Firing a primer only round

[Dave M.]

Question: I uniformer the primer pockets on 50 PCs of brass and the setting changed (21st century primer pocket adjustable depth uniformer) after the 3rd one I did but I didn’t notice it. Now I have 47pcs of brass with deeper primer pockets than I wanted. I don’t plan to use them in any of my matches but I’d like give them to my buddy who just shoot his 308 for fun at the range. Is there any safe way to test fire a primered case only to make sure that he isn’t going to have hang fires or rounds that don’t go off at all? Don’t have a range in the back yard to fire a live round or I’d settle this debate the correct way. When I pressed primers into them, some of were as much as .010” under flush with the case head.
dave

 

[whatsupdoc]

Personally I would discard the cases. What if by removing too much material you may have
weakened the case.

Not a good I idea to give them to another shooter and he has a mishap.
I could be 100% wrong or I could be 10% correct, is it worth the gamble.

 

[Dave M.]

Personally I would discard the cases. What if by removing too much material you may have
weakened the case.

Not a good I idea to give them to another shooter and he has a mishap.
I could be 100% wrong or I could be 10% correct, is it worth the gamble.

Is .010” under flush for a primer considered way too much?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Wont hurt nothing to fire primer only with no bullet

 

[rijndael]

FWIW: A large rifle primer pocket can be up to .132" deep and a S&B primer is .124" tall. It works just fine in most guns. You are only .002" deeper.

 

[6MMsteve]

you can test fire in the house 5 gallon bucket and some foam, primers only in the basement

 

[rijndael]

you can test fire in the house 5 gallon bucket and some foam, primers only in the basement

FWIW: It's still loud. And, priming compounds aren't fumes that I'd like to breathe in. Proceed as you see fit.

 

[6MMsteve]

FWIW: It's still loud. And, priming compounds aren't fumes that I'd like to breathe in. Proceed as you see fit.

how's it loud in a bucket with foam

 

[rijndael]

how's it loud in a bucket with foam

I've never done that but I've had a Dillon 1050 primer tube go off ... it's very loud. Loud enough for people in the house to think it was a gunshot.

 

[divingin]

Wont hurt nothing to fire primer only with no bullet

Wear ear pro when doing so, though. They're surprisingly loud.

You can stuff the muzzle of the rifle into a towel or pillow to muffle the sound. Primer shouldn't generate enough gas to hurt anything.

 

[Prose]

All the naysayers are preparing you to be extremely underwhelmed... but you can light stuff on fire which is pretty cool.

 

[6MMsteve]

I have shot primers in the house many times, fireformed brass in the house many times, use common sense, but I live on a farm not on concrete

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Some glass fiber insulation in a bucket is how i fireform my ppc cases with a bullet. Just stick the barrel in there and let the bullet go into the ground

 

[Unkl Chuck]

I've fired a few small rifle primer only rounds in the shop testing function, about the same as on old cap pistol. I'd be concerned more from the fumes of 47 rounds than the noise, but my shop is in a separate building away from the house. I think they should work okay, just not for match rounds.
I would not give any case with a known defect to anyone.

 

[M-61]

Some glass fiber insulation in a bucket is how i fireform my ppc cases with a bullet. Just stick the barrel in there and let the bullet go into the ground

He said it is PRIMER only cases if I read it right. No bullet, no powder.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

He said it is PRIMER only cases if I read it right. No bullet, no powder.

Like i said thats how i do it with a bullet. Itll be even quieter with primer only

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I open the walk out basement door, barrel outside about 6" -pop. No one knows where one sound comes from. Couple thousandth additional primer pocket depth, load and have fun.

 

[55fairlane]

A) a few thousands deap on the primer pocket...ahhhh no big deal, loaded and send them

B) I loaded a 22-250 with a 68 grain bullets and a large primer only....shot the bullet clear 9ut of the barrel...so a primer has more energy then you thing, proceed with caution

 

[fkimble@charter.net]

Folks on here read to fast or don't read at all. He said "Is .010” under flush for a primer considered way too much? He didn't say it's .010 deep, big difference.
Take a fired primer and remove the anvil. Then use a flat punch to flatten out the orignal firing pin den. Put in a case seated to bottom of pocket. Put in gun.pull trigger. Look at new dent. if there is one!

Frank

 

[Thor357]

Question: I uniformer the primer pockets on 50 PCs of brass and the setting changed (21st century primer pocket adjustable depth uniformer) after the 3rd one I did but I didn’t notice it. Now I have 47pcs of brass with deeper primer pockets than I wanted. I don’t plan to use them in any of my matches but I’d like give them to my buddy who just shoot his 308 for fun at the range. Is there any safe way to test fire a primered case only to make sure that he isn’t going to have hang fires or rounds that don’t go off at all? Don’t have a range in the back yard to fire a live round or I’d settle this debate the correct way. When I pressed primers into them, some of were as much as .010” under flush with the case head.
dave

I have made my own(LRP) primers (actually just re-used them) for awhile last year when I ran out.
I have over prepped some cases where the pocket was a tad too deep. Only issue I had was the occasional
FTF due to lite primer strikes.
If you are worried something could go wrong due to a deep seated primer just remove the bullets and powder, Chamber them in your gun and fire them. Wear hearing protection as they can be quite loud.
If that is something you wouldn't like to do then drop a few drops of acetone in the case. Acetone makes the primer temporarily inert and you just deprime as usual.
Not a big deal. If it were me (and it was) I'd go shoot 'em. If there are any FTF's, take 'em home and disassemble them as described above.