Disabling Primers

[RC20]

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, it occurred to me that running an empty case with a primer in it through the Wet Tumbler might be interesting

So I did one. It would not fire.

I do not recommend this but for those who are desperate to disable primers..........

While other methods have been suggested, it also occurred to me that solvent would be a good way to go, water is going to work slowly if at all (sans being stirred in a tumbler).

 

[Unclenick]

There have been a number of threads on how to kill primers. Some things that work with some brands fail with others. Whatever you use, be aware the dust from primers is explosive and has been know to initiate the explosion of other primers if it got in their vicinity.

 

[RC20]

I had not known about the dust.

Purely an experiment, I would only do this with a primer in a cartridge, getting other primers in close proximity would not be a good idea (it could also be a not good idea to put multiple cartridges in)

I would think it works for all primers but its a good caveat you would need to test all types and multiple of any type to ensure it was consistent.

 

[Unclenick]

Usually, the context is someone having a whole column of primers go off when he's trying to slide a pickup tube full of them into the feed tube on a progressive press. There have been some photos of primer pickup tubes splayed open and, when they've gone off in the shielded primer feed tube, a ceiling embedded with primers. The dust accumulating in the tube in question is generally blamed for lighting things up. Running a big swab wet with high percent alcohol through the tubes is recommended to do from time to time to keep it clear of the stuff.

The wet tumbler shouldn't have a problem with the dust when it is wet. I was thinking of it drying out on surfaces, but I expect that hazard is low if your rinse well. Anyway, it's a general caution about the stuff in primers. It goes into the cups wet at the factory and then is dried, so a deactivated one that didn't have its contents wash out might reactivate again, given enough time to dry.

There's another experiment for you if you are so inclined, but stay safe. I would be wearing gloves, hearing protection, and a face shield doing out-of-the-ordinary things with primers. Again, low odds of a problem, but better safe than sorry.

 

[BCR1]

I've had one of my 550B's since 96 and the other since the mid 2000's and I've never heard/read of the primer tubes on the machines needing cleaned due to primer dust build up.

Now my interest has peaked on this subject and I will be looking for long wood handle Q tips as a cleaning applicator soon enough.

Bill

 

[RC20]

I would be wearing gloves, hearing protection, and a face shield doing out-of-the-ordinary things with primers. Again, low odds of a problem, but better safe than sorry.

Noted and agreed

 

[BCR1]

I've had one of my 550B's since 96 and the other since the mid 2000's and I've never heard/read of the primer tubes on the machines needing cleaned due to primer dust build up.

Now my interest has peaked on this subject and I will be looking for long wood handle Q tips as a cleaning applicator soon enough.

Bill

My small primer press had run all it's primers out so I ran a 91% alcohol soaked.22 patch on a patch worm through it and it came out a grey color so there was build up in the tube.
I'll do the large primer press the next time I run a batch of .45 acp.

Bill

 

[ballardw]

I've had one of my 550B's since 96 and the other since the mid 2000's and I've never heard/read of the primer tubes on the machines needing cleaned due to primer dust build up.

Now my interest has peaked on this subject and I will be looking for long wood handle Q tips as a cleaning applicator soon enough.

Bill

May be easier to find the long pipe-cleaners for cleaning AR-15 gas tubes than wood handle Q tip that long.

 

[BCR1]

May be easier to find the long pipe-cleaners for cleaning AR-15 gas tubes than wood handle Q tip that long.

I didn't use Q-tips, I used a patch worm with a .22 cloth patch that worked fine.

Bill

 

[Unclenick]

Fat Q-tips work, too. You just push them through the tube with a cleaning rod. The feed tubes have to be pulled off the press to do this, obviously.

 

[Metal god]

LOL - I had this grand plan to do a primer kill test maybe 2 years ago now . Bought test tubes to soke multiple primers in multiple solutions for different lengths of time . Bought multiple solutions for the test . By the time I was ready to run the test my enthusiasm for the test was gone . It really became a bigger animal then I was prepared to do .

I was going to test 10 primer from 3 different manufactures in 10 different solutions each . So a 300 primer test and all I could think was where the heck am I going to fire off 100 primers at 12hr , 24hr and 7 days respective soaking times . Where I live the cops would be at my door before I go to the 50 mark . So I started designing a sound proof box to fire them off in and that's when all the fun of the test came crashing down . It became something I was not ready to fully commit to so I chose not to even start .

I still have all the stuff including enough primers to not be to disgusted by wasting 300 of them . I just can't get motivated to actually run the test .

So that make me realize I owe you all an apology for never following through with that test . I had a thread going and everything , asking for recommendations and was going to post the results there as well . Sorry for never finishing that .