Americans reloading spent primers

[bearhunter]

When I had my own range, Would salvage lots of lead, But I sure would not be making primers, unless it was something like a 44 henry.
I think I have enough loaded, and new pistol ammo to last me.

It's not that difficult, but you have to save the anvils, which would be difficult for most to make. I still have one around, somewhere on a shelf, a punch and press that would make up one new primer cup at a time, out of tin cans and aluminum soda cans. My cutter is for Large Rifle primers and it's very consistent in size, which fits snugly into the commercial primer pockets of conventional Boxer primed brass.

I tried a similar priming compound that the OP shows and a couple of home made recipes, along with ground match heads.

They all went bang.

The commercial mixture worked very well and was about the same as most standard commercial primers for ignition for hotness and consistent ignition. The homemade mixes were not consistent and varied a lot between batches, even if the component ratios were weighed meticulously. Match heads made the powder in the case go bang if it was smokeless and really wasn't to bad with black powder.

I refilled some percussion caps with the homemade mixes and there was very little, if any, noticeable difference in ignition on my muzzle loaders. Same with match head compound. The biggest thing with all of the fillers is to make sure that they are bone dry, before use. They have to be at a moist paste like consistency to properly fill the cavity of the primer/cap and stay in place while drying. Drying properly was best done by leaving them out on a pan for a couple of days. Overnight, wasn't long enough in my limited experience.

I learned a lot about the differences in ignition between black and smokeless powders back in those days, especially from my limited experiences with producing my own primers/percussion caps.

It's very doable. With a lot of experimentation, it could be very consistent, even with the homemade mixes but not with match heads.

I even went so far as to modify some anvils for use with percussion nipples. It worked but there was just barely enough room to hold the cap in place on the nipple. The cup skirt would have had to be about .096 in longer, which isn't practical.

 

[vagrantviking]

I think I'd be happy using a flintlock or matchlock for quite a while before I'd be desperate enough to seriously consider recharging primers.

Very much understand and congratulate those doing it for the challenge or novelty of it though.

 

[ChiliDawg]

I got lucky and found 2000 primers at NAS in Niagara

 

[OttawaHunts]

Funny thread - I deprimed 2000 small 9mm pistol, and set the primer aside. Decided on Sunday to give it a go - like you I have been seeing more YT vids on reloading primers.

It is not easy to get those little suckers taken apart (cup and anvil), however once you figure it out it goes well. I have done about 200 at this point. The firing pin indentation is quite easy to pound back out. I use a #8 Robertson bit for and the holder it comes with, just slip the cup over and place on RCBS Rock Chucker and pound out dimple with a couple of taps....1800 more to go..

As for primer powder, I think I will try the match head (white bit) and acetone once ground (carefully) and use a syringe to fill cup 1/2 way and let dry a few and test in empty brass for success rate. My goal is another prepper skill post SHTF.

As for primer availability in my area - zero issues - just a skills set and process leaning for me. Can't hurt.

 

[mbogo3]

Before doing a couple thousand I'd test a few first.

 

[Torkdaddy]

I guess if we all run out, scavenging used primers might be an option. I have enough for the year so hopefully manufactures put some on the market by then.