Building a Dummy Round

usbprime

usbprime

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hey guys,

I've got a strange question, and hope i can get an answer.

I've been started reloading and am starting to produce some wicked rounds, and i want to make 1 special round, and am having difficulty.

I want to make a dummy round for my father. It's his 75th birthday coming up, and one of my first rifles was his .243 Win. So for his birthday, i've gotten a nickel cassing engraved, and i want to build it like a real cartridge, with a 75 grain bullet, except no propellant of any sort. Powder is easy enough to negate, but I'm not sure what to do with the primer. My question is ultimately, is there a safe way to deprime the primer, without marking the surface so when i put it into the casing it looks authentic? I was thinking of submerging it in water to see if the water will dissolve the priming compound, any thoughts on that?
 
So you have already engraved a casing with a live primer still in it? Would have been a lot easier to get a casing with a spent primer in it and then get it engraved after the bullet had been seated so as not to scratch the casing.If it is in fact a live primer still in it, it is easily deactivated with a bit of oil inside the case over a couple of days to ensure its soaked... Or you can decap the live round with slow gentle pressure and replace it with a spent primer.
 
I have done what you are looking for and I think you want to have an empty primer cup in the shell without compound and anvil. I went about it the same way and soaked the primer in WD40 for a day to nutralize the priming compound. I then took a case and cut the rim off at the bottom of the primer pocket so I was left with a brass donut the same thickness as a primer. Take the complete but nutralized primer and put it into the donut with whatever priming tool you have and then use a vise/shell holder or case trimming collet to hold the donut and proceed to dig the anvil out with a small screwdriver or icepick. Remove the empty cup and reprime the engraved case with it.
 
just fill the case with the primer in it with any oil and let it sit for a week. that will neutralize it. in testing i have found that a day is not enough.
 
I'm pretty sure the OP would like a primer that LOOKS intact, IE no firing pin indent. Whatever you use, oil, water, whatever, make sure you wear protective gear when you are removing the compound/anvil as there is always the chance the neutralizing did not take. Better safe than sorry.
 
Numerous testers, both here, and on other forums, have discovered that oiling a primer for a short period is not always successful.

What length of time IS successful? How can you guarantee it? I don't think you can.

If you can't gut the primer physically, of all propellant (I'm referring to the priming mixture as propellant on purpose here) then don't use a primer at all, use a substitute of some sort.
What's the danger?
check this out; http://members.autobahn.mb.ca/~trainer/lee_article.html

One thing that might work, is to try to burn out the priming mixture. Be careful! there will be flying bits when it ignites.
 
Why not yank an anvil from a primer with a pair of tweezers and clean out the priming compound with a pick or small screwdriver? Seat empty primer as normal.........
 
Heat.

Put on your goggles.

Stand the empty (hint-hint) case on a hotplate.

Cover it with a tin can. Add a brick for weight.

Wait for bang.

If primer has come loose, reassemble.
 
Dummy primer

Your safest bet might be to make a dummy primer. Assuming you don't have access to a machine shop, you take a small brass bolt or piece of brass rod and turn it in your drill chuck, using a file and sandpaper until it's the same diameter as a primer. Round the edges slightly so it looks like a primer, cut to length and epoxy it in. Shouldn't take more than 10-20 minutes. Just a thoughtR:d:.
 
Cool thanks for all the ideas, i'll definitely try and soak it in oil/WD40. The primers are loose right now, so i can try a few ways. I'll Post a Pic in the reloading forum when i get it all put together.
 
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