Primer reloading

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  • ohen cepel

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 2, 2011
    4,509
    Where they send me.
    Haven't heard of it but sounds like a lot of bad could go on there. Pressure spikes from too much, squibs from not enough. Not saying never, but would be a last resort for me.
     

    whistlersmother

    Peace through strength
    Jan 29, 2013
    8,948
    Fulton, MD
    Can't find the thread, but there were some posts about reloading 22LR.

    If I remember, it uses the same ratio of three components that can be found in corrosive primers. Not conclusive, but there aren't many other alternatives open to the home reloader that aren't either destructive (mercury) or dangerous.

    The ratios were dead on and other than the purity of the components, should be safe enough.
     

    guzma393

    Active Member
    Jan 15, 2020
    736
    Severn, MD
    Sounds like the old H-48 formula, which is definitely corrosive. Here's a solid reference for DIY primers: http://aardvarkreloading.com/primers.html

    I also experimented with reloading primers using matches or toy caps. All were done with 9mm, fast burning powder (TG), and PC coated casts.

    The matches (look up armstrongs mix) is definitely alot more energetic, but more messy and labor intensive. I havent reloaded and tested them out yet, except for setting off a few primed cases. This is a plausible mix for rifles.

    The paper roll cap method works pretty well in cartridges with limited case capacity and fast powder. Tried it with 7.62x39, and it resulted in delayed fires (not recommended). I loaded 1k 9mm cases with 2 "caps" in each cup. Out of the 500 I shot so far, I had about 20-30 duds, which is not a big deal for plinking ammo cheaper than 22LR.
     

    85MikeTPI

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 19, 2014
    2,699
    Ceciltucky
    I've seen some hardcore primer reloaders on social media this year, asking for left-over packaging and even buying some retail brand (CCI, ?) once-fired primers with quality anvils. I guess the newer compounds are easier to work with and non-corrosive.

    So I was wondering if anyone here has started down that rabbit hole? I have started saving my packaging and separating factory from retail primers during decapping to help them out. But I'd rather help someone local if I can, otherwise I'll box them up and ship them out.
     

    FN509Fan

    Ultimate Member
    Wow, being an engineer I'm one of those who wants to build it myself instead of buy it or pay someone, but I wouldn't even think of trying to do this. A squib load and busted gun just ain't worth it not that components are becoming available again. Well at 10 cents each, primers aren't exactly readily available. I didn't watch the video, but I wouldn't expect dented primers to work reliably.
     

    GuitarmanNick

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 9, 2017
    2,221
    Laurel
    Wow, being an engineer I'm one of those who wants to build it myself instead of buy it or pay someone, but I wouldn't even think of trying to do this. A squib load and busted gun just ain't worth it not that components are becoming available again. Well at 10 cents each, primers aren't exactly readily available. I didn't watch the video, but I wouldn't expect dented primers to work reliably.
    If you had watched the video, you would know that removing the dent is part of the process. I have not attempted this myself, but I can see this being viable for a few cycles before failing.
     

    85MikeTPI

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 19, 2014
    2,699
    Ceciltucky
    Wow, being an engineer I'm one of those who wants to build it myself instead of buy it or pay someone, but I wouldn't even think of trying to do this. A squib load and busted gun just ain't worth it not that components are becoming available again. Well at 10 cents each, primers aren't exactly readily available. I didn't watch the video, but I wouldn't expect dented primers to work reliably.

    Yeah I don’t think of this as a replacement for factory because it’s such a low volume process

    But as a SHTF skill when nothing else is available, it’s a viable process
     

    guzma393

    Active Member
    Jan 15, 2020
    736
    Severn, MD
    I messed with reloading primers during the whole covid lockdown thing. I had fun doing it and even got the mechanical factors down, (annealing primer cups, press jigs for dent removal/anvil disassembly, berdan re-priming/reloading, etc.). I never got as far as making EP20, but h48 is a pretty easy compound to come across (google prime-all), and has plenty of oomph even for large capacity, slow burning rifle powders.

    I've had good luck with h48 in re-priming and reloading steel cased 7.62x39 (yes, breaking all the cardinal rules here, but the whole russian import ban got me curious), but not so much in SPP (im guessing the ground glass contained in prime-all is not fine enough). Biggest caveat is the stuff is corrosive, so I didn't really appreciate flushing my guns with water every range session.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    I messed with reloading primers during the whole covid lockdown thing. I had fun doing it and even got the mechanical factors down, (annealing primer cups, press jigs for dent removal/anvil disassembly, berdan re-priming/reloading, etc.). I never got as far as making EP20, but h48 is a pretty easy compound to come across (google prime-all), and has plenty of oomph even for large capacity, slow burning rifle powders.

    I've had good luck with h48 in re-priming and reloading steel cased 7.62x39 (yes, breaking all the cardinal rules here, but the whole russian import ban got me curious), but not so much in SPP (im guessing the ground glass contained in prime-all is not fine enough). Biggest caveat is the stuff is corrosive, so I didn't really appreciate flushing my guns with water every range session.
    I think it’s interesting from a “I like to experience things” or “do things myself” perspective. Granted if it isn’t available it isn’t available. From a practical prepper perspective, just buying a ton of primers seems to be a better way to go. Maybe not now, but if you figure your time is worth something, either $ value or “SHTF TEOTWAWKI” I need to be doing something else perspective, I’d imagine 1000 primer reloads takes a long while. Vs having a box of primers sitting around.

    To a degree similar logic for a case of loaded ammo vs reloading a case. Then again, that’s fast. If you’ve prepped a bunch of brass in advance, even single stage loading can load scores of rounds an hour and turret and progressives can scale to hundreds an hour.

    If things go bad, you probably aren’t shooting a crap ton. So I guess the time spent to reload 50 primers isn’t too much of a consideration. But just my opinion worth what you paid for it :-)

    PS and I also hate corrosive primers. I am lazy and don’t want to flush out guns. Let alone gas systems. And I’d always worry I didn’t get it flushed Right, or didn’t get it dried out right and corrode my gun. I do have a bit of corrosive (a few clips of M2AP) .30-06 1940s that I’ll probably break down and replace the primers and reload. Otherwise it is just some corrosive 7.62x25 that I’ll shoot at some point when I feel like shooting a bunch of it. I got several hundred rounds for basically pennies a round shipped from SOG about a year before they shut down. But I usually am not shooting more than a box or three of ammo through any particular gun. So I don’t want to have to flush and clean 4-6 guns on a range trip. Someone wants to shoot my old M57 a bunch, or I do for that matter, I’d shot a few 72 round boxes and take it apart to clean the heck out of it.
     

    Harrys

    Short Round
    Jul 12, 2014
    3,362
    SOMD
    Interesting in case the SHTF and however, I will just buy enough primers to last me a lifetime. I used some small pistol primers that were about 30 years old. They were kept in ammo cans and were given to me. In my late 60s so do mot think I will last for another 30 years before my final dirt nap.
     

    FN509Fan

    Ultimate Member
    I used some small pistol primers that were about 30 years old. They were kept in ammo cans and were given to me.
    My primers are from the early 2000's. They were kept in a box in the garage and I haven't had any issues with them. I fire one of each size/brand I have before loading with them. Of course I jammed my brand new FN509 firing off the first one, but manipulating the extractor after a few minutes of panic resolved that issue.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Powder is a lot more likely to degrade than primers are overtime. Best to still store primers somewhere relatively cool and low humidity. But primers will easily work just fine that have been store for a lifetime. I've got no concerns about stocking up on a lifetime supply, other than where to find the space to store them. Well, and I didn't prior to the pandemic and I sure as crap ain't going to at THESE prices. Though I probably do have a decade of primers.

    But unless you plan is you are starting a local militia when the world ends and thus might be helping supply dozens or hundreds of people, I figure I am getting out of this in one of three ways.

    1) I am joining a group of people and hopefully someday civilization makes its way back and I've made it. I am probably not shooting a heck of a lot in that scenario (probably not hundreds of rounds a year).

    2) Going it alone as just my family, or a few close friends/relatives/neighbors and civilization makes it back, or we all die. Also probably not shooting a heck of a lot. Probably a few hundred rounds.

    3) Get overwhelmed and killed by one or many. Even going out in a blaze of glory/attempted blaze of glory, probably only shooting between 0 and a few hundred rounds.

    If there is no civilization, unless I find myself in some lone survivor in an empty world scenario, civilization is what keeps you safe enough to be drawing the kind of attention that shooting a gun makes. You don't go out back and plink if some guys up to no good (or not up to your good) might hear a mile or five away. You'd probably risk it for hunting. And also hope you have suppressors to make it quieter. You might risk shooting a few rounds to show a new shooter how to work a gun and what shooting is like. You probably aren't training them on a 500 round per month course of fire.

    The only three even slightly realistic scenarios to stock up on a ton of components or ammo for (even assuming end of the world/collapse of society scenarios are likely) are

    1) Ammo market run. Well, we have seen 3 of those in less than 20 years. I am sure we will see another one or more than another one during the rest of my life (which is hopefully 50+ years more. I'd love to see 90). So stocking up keeps you shooting and reloading when the supplies have disappeared
    2) Insulate from price shocks. Buy low, shoot high. That sort of goes with #1 heavily, but prices have still fluctuated a lot even during semi-rational markets when there were no droughts from panic buying.
    3) Ammo/component sales bans/restrictions. Enough said on that, other than with THT I don't think any bans/restrictions are likely to pass muster. Though that doesn't mean the courts might not entertain something like internet sales bans and background checks on ammo sales. So good luck only ever buying ammo and components from your LGS. Or if you are lucky, maybe you also could at in-state gun shows. I still don't think the Thomas court would okay that, but it isn't as impossible in my eyes as possession limits/sales limits and license to have to buy ammo. That I think there is just no chance SCOTUS would okay.
     

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