Dusty Boots Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 I have been given a lot of old 30-06 brass by a friend who father was a reloader and who has passed away. While preparing to clean the brass l found about 60 of them had unfired primers. They were primed at least 20 years before I got them. I want to deprime the brass before I reload. Is there a way to ensure they can safely be deprimed? Would soaking the brass in water render them inert? I really don’t want to cycle them thru my bolt action and spend time cleaning the barrel. DB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 Use a universal de-capping die and a single stage press. Wear safety glasses and ear plugs in case on of them pops off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michigan Slim Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 I slowly deprime as normal. Slowly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 29 minutes ago, Michigan Slim said: I slowly deprime as normal. Slowly. Ditto. If I have to pop out live primers, I don't really do anything different from getting rid of spent ones. I just go slowly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 Same as above, just do it slowly, if I do on my Dillon, I make sure powder hopper is empty just in case. Never had an issue. Glasses and ear plugs would be a worthwhile precaution however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Gun Cole Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 I would Fire the primer in a 30-06 rifle then decap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Rings SASS # 27466 Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 Just load up with the primers and you will be good to go. The primers are very long lasting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 5 minutes ago, Silver Rings SASS # 27466 said: Just load up with the primers and you will be good to go. The primers are very long lasting. The only proviso I would put on that is, how old are the primers? If they are older that WW2, they might be corrosive. I have pulled the powder out of "unknown" loads and used the existing primer, but I did once have a bug batch of WW1 era .45 ACP ammo. The box even said the primers were corrosive. THOSE I deprimed and disposed of. You get a bunch of someone else's reloads, and wanna redo them, yeah, keep the primers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 I’ve been told by a guy who used to work at the Lake City ammo plant that WD-40 renders them inert. Just the same, go slowly with all the precautions stated above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Boots Posted January 7, 2023 Author Share Posted January 7, 2023 Springfield & Michigan How do I get my wife to wear safety glasses and hearing protection and work very slowly without making her suspicious? Also she will question why I am filming her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 If they're not crimped or glued in with a sealant, they should come right out in the decapping stage. Probably reusable too. They're not going to go off, that requires a percussive force, but in the extremely unlikely event one does, it makes a pop and you'll jump a little, but that's it. These things aren't nuclear, one going off isn't going to cause any damage to the case, die, or press. There's more bang dust in a paper cap for a toy cap gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 I have done it on occasion down the decades without a single detonation, but usually only if the case is bad. A good, primed case is ready to reuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyesa Horg Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 The ones I've had to decap were in upside down or sideways and now square. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 4 hours ago, Michigan Slim said: I slowly deprime as normal. Slowly. This ^^^^^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 If I have just a couple of primed cases to de-prime I usually just use my Dillon 550, and be careful. If I have a large batch I use my LEE APP. For the OP I was thinking they might be stuck a bit as they have been in there a while, or be staked, or sealed. A single stage with a depriming die would work the best then and be safer, as no powder hopper is present. He could always just use a pin punch, hammer and a block of wood with a hole drilled for the primer to drop into, to be really simple and cheap. Just don't put your face over the top of the shell, just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vail Vigilante Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 It’s ok to deprime live primes. Be gentle and wear you safety spectacles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Why not load a couple and see if the fire off OK? Are you concerned about corrosive primers and that is why you want to deprime the brass? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.D. Daily Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 4 hours ago, Springfield Slim SASS #24733 said: If I have just a couple of primed cases to de-prime I usually just use my Dillon 550, and be careful. If I have a large batch I use my LEE APP. For the OP I was thinking they might be stuck a bit as they have been in there a while, or be staked, or sealed. A single stage with a depriming die would work the best then and be safer, as no powder hopper is present. He could always just use a pin punch, hammer and a block of wood with a hole drilled for the primer to drop into, to be really simple and cheap. Just don't put your face over the top of the shell, just in case. Impacting the punch with a hammer blow will likely detonate the primer. The gasses from the detonation will likely send the punch towards the ceiling if the hammer head doesn't restrain it. The safest way to remove the primers is to 1st soak in ATF which will deactivate the fulminate (corrosive) or lead styphnate priming compound (non-corrosive). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 1 hour ago, J.D. Daily said: Impacting the punch with a hammer blow will likely detonate the primer. The gasses from the detonation will likely send the punch towards the ceiling if the hammer head doesn't restrain it. No it won’t. I’ve done it a number of times to demonstrate what a primer does. Hearing protection and goggles are prudent. Edit: I wouldn’t use a hammer and punch for 60 cases as the OP mentions. That’s a lot of primer smoke & residue floating around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
German Jim Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 5 hours ago, Springfield Slim SASS #24733 said: If I have just a couple of primed cases to de-prime I usually just use my Dillon 550, and be careful. If I have a large batch I use my LEE APP. For the OP I was thinking they might be stuck a bit as they have been in there a while, or be staked, or sealed. A single stage with a depriming die would work the best then and be safer, as no powder hopper is present. He could always just use a pin punch, hammer and a block of wood with a hole drilled for the primer to drop into, to be really simple and cheap. Just don't put your face over the top of the shell, just in case. If you use a hammer and pin punch and hold the punch in your hand, you may wish to also wear a leather or heavy glove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Like I first said, use a single stage and a universal primer punch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cholla Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 The recommended way to make a primer inert is to put oil on it. Water may not do the job quickly. There is a youtube video showing this. But, I bought some old non-military brass at an estate sale last year and most of it was primed. I loaded it up and ran them through my M1 Garand a few weeks ago and all worked perfectly. I also do the universal de-capping die to pop out primers I want to reuse. I go very gently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cholla Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Soaked in water: Soaked in WD40: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Maverick Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 22 hours ago, Dusty Boots said: Springfield & Michigan How do I get my wife to wear safety glasses and hearing protection and work very slowly without making her suspicious? Also she will question why I am filming her. This is what kids are for. They will do anything. TM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Pat Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 just fire them in a 30-30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655 Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 On 1/7/2023 at 12:24 PM, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said: The only proviso I would put on that is, how old are the primers? If they are older that WW2, they might be corrosive. I have pulled the powder out of "unknown" loads and used the existing primer, but I did once have a bug batch of WW1 era .45 ACP ammo. The box even said the primers were corrosive. THOSE I deprimed and disposed of. You get a bunch of someone else's reloads, and wanna redo them, yeah, keep the primers. corrosive primers are not a big deal if you clean the gun soon after firing with a water based solvent like old gi rifle bore cleaner in a pinch a couple of patches wet with water will dissolve the corrosive salts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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