reloading spent primers

[ChalupaCabras]

My local source for primers dried up, so i just gave this a shot today.

I loaded a 215gr lead round nose on top of 5.7gr of HP-38 with an OAL of 1.263"

I don't have a chronograph, but it sounded and recoiled like any factory load, and it kicked up a good bit of dirt. This was from a S&W 4506.

I found the brass and found NO signs of pressure: No bulges, no cracks, no backed out primer, solid primer pin indentation.

I will vouch that this method works. My only concern is how reliable it is over hundreds of rounds; only time will tell that.

 

[Delmar]

I made a couple dozen primers a while back to find out what the shelf life was like. I was getting ready to experiment with some different powder yesterday and I wanted to see how it would work with my matchstick primers. I decided to start by loading a couple of primers in cases just to make sure they were good. The bad news both of them failed to fire. The good news. I placed the rest of my test batch of primers in a food dehydrator overnight and this morning they were good as new. I think as I make more of them I am going to try storing them inside an airtight baggie and put that baggie inside a larger baggie, with a little rice. Summertime in Indiana sure is humid!

 

[ChalupaCabras]

I made a couple dozen primers a while back to find out what the shelf life was like. I was getting ready to experiment with some different powder yesterday and I wanted to see how it would work with my matchstick primers. I decided to start by loading a couple of primers in cases just to make sure they were good. The bad news both of them failed to fire. The good news. I placed the rest of my test batch of primers in a food dehydrator overnight and this morning they were good as new. I think as I make more of them I am going to try storing them inside an airtight baggie and put that baggie inside a larger baggie, with a little rice. Summertime in Indiana sure is humid!

Ah, so loaded ammo would need to be shot fairly soon after loading. I wonder if you could seal the primers with some clean nail polish? maybe that would provide a longer shelf life?

 

[Delmar]

Ah, so loaded ammo would need to be shot fairly soon after loading. I wonder if you could seal the primers with some clean nail polish? maybe that would provide a longer shelf life?

Nail polish couldn't hurt, but I like the rice idea too

 

[ChalupaCabras]

Shot a few reloads at the range today using Delmars Matchstick primers.

I had no primer failures nor did I have any hang-fires. I did notice that ignition seems to be a mite slower than commercial primers though. I wish I had technical terms to describe it: Commercial ammo fires the instant the primer is struck, while the matchstick primers fired the instant I heard the "click" sound of the hammer falling. This produced a "click-boom" sound all within the same fraction of a second, similar to what you get with a muzzle loader.

Overall I think this is a wonderful piece of information the Delmar has shared with us. It certainly does work, and it is a simple process. This information could prove invaluable in any number of scenarios.

 

[Delmar]

Shot a few reloads at the range today using Delmars Matchstick primers.

I had no primer failures nor did I have any hang-fires. I did notice that ignition seems to be a mite slower than commercial primers though. I wish I had technical terms to describe it: Commercial ammo fires the instant the primer is struck, while the matchstick primers fired the instant I heard the "click" sound of the hammer falling. This produced a "click-boom" sound all within the same fraction of a second, similar to what you get with a muzzle loader.

Overall I think this is a wonderful piece of information the Delmar has shared with us. It certainly does work, and it is a simple process. This information could prove invaluable in any number of scenarios.

As far as I know you are the 4th person who has followed me down this particular path. This is pretty fun for me. Over at the Hi Point Firearms Forum there is even a team of us working on mass production. ( for personal use only, of coarse.) This involves making a set of "primer plates" with holes drilled out to fit the primer cups and a top plate that presses the compound in. No future in it mind you this is sort of a just proving we could do it sort of a thing. I have a personal goal of exceeding 1000 primers before I am done. I am however looking forward to the time when primers are plentiful enough that I can start buying them 1000 at a time, so I don't have to mess with all this.

 

[ChalupaCabras]

As far as I know you are the 4th person who has followed me down this particular path. This is pretty fun for me. Over at the Hi Point Firearms Forum there is even a team of us working on mass production. ( for personal use only, of coarse.) This involves making a set of "primer plates" with holes drilled out to fit the primer cups and a top plate that presses the compound in. No future in it mind you this is sort of a just proving we could do it sort of a thing. I have a personal goal of exceeding 1000 primers before I am done. I am however looking forward to the time when primers are plentiful enough that I can start buying them 1000 at a time, so I don't have to mess with all this.

I know it; I don't reload all the time, only on occasion. I used to buy primers one single 100 round packet at a time whenever I needed them. Now the only way I can find them is by the case.

 

[Delmar]

My local source for primers dried up, so i just gave this a shot today.

I loaded a 215gr lead round nose on top of 5.7gr of HP-38 with an OAL of 1.263"

I don't have a chronograph, but it sounded and recoiled like any factory load, and it kicked up a good bit of dirt. This was from a S&W 4506.

I found the brass and found NO signs of pressure: No bulges, no cracks, no backed out primer, solid primer pin indentation.

I will vouch that this method works. My only concern is how reliable it is over hundreds of rounds; only time will tell that.

Hey Chalupa
Have you made any more primers or did you end up finding a place to buy some? I scored 1000 large pistol primers a while back so I haven't bothered with making more for a while. I have been on the lookout for a BP revolver so I think making my own percussion caps will be the next project.

 

[DR II]

I will try to watch it!