Used wash brass with unfired primer.

For several reasons, I do not rely on primers from second hand brass purchases - I punch them out and discard - reload as I want them to be. I do not trust a sales description to be "once fired", "fully re-sized" either - an old fart thinking, probably - I am going to give them the entire process, whether they really need them or not, and will not pay "extra" for some else's claims - which often turn out to be because someone that he bought them from said so...

Specifically for unknown primers - you asked "are they good to use?" - I guess answer is "for what?" They might all go bang - no clue about whether they are match, standard, or magnum. So no way to know what powder to use, if they even "fire" in the first place? 0.40 or 0.60 worth of powder plus 0.80 to 1.25 of bullet - the 0.06 to 0.10 primer cost makes no sense? I think in terms of rifle cartridges - maybe less expensive pistol cartridges are different...
 
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I have to agree with what has been posted. In the last couple of years I have acquired reloaded ammo with rifles. They have powders I don't use, bullets I am not familiar with, and I am unsure of the primers. With a reloaded cartridge I might trust the primer. With an open cartridge, I don't know what the environment has done to the primer. I would toss the primer.
 
calibrecarstairs said:
Process the brass as usual. You do not need to advise the fire department you are removing a live primer.
Click to expand...

In Richard Lee's 'Modern Reloading' manual, Lee related a story about someone who'd processed a (live) primed case 'as usual', just as one would a fired case.

The primer ended up in the guy's leg.
 
Wendell said:
In Richard Lee's 'Modern Reloading' manual, Lee related a story about someone who'd processed a (live) primed case 'as usual', just as one would a fired case.

The primer ended up in the guy's leg.
Click to expand...

Anything is possible but I really don't consider it to be dangerous. I deprimed nearly twenty thousand primed brass in the last year dealing with a huge lot of scrap ammunition I bought. No issues...
 
"A reloader attempting to drive out a live primer with a Lee Loader
decapper did it on his lap. The primer exploded and entered his leg
to the bone. Curiosity prompted me to chronograph the velocity of
a primer exiting the primer pocket. It checked an amazing 1412
fps! That's faster than a 22 rim fire and most handguns. It has to be
the world's shortest gun as a primer pocket is only slightly more
than an eighth of an inch deep."

edit - Quote is from Modern Reloading. - edit

I'm probably too dangerous and stupid to reload but yet here I am.
 
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calibrecarstairs said:
A reloader attempting to drive out a live primer with a Lee Loader
decapper did it on his lap. The primer exploded and entered his leg
to the bone. Curiosity prompted me to chronograph the velocity of
a primer exiting the primer pocket. It checked an amazing 1412
fps! That's faster than a 22 rim fire and most handguns. It has to be
the world's shortest gun as a primer pocket is only slightly more
than an eighth of an inch deep.

I'm probably too dangerous and stupid to reload but yet here I am.
Click to expand...

I, too, chronographed a primer. It was less than 500 fps. I wonder if your high reading was gases, or some kind of error? Maybe I will repeat my tests.
 
How did you set off the primer?

I held a primed case with a pair of pliers and cooked off the primer with a butane torch.

I have deprimed thousands of live primers over the years. Never had one go bang yet.
 
Well I only had about 10 so far in a bag of 1000 .45acp cases. Not sure how many more might be mixed in,but at any rate on the advise of you fine folks, I deprimed and re primed as usual and it's all good. Being a noob I've never deprimed a unfired primer before. Better to ask just in case. Thanks.

GT.
 
I, too, have decapped a live primer, and without any drama.

It still isn't a 'best practice', in my opinion, and we shouldn't be recommending it to new people without a full disclosure of the potential hazards.
 
I have decapped a few hundred primers in my rock chucker with a lee universal decapping die
and no issues at all with same speed/pressure as used primers
 
StoneHorse said:
Everyone is wearing their safety glasses, right?
Click to expand...


Actually I was just sitting at the bench when I posted the question and while waiting for a response I went upstairs to grab my prescription safety glasses. Rarely do I do anything remotely hazardous without them. When I was younger I took many chances with woodworking tools etc but not anymore. Had too many close calls to take anymore chances with my vision.

GT
 
bertn said:
I have decapped a few hundred primers in my rock chucker with a lee universal decapping die
and no issues at all with same speed/pressure as used primers
Click to expand...

Been looking for a Lee Universal decapping die locally with no luck. Guess I'll have to order one from Cabellas. Only place I've seen it.
 
Ganderite said:
I, too, chronographed a primer. It was less than 500 fps. I wonder if your high reading was gases, or some kind of error? Maybe I will repeat my tests.
Click to expand...

The info is from Modern Reloading. My first post has been edited to reflect that.

I just weighed a large pistol primer. It came in at 4.5 grains. Can that penetrate to the bone?
 
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