Yes you can de-prime live primers in the same way as you would fired primers, but carefully, and as always wear eye protection just in case. Don't however try it with crimped in primers such as used on some military ammunition.
have taken loads out of homeloads that I have inherited.
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I have set off more primers seating them (grand total of 2) than I have ever set off removing live ones (0)
Put a drop of light oil into the top of the case. Once it's soaked into the primer it won't go off. I got that tip from an ex army armourer now gunsmith.
fraser
To that, I'd say... so what? ... and... just what do you do next, with mangled live primers?
What do you do next? ... I mean with the oily case interior.
Yes you can de-prime live primers in the same way as you would fired primers, but carefully, and as always wear eye protection just in case. Don't however try it with crimped in primers such as used on some military ammunition.
Exactly my own experience with this.Ditto. I've removed hundreds of unfired primers over the years, without a single one going off. I've also made up batches of rounds with previously-seated primers and virgin primers for comparison and found no difference in consistency.
all of the previous advice good. i use a lee handpress and dedicated deprimer die with a slow and gentle action. live primers put into a small food bag and liberally spray with wd40 which deactivates them. i will store for a week or two before testing and never had a live one. i should add that as well as using safety specs i never reuse after removalThanks for advise lads, took the plunge and deprimed 50 cases without any going off. Soft and slow wins the day