol case the decapper is actually pushing against the anvil of the primer, and could crush the priming pellet (and either go off or become unreliable). The shotshell primer has an outer case, so the decapping rod does not push directly against the anvil. I've deprimed my imperfect reloads without any problems for years. (I also like to get 100 shells for 100 primers.)

If you ask any of the primer manufacturerers, I'm sure the official party line is never do so.

the rifleman · « **Reply #6 on:** June 08, 2003, 05:58:26 PM »

Sounds good enough for me! Saftey glass's, and gloves, for my next messed up load. I wish I held on to the other ones I had tossed now!! :?

Thanks fellows! I'm starting to like this forum................ :-D

BIll

ssmith_1187 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 24, 2003, 05:10:04 AM »

I don't bother decapping botched shotshell hulls. What I do is collect them over time, and take them to my buddies farm and just fire them. At $0.017 a piece, I am not too worried about cost.

GB, let me add to your great point about finding shot everywhere. I have a shoe box that I collect less than perfect reloads in...yes including ones that have spilled shot. On my way to shoot them......EVERY corner I turn I heard the shot go back and forth in the box. It is amazing where you find the stuff......just ask my wife. :shock: