I have a bunch of 7.62x39 that somehow got the bullets pushed back into the casing. I don't want to just toss the ammo in the trash and worry about something going off in the dump. I am assuming that if I pull the bullet and dump the powder, I can throw it in a rifle and set off the primers with no weird issues correct? I know it wouldn't have enough energy to cycle a bolt, but I want to make sure it's not gonna do anything funky to my gun. Logically it would just go pop and I could manually extract the casing by racking the bolt, but I wanted to be doubly sure.
Deactivating Ammo Question
- Thread starter mallic
- Start date
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Suck My Glock
Member
Yes, you are correct.
You could also just have a boat accident like everybody else.
You could also just have a boat accident like everybody else.
dread_scott
Member
Im new to reloading, but have been told that you can deprime live primers. So if you, or someone you know reloads, you can reuse the primers as they are pretty impossible to find right now.
dread_scott said:
I am anxious to hear from some of the reloading veterans on this one. I read that depriming live primers on a press was a no/no. I have never tried it though so it would be nice to see what the local wisdom says.
I would also think that since it is a press fit part that it was deformed to some degree on insertion and would be loose if you tried to reinstall.
Inquiring minds want to know!
storage_man
Member
dread_scott said:
You can try that, but I won't. Re using them will probably not work and be prepared for several small explosions while your attempting this, because you will have a couple of them. I would just deactivate the primers as stated earlier, then one should be able to de-prime them with no problem.
Is this stuff brass case ? If it is, then maybe the cases along with the primers would be worth saving and reloading them.
zonie77
Member
Depending on the ammo it might have corrosive primers, Eastern Bloc almost for sure. I wouldn't bother firing them. They may also be Berdan primers so they are sized differently and you can't use them in a Boxer primed case. When you remove a bullet see if there are one or two flash holes.
Boriqua said:
Okay, I'll fess up. I've been doing it for over 60 years with no problems whatsoever and when they got re-used, they all went bang. Also, they're not deformed and will go in another case and stay there just fine.
Here's how you do it:
Place the case in a shellholder in your press and run it up to the sizing/depriming die slowly. When you feel the depriming punch touch the primer, very slowly and smoothly continue pushing the lever on the press until the primer pops out.
I never had one go off doing it, but nonetheless always wear safety glasses when doing it. Use the old primers for range loads.
Couldn't you just use a projectile puller/hammer, recover the powder, and reload it?
Harrier
Member
Unless they are boxer primed cases with the hole in the center you won't be able to just deprime them because there berdan primed and there are 2 small holes offset from the center and your likely not gonna be able to do it without breaking something. If they are boxer primed and are NOT crimped then just go very slow. I wouldn't recommend it however. why not just put the powder back in, seat them to the proper length and shoot them... If you don't reload then forget it...
Boriqua said:
I deprime live primers all the time, no big deal. Anyone who says it is or that they set them off by depriming is full of crap. Using a press to deprime does not produce the velocity necessary to detonate a primer and believe me I have tried to set one off on a press.
mallic said:
I would not waste my time doing this by hand, if I can't do it by machine they go in the garbage and thats only if I dont need to recover the bullet or I have a pull down contract going. Do you have any idea how many rounds are picked up off ranges and thrown in the garbage to be sent to the dump? If there was a problem with them going off in a garbage truck we would be hearing about it. Even if a primed case goes off the duration of the flame is not enough to start a fire and if a live round goes off outside of a chamber there is not enough velocity to harm anyone. Putting them in a rifle one by one is just a waste of time. If you worry that much about it bury them in your yard and water them until the steel cases rust through which wont take long
pretty sure i have a couple gallons of unspent rounds i've picked up, my own reloads that have had issues which is a hand full, get pulled down to see what issue could have been, i also have a almost full 30 gal drum of steel cases i've picked up, generally come home from desert shoot with a hundred or so gallons of trash, love me some magnet for the assholes who can't clean up after themselves
Rj
Rj
338lapua said:
That is a great point about velocity. One of the ways a gun fails is light primer strikes. I have had it happen when messing with springs. There would be a dent but no bang and I imagine the pin, though not traveling fast enough or traveling far enough is still traveling a good bit faster than leaning down on a primer in a press
No, you can do it without velocity. I sent off a large pistol primer on my progressive press once because I had accidentally gotten a .45 small primer mixed in with my .45 large primer. Encountered resistance, put a little arm on it and BAM! 7 primers went off together.
High Standard
Member
It is difficult to set off a primer in a press. I deprime with live primers. The issue for me is more making sure the live primer doesn’t fall on the floor cuz with my aging eyes it can be difficult to find it. :lol:
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