Reuse primers? (not fired, just poped them out)

[K0na_stinky]

I made some bullets awhile back and I used the priming arm that came with my kit. I ended up seating the primers to all different depths. So I decided not to shoot them. I bought a Hornady bullet puller and pulled the bullets. The puller works awesome! Then I poped the primers out with the decaping die.

My question is can I reuse the primers? There all in one peice and look like new as far as I can tell.

Also can I use reuse the bullets? They just have some very light scratches.

Thanks.

 

[RonAKA]

I reuse both, but only use them for foulers/sighters. Never had a misfire.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Don't see a problem with that just make sure you don't use them on dangerous game loads.

 

[K0na_stinky]

Don't see a problem with that just make sure you don't use them on dangerous game loads.

Haha will do. Thanks for the advice.

Do you think the bullets will be less accurate?

I'm going to make some bullets to try to shoot 1000 yards. I guess I might as well use both new bullets and primers. I have them anyways.

Thanks guys.

 

[bozo699]

K0na_stinky,
As Ron and J J said re use and have fun. I as well wouldn't use them for your 1k rounds or on a trophy hunt, but I would darn well use them for varmints,target practice, and foulers. Just a thought on the bullets with scratches on them, I pulled some 180 hornady interlocks one time and dinged them up a little, I reloaded them, my friend was there and just wouldn't leave it alone he said I was wasting my time loading them junk bullets. I got tired of listening to him I grabbed a pair of side cutters and randomly cut the tips off the bullets, then shot a five shot fist size group @ 100 yards, no not BR quality but MO..deer for sure. He shut his mouth as his ruger wouldn't shoot much better than that with his best loads. My point is the scratches in your bullets wont hurt any thing for plinking and varmints.
Wayne.

 

[tenring]

There are two caveats here:
1. I reuse pulled primers all the time; but with my K&M seater, I can feel that they seat with less pressure. Does not seem to affect accuracy.

2. You can damage the meplat (tip) of bullets and the resultant effect will be minimal, but - never ever damage the base. Base damage will cause them to wobble out of their gyroscopic pattern.

 

[watercam]

I was always afraid to try and decap unfired primers. Was under the impression I might light one off! Interesting thread...

 

[Canada Honker]

I popped out about 20 primers a while back. Three or four were dimpled. I threw those dimpled ones away, and reused the ones that looked "next to new."

 

[bozo699]

I was always afraid to try and decap unfired primers. Was under the impression I might light one off! Interesting thread...

Watercam,
I don't think a guy would want to slam the press down and let the decapping pin pile drive the primer but I have removed hundreds if not thousands of live primers w/out incident. I am sure it could and probably has happened, but you know if your firing pin spring is week or if there isn't enough protrusion your gun won't go off, so with that said it is my thought that it takes a pretty good strike to set a primer off. This is of course jmo
Wayne.

 

[RonAKA]

I noticed the word "popped" used in reference to unloading live primers. I'm sure you don't really mean that. I don't think removing live primers is risk free. I wear safety glasses, and very slowly push them out. I accidentally loaded a primer upside down, and pushed that one out too. The decapper actually dented the primer face, but it did not fire. That one, I was extra careful on, but still reused it, and it fired fine.

 

[K0na_stinky]

I noticed the word "popped" used in reference to unloading live primers. I'm sure you don't really mean that. I don't think removing live primers is risk free. I wear safety glasses, and very slowly push them out. I accidentally loaded a primer upside down, and pushed that one out too. The decapper actually dented the primer face, but it did not fire. That one, I was extra careful on, but still reused it, and it fired fine.

Yes I was very careful. I wore eye and ear protection. I slowly applyed more pressure and it came out no problems at all. I did 18 rounds with no issues.

 

[bozo699]

RonAKA,
I think Canada Honker was just using popped as a form of speech I couldn't imagine anyone not being careful and using caution when removing live primers. I don't were hearing protection ( although I should) Good on you KOna_stinky for doing so. but I do wear safety glasses. And I definitely use caution with the press.
Wayne.

 

[K0na_stinky]

I had some fun priming tonight. I was useing the priming hand tool that came with my lee hand reloading kit. It seats every primer the same every time. 0.003 below flush every single time. Anyways I had 2 go off when I was hammering them in.

I was wareing safty goggles. All I saw is a tiny flash and heard a pop. I was useing new primers.

Its weird that I have done 100 or so primers with no probelms and in one sitting I had 2 go off.