Dumb, Stupid, or just UNLUCKY
Have you ever punched out live primers?
Have you ever tried to kill a primer?
Have you ever heard a 50BMG primer go off?
I had purchased a rifle a few years back and it came with 177 TZZ-95 cases that were live-primed, so these primers were exposed to whatever for 20 years since it was not loaded ammo. Others who had purchased cases like these tried to shoot them after adding powder and projectile, only to have squib loads or total mis-fires of the primers. So I decided to remove the primers prior to cleaning the cases in SS Pins.
I manufacture a depriming punch for the 50BMG cartridge and got ready to deprime the cases, but since some had had squib loads I stopped. Since I had all cases in loading blocks open end up, I decided to use a syringe to inject about 100 cc's of water into each case. After waiting a week to ten days, I started depriming. Dump the water out into a bucket, put case into a 50BMG shell holder on top of a Rock Chucker press, insert depriming punch, strike lightly multiple times with a heavy brass hammer. Easy even though crimped primers.
Has anyone figured this out yet? ----- It gets worse.
Anyway, after depriming 100 cases, I took a break and emptied the container catching the ejected primers and replaced it into the press.
Then I proceeded with the final 77 pieces with the first 70 ejecting just like the first 100 primers.
Guess what, number 71 decided to be a bastard and went off, BANG, cloud of dust in the air but punch was still in the case neck so I later determined I had a "hang-fire". Being a hang-fire allowed the primer to enter the container with 70 other primers in it before going BANG and setting off the other primers also, near as I can tell from all the pieces of primers I'm still finding in all areas of my shop.
Anyway, as I was standing at my reloading bench, I received several cuts on my belly from the shrapnel of the container, but survived to try again, only this time after firing the primers in my rifle first. The remaining 6 primers came out with no concerns then, but I did need to clean the rifle again.
What did I learn? Sometimes I think nothing, sometimes I think a lot, but I did learn that 20 year old primers can NOT be KILLED using water even after soaking up to ten days. So hopefully all of you can learn from my mistake.
Oh, and I scared the hell out of my Basset Hound MurphyT who was sleeping behind me in the old recliner.