High primers on loaded rounds

Question answered. Just push them in. Stupid safety police are out, though, I see. Really, I don't know how some of you dare get out of bed in the morning.
 
What happens to a live primer that is re seated and it can't go any further? Does it just flatten out? Dent it? Not being sarcastic just have never had one not want to seat.
 
I've had primers fire off in the press while seating them. CCI primers. It's surprising how much energy there is, and how loud it is. I wouldn't want to be near a loaded round going off, while in a die (pipe bomb).
 
Flattens and crushes usually. It rarely causes a detonation unless you are using a high speed progressive press that is putting primers in very quickly and with no feeling.
 
I have punched hundreds of live primers and reseated hundreds of live protruding primers on single stage presses with no issues what-so-ever. Protruding primers can often be caused by a grain of media being left, unseen, in the primer pocket.
 
Ganderite said:
I would just load it and shoot it. Chambering the round would probably seat the primer further.

Or just seat the primer a bit more with the press.
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Either of those options for me too, save for revolvers where a high primer will tie up the cylinder.
 
I use a Lee hand primer for all my reloading (except for the 577/450MH, Lee doesn’t make a shellholder or longer ram) I've had primers flip up on their side and get crushed, never had one go off.

I also deprime live primers without the oil treatment, never had a problem.

I would just reseat the high primers by hand.
 
Smcx said:
I've had primers fire off in the press while seating them. CCI primers. It's surprising how much energy there is, and how loud it is. I wouldn't want to be near a loaded round going off, while in a die (pipe bomb).
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Only if the primer seats during the up stroke when it's in a die. And even then, it would only be seated in the case mouth /powder fill die.

Here is what happens when I get mad at my lee press and crush a primer.
primer.jpg
 
I had the exact same issue on my 650 XL when I started loading 10mm.

I just put em in the press and seated deeper, I was very careful and nothing happened. (Use that advice at your own risk!) I did it to about 50 rounds. I also fired about 50 that way, it just didn't feed worth a ####.

I figured out after it was because I didn't have the primer seater snugged up underneath and it had backed out a bit.

Also on that note, I had a 223 primer go when seating initially in the press, I felt it coming and should have backed off to see what the issue was before I pressed it harder. My bad. Safety glasses are golden.

Good luck.
 
Wow. I have been awfully lucky. I've seated more than a dozen primers in my time reloading, maybe even two dozen, and never had one go off. I have used various feed sources and priming methods. Why, I have even seated primers with a hammer and a punch. I have crushed primers, I have seated primers upside down, I have pushed live primers out and re-used them... Maybe I'd better stop reloading before the law of averages catches up.
 
I've had primers go off in my XL650 and I would be hesitant to reseat the primers in a live round. All the primers that have detonated in my press were from buying bulk 9mm mixed brass and there was military brass with crimped pockets mixed in with it. Check the head stamps on your brass and see if they have anything in common.
 
To each his own, but I would never seat a primer deeper in a loaded cartridge.
I fully respect the experienced reloaders here who are doing this, but each person sets his own safety standards and mine are just do not fool around with a primer on a loaded round.
I have set off primers on the kitchen table with the original Lee hand tool and I know of primers set off when being crushed in a priming press.
I just do not want to see the results of a primer going off in a loaded round in my press.
I find this strange for me to be telling you guys to be careful of such things, because it is usually me telling some reloaders that they are scared of their shadow, or some such thing, about being so super careful about things where really no potential hazard exists.
 
Spawn-Inc said:
Put it in the press and seat the primer deeper, easy.

If you feel concerned that it will go off (you would have to be the guy that anything and everything bad happens too) it won't unless you give it a sharp hit. Slow and steady wins the race.

Failing that use a bullet puller and seat deeper like Winchester suggested.
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NEVER put a live round with an unsafe primer into anything, no matter how easy you go

Or maybe you value your fingers and eyesight less than I do. Safety first.
 
OldDude said:
If the rounds are complete (with powder and a bullet seated), I would not try to seat the primer deeper. If the primer goes off, the powder will burn off as well.

I would not hesitate to use a kinetic (hammer) bullet puller with high primers, and have don so many times.... Once the problem rounds are taken apart, no problem seating the primers deeper.

Stan
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That. Do it right or don't do it at all. Shortcuts will cost you
 
H4831 said:
To each his own, but I would never seat a primer deeper in a loaded cartridge.
I fully respect the experienced reloaders here who are doing this, but each person sets his own safety standards and mine are just do not fool around with a primer on a loaded round.
I have set off primers on the kitchen table with the original Lee hand tool and I know of primers set off when being crushed in a priming press.
I just do not want to see the results of a primer going off in a loaded round in my press.
I find this strange for me to be telling you guys to be careful of such things, because it is usually me telling some reloaders that they are scared of their shadow, or some such thing, about being so super careful about things where really no potential hazard exists.
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This comment reflects my feelings exactly. The extra effort and cost to bull a bullet, and reprime an empty case is in no way worth the risk involved in attempting to push a primer deeper into a loaded cartridge. Will the cartridge detonate? Very small chance. All that means is that it is possible but unlikely. I often buy lottery tickets thinking that winning is unlikely but possible. And yet I believe it could happen and, it does happen to someone else all the time.
I've had a primer detonate in my 650. That event is on my "least favourite events" list.
 
If I lived on a farm I would put a 9mm and various other rounds in a shell holder and rig something up to fire the round off. I suspect the case will split with semi burnt powder all over. It's not a bomb people... But to each their own.
 
Spawn-Inc said:
If I lived on a farm I would put a 9mm and various other rounds in a shell holder and rig something up to fire the round off. I suspect the case will split with semi burnt powder all over. It's not a bomb people... But to each their own.
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Have you ever put loaded cartridges on a hot stove, then ducked behind some shelter while they went off?
I have, trying several different cartridges. A 30-06 will go off pretty loud, split the walls and the bullet will hit the wood ceiling above the stove hard enough to make a mark in the wood.
Not much difference between a 30-30 and a 30-06.
But a 22 long rifle makes a noise louder than either of the above centre fire calibres and send curled up pieces of brass hard enough to mark a near by wooden wall!
I have never seen a pistol cartridge exploded by such means, but with the fast burning pistol powder in it, I can see it going off as a little bomb.
Also, I would like to point out the difference between 22 long rifle powder and pistol powder. Back in my often adventurous youth, I once carefully got the bullet out of a 22 long rifle and the powder out of a 9mm pistol cartridge. I dumped the powder from the 22 and replaced it with a charge of powder from the 9mm, then got the bullet back in the 22 case and fired it in my 22.
It didn't damage the rifle, but it made my ears ring and smoke poured liberally from the action. When I tried to get the case out I discovered it had virtually blown the base of the 22 case clear off!
If you want to take the chance, even a minor chance, of having a pistol cartridge discharged in your press, you are very welcome to it.
 
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H4831 said:
Have you ever put loaded cartridges on a hot stove, then ducked behind some shelter while they went off?
I have, trying several different cartridges. A 30-06 will go off pretty loud, split the walls and the bullet will hit the wood ceiling above the stove hard enough to make a mark in the wood.
Not much difference between a 30-30 and a 30-06.
But a 22 long rifle makes a noise louder than either of the above centre fire calibres and send curled up pieces of brass hard enough to mark a near by wooden wall!
I have never seen a pistol cartridge exploded by such means, but with the fast burning pistol powder in it, I can see it going off as a little bomb.
Also, I would like to point out the difference between 22 long rifle powder and pistol powder. Back in my often adventurous youth, I once carefully got the bullet out of a 22 long rifle and the powder out of a 9mm pistol cartridge. I dumped the powder from the 22 and replaced it with a charge of powder from the 9mm, then got the bullet back in the 22 case and fired it in my 22.
It didn't damage the rifle, but it made my ears ring and smoke poured liberally from the action. When I tried to get the case out I discovered it had virtually blown the base of the 22 case clear off!
If you want to take the chance, even a minor chance, of having a pistol cartridge discharged in your press, you are very welcome to it.
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Heating rounds to the point of igniting is different then just setting off a primer with room temp powder. Also 22lr brass is thinner then 9mm or other pistol rounds.i would wager to say almost twice the thickness and softer I would imagine.

I don't put my face 2 inches away while repeating them, I point it away from me and slowly seat them deeper. (using a handheld primer)
 
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