Has anyone ever done this?

[L308]

I have some loaded 0.308 rounds I can't use (it's a kinda long story). However, if I could pull the bullets I could reload the primed brass.

I am wondering if I could remove the decapping pin from a resizing die and resize the brass again with the primer still in place. I am thinking the press would put some upward pressure on the base of the brass but it would be uniformly distributed. To me, it seems unlikely the primer would go off.

The primers are seating correctly. By that I mean they are deep enough so the surface of the primer is just below the surface of the head of the case.

Has anyone ever done this successfully, or is it just a totally crazing idea?

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[BWH]

primers are cheap as compared to body parts, eyes, ect.

 

[whitney]

I have some loaded 0.308 rounds I can't use (it's a kinda long story). However, if I could pull the bullets I could reload the primed brass.

I am wondering if I could remove the decapping pin from a resizing die and resize the brass again with the primer still in place. I am thinking the press would put some upward pressure on the base of the brass but it would be uniformly distributed. To me, it seems unlikely the primer would go off.

The primers are seating correctly. By that I mean they are deep enough so the surface of the primer is just below the surface of the head of the case.

Has anyone ever done this successfully, or is it just a totally crazing idea?

Yes. I have done exactly this but for different reasons. Depending on your press the upward pressure on the cartridge will not affect the primer as the shell holder typically has a hole in it for priming the cartridge. If you do not have a press with this configuration I would be very cautious.

~Whitney

 

[jrd541280]

Just a thought. Remove the decapping pin and neck size only with the expander ball about half way in the case. Make sure you are not sizing the neck with the expander ball in it.
Hope this makes sense. My finger may not be typing what my brain is sending it.
Could be depending on how you pull the bullets, no sizing would be necessary. Try reseating first and see if the bullet feels firm.

 

[DLS]

I've done this a ton. Nothing comes in contact with the primer with the decapping rod removed.

I once got a ton of factory primed .270 Winchester and ran it through a neck expander then form and trim die to convert them to 8mm Mauser. No problems because, as with simple resizing, nothing comes close to contacting the primer.

Having said this, I wore eye protection ... but then I always do for all reloading operations.

I hope this helps.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

yes ive done it. ive even removed live primers.

 

[L308]

Thanks much for your help. There are some good ideas in here.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I t can be done but I always recommend using a case gauge checker after resizing.

 

[Crohnos01]

I have done it without a hitch as well... I also have de-capped live primers... Slowly...with my head and body well away from the press.

Never had a problem, but weird bubblegum happens, so...

 

[Mygrainman]

I t can be done but I always recommend using a case gauge checker after resizing.

Yes... Learned this the hard way... I have several hundred rounds that will not chamber because I used a standard FL .223 die rather than a SB die. I have to pull dump resize and reseat hundreds of rounds!!! HUNDREDS!!!

 

[gmerkt]

Decapping live primers, I won't recommend it but I've done it.

To save time, I've done some of the other things suggested here. Neck sizer if you have one. Remember, the sizing die works in two ways, the die body does the basic sizing, the expander ball pulls the brass back out to its exact size. On some rods, you can remove the decapping pin so you can do a complete resize without touching the primer. If the rod with the expander ball has a fixed decapping pin, you'll have to screw around and do a partial neck size with the rod screwed back out some, which was mentioned above.

If you're talking about rifle cartridges, the problem with resizing cases with live primers in place is removal of the case lube. You're gonna need to carefully wipe down each case to do it right. Myself, when I have to do this, I usually use a pretty "dry" solvent like lacquer thinner because it dries very quickly and can't get into the primer. Done right with a rag, it never touches the primer anyway. I wouldn't tumble cases with live primers simply because you may get a grain of media in the flash hole and the completed round may fail to fire.

I don't think tumbling cases containing live primers would cause one to go off. I've known some WW pistol ammunition to have been tumbled as completed rounds, you could see tiny bits of tumbling media in the crack between the primer and the case head. "Pretty" sells ammo. But all the reloading books tell you not to do this anyway.

Quantities involved may indicate which way to go. I don't like to fool around much with the dies for a small lot. Easier just to carefully poke the live primer out with a decapping die, cheap from Lee and once you have one, you may use it more often than you think. I clean cases different ways, depending on circumstances. If I'm gonna clean them with a liquid solution, I always decap dead primers out of rifle cases.



People think popping a primer is scary but they really don't have a lot of pop in them. Of course, safety is paramount, wear eye protection if you're gonna decap live primers. A slow, easy and steady pressure is required. Decapped live primers don't seem to suffer much for the experience; I can't recall any that have failed to go bang the second time they've been seated. If they are gonna get damaged, you'll see it right away because sometimes the anvil will become separated from the cup. I can only recall one primer going off on me and that wasn't because I was decapping it in a press. It was a primer that got cocked off to one side in a Lee Auto Prime and was partially stuck in the primer pocket. I was prying it out with a machinist's scribe and it popped. The only injury was surprise.

One more thing, most primers are resilient enough to retain proper tension in the primer pocket second time around. Once in a while, you'll have some that fit loose, you'll feel this when you try to re-seat them. Don't use them. I put such primers in a jar of oil to neutralize them before disposal.

 

[Mygrainman]

The Dillon case lube, or lanolin/isopropyl alcohol home brew is not too bad if you have to leave a little on your case... it might spot the brass a little, but they'll clean up just fine in the next tumble.
or so I hear

 

[Silver Hand]

I t can be done but I always recommend using a case gauge checker after resizing.

If not a micrometer use the chamber of the firearm you are loading for.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Yes... Learned this the hard way... I have several hundred rounds that will not chamber because I used a standard FL .223 die rather than a SB die. I have to pull dump resize and reseat hundreds of rounds!!! HUNDREDS!!!

I prepped 600 cases, was all proud of myself and my mentor at the time said time to grade your work..... Over 80 cases failed the case gauge check....

 

[Mygrainman]

For less than $20 these are a must have... especially if you're loading for semi-auto's. If you're loading 300bo and forming from cut down 5.56 brass they are essential.

 

[Silver Hand]

Great tool, I was thinking maybe he didn't have one. So if the chamber of the firearm is available why not use it? I have had my share of learning experiences but never did own a thing like that, and never had a major fail due to improper prep. and set up wile using my own chambers.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Yep, doesn't matter who makes them either, I like sales...

 

[DLS]

Just be gentle with the process and live primers are not a problem as v0lcom13sn0w has stated. I too have reused removed primers without a problem.

 

[DLS]

Yes... Learned this the hard way... I have several hundred rounds that will not chamber because I used a standard FL .223 die rather than a SB die. I have to pull dump resize and reseat hundreds of rounds!!! HUNDREDS!!!

While I'm betting this will never again happen to you, here's what I would do.

With that many cases I'd take a small base die to a machinist and have them ream out the neck area leaving the shoulder and below untouched.

I'd then resize the loaded round. The cost of a die compared to the cost in time of disassembly of a large number of rounds would lead me to scrafice the die.

 

[DLS]

For less than $20 these are a must have... especially if you're loading for semi-auto's. If you're loading 300bo and forming from cut down 5.56 brass they are essential.
View attachment 452509

Great tool, I was thinking maybe he didn't have one. So if the chamber of the firearm is available why not use it? I have had my share of learning experiences but never did own a thing like that, and never had a major fail due to improper prep. and set up wile using my own chambers.

All I've ever used are the chambers of my own firearms. I've often thought a guage would be great to have and much easier use, but this always occurs while actually reloading.

It never serms to cross my mind when sitting at the computer actually putting together an order so I have never actually got around to purchasing one.