Depriming live primers?

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RickN

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I have deprimed hundreds when I was selling brass. Like they said, slow and easy. To my mind, unless the brass is not usable, just leave the primer and reload the brass. If the brass is bad, make sure you are depriming when you are well rested. A primer going bang will wake you up.
 

Hangfire

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@dlbleak I've deprimed a lot of live primers and have never had a problem.......just go slow.

Or just spend the big $$$ and get yourself a gin-u-wine RCBS live primer depriming suit. :)

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dlbleak

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Ok, next question, I know it would be widely ill-advised buuuut, what if I tumbled and sized these without depriming. Before I get flamed, I’ve already researched this but even if a primer went off, what’s the worst that could happen?
 

SoonerP226

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Now I either just shoot them them like blanks
That’s what I did when I screwed up loading .44 Mag. I wouldn’t recommend it in a wheelgun, though, as the primers tend to back out on firing if it’s an empty primered case, and a S&W Model 29 doesn’t like that sort of thing.
 

Dumpstick

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Ok, next question, I know it would be widely ill-advised buuuut, what if I tumbled and sized these without depriming. Before I get flamed, I’ve already researched this but even if a primer went off, what’s the worst that could happen?
The problem that I have with tumbling primed brass is this: when I tumble, some of the media invariably gets stuck in the flash holes. I stick a piece of wire in the holes to clear them, or, if tumbling fired brass the sizer/Deprimer die clears the hole.

I personally would not tumble primed brass. Not because I think the primer may go off, but because I'm concerned with the flash holes being clogged.
 

JEVapa

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That’s what I did when I screwed up loading .44 Mag. I wouldn’t recommend it in a wheelgun, though, as the primers tend to back out on firing if it’s an empty primered case, and a S&W Model 29 doesn’t like that sort of thing.
This is true. You have to put some kind of charge in them and pack it with a cotton ball or something. They don't seat on the recoil face when it's just a primer and it'll get stuck.
 

swampratt

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Hand clean the cases 0000 steel wool on the outside and take a bore brush you have worn out and wrap some steel wool around it and clean the neck inside or just an oversized cleaning brush with nothing on it.
Blow out inside with mouth air and size and load.

You may have a sizing die without a deprimer pin I do not know what you have.

My hand cleaned cases shoot the same as my pin or walnut cleaned cases.
That is if I anneal them.
I would not anneal a live round and 1/4" less group at 100 yards from not annealing if all case ID's are the same.

I deprime live and dead primers on my single stage press with universal deprimer die.
If you need to borrow that die I will loan it to you.
I never had one go off.
 

Duckhunter39480

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I have salvaged a lot of primers; some from unknown sources and others from my mistakes. The unknowns I use for fireforming loads and those of known quality (manufacturer, size and number) I use as regular primers for that size/make/type. I have never had one to go off.
 

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