Is it safe?

[Brownie]

I've never been able to get a primer to pop by decapping it, and I've tried to make it happen.

I posted about the last test I did here:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...9-anyone_blow_up_their_dillon_reloader-3.html

Nuff-said

 

[42769vette]

I just have to ask...
Why are a lot of people afraid of de-capping a seated primer?
What is it that is perceived to be so "unsafe"? Just curious...

no me its a unnessessary risk. if i can take a few extra minutes and make my reloading safer thats what i do

 

[shibumiseeker]

no me its a unnessessary risk. if i can take a few extra minutes and make my reloading safer thats what i do

Which gets back to the question, what's the risk?

A primer column detonating during the priming phase is a risk and does demonstrable damage as the mass of primers is not as well shielded. A single primer going off in the depriming phase makes noise and there's a miniscule possibility that some debris might blown around so one should wear eye and ear pro, but there's no damage because the force of any possible detonation is contained in very strong pieces of steel and it's the force of exactly 1 primer.

I swear, by the same logic as some folks use I'm surprised they ever pull the trigger on a gun, that's way more dangerous.

 

[ckcollins2003]

I've decapped plenty of live primers myself. I don't even wear eye or ear protection because I've never had one go off, and as shibumiseeker points out, all of the pressure is going to be within the die...

I don't go any slower at decapping live primers than I do detonated primers.

If you feel like detonating them first, go for it, if you don't feel like detonating them first, just decap them like any other round you put through your press. Wear eye and ear protection if you feel like it. A primer isn't going to do any significant amount of damage even if it happens to pop while decapping it. You'll hear a little noise, maybe see some dust fly up... big whoop.

 

[dross]

I just deprimed a bunch of live ones with the hammer driven deprimer that comes in the Lee Classic Loader kit.

 

[JoshuaW]

I wouldnt worry about it. Personally, I think it is a good experience to have one primer blow up in your press every now and then. It reminds you why you need to cautious and safe, without actually killing you.