Primer Recharging Project

[3MTA3]

The power of free enterprise - https://sharpshooter-22lr-reloader.myshopify.com/collections/all

I think @Caveman Jim messed around with one of these.

 

[partsed]

Are once fired primers going to be a thing

Funny you mention that as in another forum I belong to the guys were talking about "reloading" primers. And I have probably 2000 spent small pistol primers in a ziplock bag!!!

 

[Member 34319]

The thing I'd worry about is how brittle the metal might become after its initial use. The force and pressure primers are subjected to is different than the brass casing.

 

[orygun]

The thing I'd worry about is how brittle the metal might become after its initial use. The force and pressure primers are subjected to is different than the brass casing.

Specifically the area the firing pin stirkes.

 

[3MTA3]

The thing I'd worry about is how brittle the metal might become after its initial use. The force and pressure primers are subjected to is different than the brass casing.

You could anneal like many do for cases. You would obviously have to improvise a bit. I also wonder if spent 22 brass could be formed into a primer?

 

[Helocat]

I would reuse old cups and anvils first, then make new ones for production. Simple stamping for the anvils and basic "cupping" for the cups.

 

[awshoot]

I am having trouble finding the headstamps on my primers. They must be really small.

Federal AR-Match (GM205MAR) are headstamped! lol

 

[awshoot]

...
I'm really not meaning to denigrate the work of the OP, I looked into the idea of reloading primers, too. Decided my chemistry skills weren't up to the task of producing non corrosive priming mixture. If you can make it work, at least you'll have primers!

Yeah -- I can measure things and hammer stuff, but I don't have any chemistry. I merely bought a package of .22 reloading compound at my LGS a while back -- they've done all the hard chemistry work. There's a link upthread to another brand that looks to be packaged the same way.

 

[awshoot]

@awshoot , are you planning on reusing cups and anvils from expended primers, or making new ones?

Reusing. If I had a lathe I could see making a die for the cups, but making the anvil? That's a complicated shape. I don't think I could do it.

 

[awshoot]

The thing I'd worry about is how brittle the metal might become after its initial use. The force and pressure primers are subjected to is different than the brass casing.

I have the same worry. Getting them made will be half the battle -- seeing if they're good for anything but powder puff plinkers will be the other half.

 

[Member 34319]

I have the same worry. Getting them made will be half the battle -- seeing if they're good for anything but powder puff plinkers will be the other half.

I look forward to the project results! Should be interesting.

I'll start saving my "once fired" primers moving forward!

Who knows, may be a market for those after you get the ball rolling!

 

[Lesliet]

I merely bought a package of .22 reloading compound at my LGS a while back -- they've done all the hard chemistry work. There's a link upthread to another brand that looks to be packaged the same way.

Do you know if that priming material is non corrosive? That could be a useful tyhing, if it doesn't require me to immediately clean the gun within a few hours of shooting.

 

[arakboss]

Federal AR-Match (GM205MAR) are headstamped! lol

View attachment 780479

That's awesome, I have never seen that before.

 

[awshoot]

Do you know if that priming material is non corrosive? That could be a useful tyhing, if it doesn't require me to immediately clean the gun within a few hours of shooting.

No I don't. The package I have makes no mention of it ("AMG Repriming Compound") and the .22reloader site is silent on the issue. I'm going with worst case scenario and believe it is corrosive.

There is this comment on the video:

as a black powder enthusiast it is handy to know how to make #11 caps, the tap capper device and aluminum cups will work, toy cap gun fillers will not. those really interested in making this work should study the art, don't even think to use fulminate mixes because it will amalgram with Al and quickly corrode. I believe Mr Nixon's formula is based on the well proven WW2 FH-42 priming compound, Winchester used to it to load billions of rounds, quite easy to make but suffers from souring when moisture is absorbed, thus the bicarb but it's going to deactivate anyway. Erwin Ott's 1921 patent for Sinoxid is a clue for those of you that want to get after it

Following up using "FH-42" as a search term, though not always found exactly, there is some interesting reading, including right here :

Priming Mixtures

So some of us were talking in the chatbox about the different priming mixtures used by the US military as well as private ammunition companies over time. Here's a listing from some of my notes. This is mostly historical reference, but may give some people some insight as to exactly what happens...

www.northwestfirearms.com

can you make priming compound? - Page 17

Ok so with everything reloading getting so #$%&*-@ expensive would anyone be willing to tell me how one can make some priming compound at home? In real SMALL batches!

castboolits.gunloads.com

For those of you who have cap making dies

Has anyone here used strike anywhere match tips for cap material rather than paper caps? Aloha... :cool:

www.thehighroad.org

I don't think the guy is correct -- FH-42 wasn't a WWII formulation, but I do thank him for the search term which lead me to this on page 44 of "Chemical Analysis of Firearms, Ammunition, and Gunshot Residue" -- the 22reloader stuff and the stuff I have is a four component mixture, which may help narrow down what it's made of:

 

[Caveman Jim]

I think @Caveman Jim messed around with one of these.

I purchased one but believe that I misplaced it while boxing up stuff during construction of "The Room".
Hopefully I'll find it when downsizing stuff before the move next year.

 

[3MTA3]

You could anneal like many do for cases. You would obviously have to improvise a bit. I also wonder if spent 22 brass could be formed into a primer?

Not primers, but part of their process is to unfold the 22 rim so it can become the base of the bullet. They might be able to make a custom dies for the different primer cups.

Make FREE 22 or 6mm Bullets!

www.corbins.com

 

[awshoot]

I purchased one but believe that I misplaced it while boxing up stuff during construction of "The Room".
Hopefully I'll find it when downsizing stuff before the move next year.

Stomp around real good. You'll probably find it! ;-)

 

[P7M13]

As far as hardening of the cups, an anneal cycle would remedy that.
I have about 10# of spent primers in a jar. By accident, found they actually work pretty good in a wet tumble. It sure cleans the primers and anvils too!
Buddy did an automation project at a munitions factory, I think in MT. They hand filled artillery shell primers with priming compound in an explosion proof room, kept at 35°F. It was called "The Boom Tomb".

 

[awshoot]

I made some test holes and nubs to make sure that between measurement error, software issues, machine error, and tool variability, the design matched reality. Good thing too because it didn't, as usual.

I also realized that blind holes for the primer cups is a bad idea -- they're hard to get out. So I'm going to make a primer cup grate so I can push them out when completed if they hang up a bit.

 

[awshoot]

Pack of 1200 for $8 available on amazon. Some assembly required.

Amazon.com: Back to Basics Toys Super Bang Roll Cap Refill (Includes ONE Package -1200 Shots) These do not work with Old Cap Guns.: Toys & Games

Amazon.com: Back to Basics Toys Super Bang Roll Cap Refill (Includes ONE Package -1200 Shots) These do not work with Old Cap Guns.: Toys & Games

www.amazon.com

I have parts cutting and while killing time, I figured I should probably test out the cap-gun cap method too. Amazon is out of roll caps! There's this "bargain" on the plastic ring caps: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Bang-R...1&keywords=cap+gun+caps&qid=1606083428&sr=8-2

That works out to 10.2 cents per cap.

There's these plastic strip caps: https://www.amazon.com/Parris-Pull-...&keywords=cap+gun+caps&qid=1606083506&sr=8-28

A bit better at 5.6 cents per cap.

And that's it. Nothing else shows up in my search. It's kind of worrisome that toy caps are disappearing.