How to Safely Discharge Primer

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MOA_Shooter

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I am reloading 40S&W and seated a bullet way too far into a case with powder and primer. To deactivate the round I have removed the powder and bullet by sawing the case just above the bullet base. The question is, how do I safely discharge the primer from an empty case that has been sawed in half?
 
Frankly I think you worry too much. If the bullet is pushed down on the powder column you will have longer freebore which will reduce pressure. Chances are neither you or your gun will be able to tell the difference, provided it was a safe load to start with. But you have a couple of options for dealing with the primer. You could simply de-cap the case with your resizing die it and use it in your next handload. This is a safe procedure. If you don't want to de-cap a live primer a drop of light oil in the flash hole will cause the primer become inert within a few minutes.

An inertia style bullet puller will save you much irritation in the future.
 
The oil method is the safest and doesn't require you firing your gun, but I would give it longer than a few minutes. Since the case is of no use just set it aside and get to it another day (this is being extra cautious). But what I don't understand is why you are interested in safely deactivating a primer when you went and sawed through a live bullet...

...or maybe I misunderstood.
 
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pushing the primer out gently with a decapping is the easiest procedure. In the extremely unlikely event that it goes off, the flash will be contained in the die.

Firing is in a semi may not work as the cartridge headspaces on the case shoulder and that is gone - so it'll depend on how strongly the extractor holds the case agaist the face of the slide. plus you will be putting in high temperature crap in your chamber
 
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Hold base sideways with pliers. Hold a butane torch flame on primer. It will fire and balst in both directions. Make sure rim is sideways to you.

Or just throw it in the garbage. My dump burns garbage before landfilling it. Arosol cans explode all the time, so staff keeeps well back during burning operation.
 
I'm kinda surprised at the suggestions here: firing it, decapping it while active or burning it. All this after sawing into a live round. All these options are unneccessary or the least safe options (no I'm not saying they will kill you and your family). What you should do the next time you encounter this problem: pull the bullet with a bullet puller, empty the powder, drop of oil on the primer and set aside for some time before decapping. I'm sure the other suggestions work but we want to be promoting a safe approach to the shooting sports and reloading. If you are gonna work with ammo you can only take the best precautions, skimping on money and safety reflects bad and can result in harmful circumstances.
 
Boomer said:
Frankly I think you worry too much. If the bullet is pushed down on the powder column you will have longer freebore which will reduce pressure. Chances are neither you or your gun will be able to tell the difference, provided it was a safe load to start with. But you have a couple of options for dealing with the primer. You could simply de-cap the case with your resizing die it and use it in your next handload. This is a safe procedure. If you don't want to de-cap a live primer a drop of light oil in the flash hole will cause the primer become inert within a few minutes.

An inertia style bullet puller will save you much irritation in the future.
Click to expand...

Normally I agree with you but this goes against everything I have ever read and flies completely in the face of common sense.
 
I would have been more worried about cutting the loaded round in half than I would be about a loaded primer in a F'ed up case.
 
Boomer said:
Frankly I think you worry too much. If the bullet is pushed down on the powder column you will have longer freebore which will reduce pressure.[...]
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To add to the chorus: wrong, and incredibly dangerous. Bullet set-back is a factor even in rifle rounds (note various documented instances of kb's in AR15s).
 
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