Disposing of live rounds...how?

**theSaj** · May 21st, 2008, 09:40 PM

The following comment was made in the the following thread:
"If all is correct then get rid of the remaining rounds"

http://www.pafoa.org/forum/ammunitio...p-too-old.html

This left me wondering, just what is the proper & safe way to dispose of a round? I once had a .22 round that for whatever reason would fail to fire. Tried it several times. I was at a range and let them dispose of it. But how should one dispose of a live round?

I mean, obviously tossing them in the trash (or fire) are OUT OF THE QUESTION. In the same thread someone mentioned "use an inertial puller to get the bullets"

Now, I don't have nor even know what that is. So this got my brain thinking.

H-O-W-???

**sjl127** · May 21st, 2008, 09:46 PM

I'd burn em'.

**theSaj** · May 21st, 2008, 09:53 PM

Would that not cause the rounds to shoot off?

**SteveXD** · May 21st, 2008, 10:13 PM

Not that I would recomend it, but when you burn a round the case shoots off will only a little power (there is no back pressure from the barrel). Myth Buster did a show on it. There are also firefighter websites that state that ammunition causes little or no problems for them when the encounter it in a fire. I never had to dispose of ammo, but I would throw it in the trash, sell it or just drop it off at the range.

**str8shooter** · May 21st, 2008, 10:29 PM

I'm opening up myself to a lot of criticism if this is a really careless thing to do, but I use pliers and pull the bullet off. Then I dump the powder out and save it for whatever interesting experiments I might happen to dream up.

**Xringshooter** · May 22nd, 2008, 08:08 AM

If you don't have a bullet puller (either an inertial or press mounted) AND don't care about reusing the bullet, you can use a pair of pliers or visegrips to remove the bullet from the case. Then dump the powder out, down the toilet if you want, on the ground (it is a good fertilizer but use very sparingly if you have a lot), or burn it (small piles at a time please). Then dump some thin oil into the case (REM Oil is good because it is thin) to disable the primer. You can then deprime and reuse the case if you want to or toss it in scrap bin.

An inertial puller looks like a hollow hammer that you can unscrew the top. It has a collet to hold the case by the rim. You put the top back on and screw it down tight and then smack the other end on something very hard (concrete floor, etc). Then Newtons laws take over (just like a sudden stop in your car, you keep moving forward as does everything that isn't secured). The bullet pops out of the case and it and the powder are in the bottom of the puller. This method is used when the person wants to reuse the bullet and the case.

A press mounted puller uses the mechanical function of the press to remove the bullet. The bullet is secured in the collet and on the downward stroke of the press the bullet and case are separated with the powder remaining in the case and the bullet in the collet. This method, depending on the make of the collet can damage the bullet and it can't be reused.

The plier/visegrip method will not allow the bullet to be reused and the case may also be damaged and not be able to be reused (depends on how careful you are).

In any case be sure you are wearing good safety glasses or goggles just in case. As explained a post previously, if something were to happen and the round go off, there is relatively no pressure because the round is not confined and the pressure is dispersed quickly.

Reloaders pull bullets all the time. They may get a good buy on surplus ammo and they just want the brass so they pull the bullets, dump the powder, either keep the bullets for later use, and deprime and resize the brass to load what they want.

**Bib** · May 23rd, 2008, 06:52 PM

I've seen live rounds go off in a very rusty burning barrel and the bulled DID exit through the barrel, but not very far....only a foot or two. The biggest danger I think would be the primer shooting out of the case head....like a tiny little bullet in and of itself. One could surely cause severe eye damage. I like the inertia pullers. I have a box on my reloading bench marked "pull"....when I get a funky round that I couldn't or wouldn't shoot....in it goes. Every now and then I will pull all the bullets and reuse whatever I can.