Thread: Primer question

Silly question but got asked by a mate and had never thought about it , can you decap a live primer and reuse it? Cheers


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Yes. So long as you're slow and careful.

The firing pin pinches the impact sensitive explosive (aka primer compound) between the cup and the anvil to set it off. A decapping pin will just do the same from the other side, if you hit it too hard.

Iv deprimed probably 100s of live primers as above slowly but surely iv never reused them though

so don't do it with a lee loader I need to deprime some 303 brass so I can anneal it.

I doubt it. When seating the primer into the pocket, it requires a small amount of crush as the edges of the cup bottoms out on the base of the pocket and pushes the anvil up into the primer paste to set it up for ignition. If you de-primed it, it would push the anvil into the paste even further and it can dislodge paste etc. All in all, it would significantly change the ignition.

Ive decapped and reused 2-300 primers with no worries at all. Every single one has fired. Certainly de prime with caution as mentioned above.

I've deprimed my share of modern cases and up around a thousand of milsurp 30-06. The milsurp was exciting, about one in 10 would go off. Mainly due to having to hit them pretty hard to overcome the mil crimp.
Modern stuff, no issue. Just as already noted, gently does it. If you're primer pockets are getting a bit tired they come out real easy.

With the milsurp I used to wear a welding helmet and welding gloves, with the modern day stuff, safety glasses.

Re-using them, nah. But I know reloaders who do. Mind you, there may now be a good market for them on Tardme with the current shortage.

Another silly question...could you reduce the possibility of ignition by wetting the primer by filling the cases with water and giving them a good shake before depriming?

Originally Posted by Bol Tackshin

Another silly question...could you reduce the possibility of ignition by wetting the primer by filling the cases with water and giving them a good shake before depriming?

Not silly.
I've wet primers in cases and they've happily gone bang next morning although the odd one was a tad muted.
Same as this nonsense about handling them kills them. Primers are hardy little critters.

In terms of your first question: I've tried but found the primers to be a bit loose when seating in another case.
Second question: Probably not, but give it a go and let us know.

Originally Posted by buzzman

Silly question but got asked by a mate and had never thought about it , can you decap a live primer and reuse it? Cheers


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Answer from me is yes as I have done exactly that many times, always with commercial, large rifleboxer primers, standard and magnum. Always worn safety specs whilst doing but never had one ignite. Also have reprimed cases and shot rounds with these same primers. Worked as expected. Wouldn't have a clue as to whether depriming and repriming affected performance at all but what I tend to do with deprimed primers now is keep them aside for use in fouling and / or non-critical loads.

Originally Posted by Kiwilad2021

Ive decapped and reused 2-300 primers with no worries at all. Every single one has fired. Certainly de prime with caution as mentioned above.

Spot on. Probably be more relevant now primers are more expensive than illegal drugs.

Maybe if you hunt Lions and Elephants it would pay not to re load them, but for targets etc they will be good to go. As said they seat a little soft due to being already seated once, but if your brass is good still...have at it (with due caution).

Originally Posted by TeRei

Spot on. Probably be more relevant now primers are more expensive than illegal drugs.

For sure. no way im throwing unfired primers in the bin these days lol

Originally Posted by Kiwilad2021

Ive decapped and reused 2-300 primers with no worries at all. Every single one has fired. Certainly de prime with caution as mentioned above.

Same! Take it slow be genteal. I have had no issues at all, way too much Scotch blood to throw them away.