Making a cartridge safe

[Dark Skies]

Or just place the cartridge mouth down on a bit of wood, put a centre punch on the primer and give it a light tap with a hammer.

NEVER NEVER try to fire off a primer out of the firearm, they are much more powerful than you think.

A good friend picked up a primed case by mistake and began to anneal it by holding it over a flame with pliers.

The primer ignited, blew out of the case and it entered his index finger at the knuckle and travelled over 1" under his skin along the bone and he had to have it surgically removed.

The primer was a standard CCI 200 LR not magnum.
ukrifleman

So tossing my collection of deformed primers onto the bonfire would be a bad thing then?

[ukrifleman]

Or just place the cartridge mouth down on a bit of wood, put a centre punch on the primer and give it a light tap with a hammer.

NEVER NEVER try to fire off a primer out of the firearm, they are much more powerful than you think.

A good friend picked up a primed case by mistake and began to anneal it by holding it over a flame with pliers.

The primer ignited, blew out of the case and it entered his index finger at the knuckle and travelled over 1" under his skin along the bone and he had to have it surgically removed.

The primer was a standard CCI 200 LR not magnum.
ukrifleman

So tossing my collection of deformed primers onto the bonfire would be a bad thing then?

Your choice, but I wouldn't want to be around if and when they started popping off and flying through the air like shrapnel.

If it were me I would find some deep water or bury them.

[hitchphil]

I drop them in the wood burning stove / brazier i have at Bisley its a steel gas can with a steel door & a 2 foot chimney nice pop harmlessly destroyed having fun.

[HALODIN]

I would full length resize any case that has a lightly striked primer and try them again in your rifle. Those primers that refused to work should be removed from the brass, soaked in oil and disposed of.

[safetyfirst]

I tried to knock a live primer out of a 12g with a nail on my youth, had the brass in my dads workmate. Primer travelled up the nail and embedded itself in the fleshy bit at the base of my thumb.

[greenshoots]

fill cartridge with water stand in a bowl of water and punch out with lee load all base and punch

greenshoots

[johngarnett]

I have a feeling you have to be a 'qualified ammunition dismantler' to legally pull bullets, dispose of powder and make safe primed cases within the firearms laws. I think we have to turn the failed 'empties' in to our local police to have them disposed of by the authorities i.e. Bomb Disposal. Can you imagine the paperwork, SO16(?), ART's, Gold and Silver Control van - all for a duff primer!!??

Who's going to be first to try it??!!

JohnG :cornwall:

This is written 'tongue in cheek'. I shall continue my way!

[DaveT]

Re last post.....You don't need to have any special qualification....but keep it safe.

Bashing a primer is not safe.
WD40 WILL NOT MAKE A PRIMER INERT....at least not reliably.
Fl sizing a primed case is bad practice....you usually have a decapper in place in any event and lateral die pressure on primers is not a great idea.
As for filling a case with water first...I can only imagine it would make a primer 'let-off' more hazardous.

Gently decap or put in an enclosed brazier......needs be no more complex.

[HALODIN]

I was concerned about it until I did it. There's no lateral distortion. People on here even resize live rounds.

Fl sizing a primed case is bad practice....you usually have a decapper in place in any event and lateral die pressure on primers is not a great idea.

[Daryll]

[quote="HALODIN"]I was concerned about it until I did it. There's no lateral distortion. People on here even resize live rounds.

Now that does strike me as highly dangerous.... I know its unlikely, but if a round should go off in a die, its basically a bomb...I doubt steel dies are proofed the same as a chamber...

If I have a deformed primer, it gets a drop of 3-in-1 oil for a couple of days, then into the rubbish bin..