Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Is it possible to extract good primers from boogered hulls?

    Hello all,

    I'm a recent newbie to shotshell reloading with about 2000 or so rounds through my MEC progressive reloader. I had a case where a couple of shells got boogered up on the 3rd and/or 4th stages. I figured out and fixed the cause but was left with a handful of boogered hulls with good primers in them.

    Can I safely put those hulls back into stage one to extract and reuse the good primers or are they "done for"?

    Thanks

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Is it possible to extract good primers from boogered hulls?

    If you go slow you can remove them without damage. Inspect the primers afterwards to make sure they were not damaged.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Is it possible to extract good primers from boogered hulls?

    How many? For a dozen or so just toss them. You may want to inert them.

    You can back them out with a decapper if you are SLOW. I wouldn't.

    WD-40 will not inert a primer, BTW.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Is it possible to extract good primers from boogered hulls?

    How "boogered" are they? If this is a mec 9000 station 3 is shot and 4 is first crimp. If just the hull is deformed a bit and they go in the gun I would shoot them. The pressure from shooting will put the hull right back to normal.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Is it possible to extract good primers from boogered hulls?

    What kimbershoote said. Farbmeister's warning about Wd-40 is spot on plus you'll be left with a contaminant in the case. Modern primers have a protective foil over their compound. Any solution used would take days to penetrate and effectiveness would still be questionable. I once soaked a few primed pistol cases with WD-40 and they fired after 24 hours.
    Many have pulled live primers but there is a risk. Recommend eye protection and ear plugs. In fact I have to confess I've done it myself, but as I get older I've come to the conclusion it's not worth the risk for a handful of shells.
    It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Is it possible to extract good primers from boogered hulls?

    How much does a primer cost? Is that worth the headache?

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Is it possible to extract good primers from boogered hulls?

    Quote Originally Posted by Breadman03 View Post
    How much does a primer cost? Is that worth the headache?
    The quote "penny wise pound foolish" comes to mind.

    If the hulls are unusable, empty any shot and powder that may in them, cut off the hulls and use your shotgun to deactivate the primers.
    “When a man cannot chose, he ceases to be a man.”

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Is it possible to extract good primers from boogered hulls?

    Thanks to all who responded.

    I had a feeling I might be trying to be too OCD about not wasting anything but was still worth asking. The hulls got even more boogered by my trying to recover the shot and powder. I knew I couldn't just throw away the live primers and, the forest being hidden by the trees, hadn't thought about simply loading them in the shotgun without powder and shot to render them inert.

    Thanks again for setting me on the right path again.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Is it possible to extract good primers from boogered hulls?

    If you go slow you can reuse the primers without issue, I've done it dozens of times and never set one off

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Is it possible to extract good primers from boogered hulls?

    Quote Originally Posted by Breadman03 View Post
    How much does a primer cost? Is that worth the headache?
    I do it all the time. At 45cents each I'm sure as hell going to try As for the pistol/rifle primers, isn't worth the headache.

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