Hi guys. Quick question can a guy successfully deprime a cartridge case and reuse the primer. Does the decapping pin destroy the primer? I have come across a large quantity of mystery ammo and would like to pull the bullets and primers for reuse. I will burn off the powder as I have no knowledge of the type it is. Any frugal dudes with experience please advise of success or failure. Thanks.
Depriming cases
- Thread starter icecold
- Start date
- Location
- Western Manitoba
OP - I did close to what you plan to do. I had bought several boxes full of "1F brass" - in it was about 30 rounds with unfired primers and bullets. It was the brass I was primarily interested in - headstamp was 7 mm Weatherby Magnum on most - two were head stamped 270 Weatherby Magnum, but had 7 mm bullets installed. I pulled the bullets - three different weights. I dumped out the powder - two visually different types of powder. And then realized I had no idea what kind of primers those were - magnum or standard? Or what brand? Or all the same? So I pressed out those primers using a Universal de-priming die - is probable that I could have done the same by lowering the decapping pin in about any sizing die that would fit, and press out those primers without re-sizing the case - so no lube was used on the cases. I dumped those 30 odd primers in a jar half full of 0W20 Mobile One engine oil - soaked for at least a year - then spread powder and primers on a metal plate and burned them off with a propane torch - as far as I could tell, every primer "went off" - so the priming pellet had not been damaged by pressing them out, nor by soaking for a year in motor oil. Although I did not try to fire any of those primers with a firing pin. Since I had no way to know what was that powder nor what were those primers, I had no intention to re-use them - maybe I am a bit odd that way - I prefer to know exactly what goes into my hand loads, so that if they work well, I can replicate them again.
I did not have a 7mm Weatherby rifle here, at the time. In another instance, I received a bunch of 308 Norma brass that several dozen had unknown-to-me primers installed - I simply "popped them off" by firing the empty cases in my 308 Norma rifle, here in my garage. Was much less commotion to deal with unknown primers, and how I would likely do it now, if I was faced with that again. This past week, I received several hundred "1F" W-W Super 257 Robt +P brass - 22 of them have unknown-to-me and unknown-to-seller primers in them. I still have not decided what to do about them. Not sure whether magnum or standard or what brand is going to make much difference - but will need it's own "pressure test series" to know for sure - meaning I might end up with 10 or 12 that could be used to make rounds to go "bang".
I did not have a 7mm Weatherby rifle here, at the time. In another instance, I received a bunch of 308 Norma brass that several dozen had unknown-to-me primers installed - I simply "popped them off" by firing the empty cases in my 308 Norma rifle, here in my garage. Was much less commotion to deal with unknown primers, and how I would likely do it now, if I was faced with that again. This past week, I received several hundred "1F" W-W Super 257 Robt +P brass - 22 of them have unknown-to-me and unknown-to-seller primers in them. I still have not decided what to do about them. Not sure whether magnum or standard or what brand is going to make much difference - but will need it's own "pressure test series" to know for sure - meaning I might end up with 10 or 12 that could be used to make rounds to go "bang".
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saskgunowner101
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- near Prince Albert
I've done this a bunch of times (literally 700-800 times this year!). Wear eyes n ears, and go slow. I've never popped a primer while depriming so far, but the first 100 will have you feeling like a nervous Nelly. With my turret press, I removed the primer arm below, and stuck an earplug in the groove with some cloth jammed on top of that in there. Deprime 4-5 times and remove with tweezers. Not exactly a fast process, but it's a salvage not a race.
+1 on Ganderite's post. Also have re-used primers successfully that have been carefully popped out.
Definitely mark the loads you make with these questionable primers- they are probably fine but it would really suck if lightning struck at the wrong time... Also- since you don't have knowledge of the primer best to just use them in safer loads.
Definitely mark the loads you make with these questionable primers- they are probably fine but it would really suck if lightning struck at the wrong time... Also- since you don't have knowledge of the primer best to just use them in safer loads.
I have done this with a few hundred different rounds. And always reused the primers. And, so far, haven’t had a primer misfire. But, that said, the last batch was a batch of sm rifle that I sold the brass of, and I haven’t fired those primers yet. But I don’t anticipate any trouble. I go slowly, put the primer against the pin gently, and then gently depress the ram and out pops the primer. I also use a de primer die, specifically made for depriming any common small arms cartridges, incl the magnums.
On the other hand, I have used the kinetic hammer type to pull bullets, and once I had a round that I was taking apart bc I realized after I had the bullet in, but I didn’t have the powder in the case. And the primer fired when trying to remove the bullet. Fortunately the worst that came of that was my dirty jeans lol. So I never use a kinetic bullet puller, lesson learned.
On the other hand, I have used the kinetic hammer type to pull bullets, and once I had a round that I was taking apart bc I realized after I had the bullet in, but I didn’t have the powder in the case. And the primer fired when trying to remove the bullet. Fortunately the worst that came of that was my dirty jeans lol. So I never use a kinetic bullet puller, lesson learned.
