imagineer Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 I'm machining some motorycle accent pieces and am planning on using brass casings for some added bling. It would be plenty easy to go out back and fire off the number of rounds necessary, but I don't want to have the little dent from the firing pin on the accent pieces. I'm clear on how to safely remove the slug and powder charge, but am not sure how to open and empty the primer. Anyone know the correct way to do this? Would it be better to buy bags of new casings and primers, open and empty the primers 1st, them press them into the casings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidgetTodd Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Pair of pliers and pull the bullet out. Pretty simple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagineer Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Pair of pliers and pull the bullet out. Pretty simpleYeah, I've got that part down. My concern is the primer remaining in the casing, it's still a live charge. Depending on the application & caliber, I'll be machining some of the brass casing away. None of that can be done with a live charge still in the casing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C-bus Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 I'd buy some empty brass. Cheaper than wasting ammo. Cleaner too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flounder Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Buy empty brass. If you want the primer look and to leave it in. Do thisPut a few drops of oil in down in the primer cup (From inside the brass) Or soak the entire empty case in oil. If you want to go one step further, you can use a pick after its been soaked in oil to scrape the inside of the oiled primer cup to help remove some of the primer material. <-- This is not professional, legal or foolproof advice but using oil is how most people do it. FYI, if you accidentally set off an primer from an empty case, the primer can shoot out of the back of the case and hurt or kill you. They have about the same power as a .22 round!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedytriple Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Im afraid to ask how flounder knows they can shoot out like a .22 LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vf1000ride Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 What caliber are you looking for? As for the primers, use new ones. Soak them in oil for a day or two and then just pick the core out of the brass cup. Then install them in the cases and away you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imagineer Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 What caliber are you looking for? As for the primers, use new ones. Soak them in oil for a day or two and then just pick the core out of the brass cup. Then install them in the cases and away you go.Thanks, that's the answer I'm looking for. I'm set up w/ tooling to do 9mm, .40 s&w AND .45 acp, but will start with .45's because that is what the customer requested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flounder Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 What caliber are you looking for? As for the primers, use new ones. Soak them in oil for a day or two and then just pick the core out of the brass cup. Then install them in the cases and away you go.This is a story of another guy on another forum that makes really cool bottle openers out of 50 BMG cases.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I've been reloading for over 35 years and while I was not reloading my 50 BMG I was working on the case to make those Bottle Openers that I've sold 470 to members here and on other forums. Well it is official, I’m a dumb ass, a fat one too. Today it was raining and has been raining for several days so I didn’t go out to shoot the 50 BMG to empty the brass. So I decided to use my fancy bullet puller and pull the bullets on the rounds that I wanted to use to make bottle openers. The one thing I didn’t do was take the empty shell and load it in my rifle to make the primer safe. Well after making the two horizontal cuts I started on the vertical cut. Now I’ve done this at least 50 times without problem but this time I screwed up big time. The primer went of, flew out of the primer pocket and hit me about 3 inches above my belly button. It didn’t hurt hardly at all but sure rang my bell. I had safety glasses on so it saved my eye sight. After I figured that I was not hurt bad I got up and noticed that my bib overalls had a hole in them. I headed to the bedroom to double check and found that my shirt, underwear and bib overalls was drenched in blood. I was bleeding like a stuck pig. I grabbed a towel and applied pressure and hollered at my 10 year old son. When he saw the blood he started to freak out but I told him to cool it. I changed my clothes while he held pressure on the wound and we headed for the hospital. I called my 89 year old father on the way and he was waiting with his van to take Scotty and I the rest of the way. Once I got to the hospital the nurse checked me in and they called the sheriff and somehow let them know I had been shot with a 50 BMG rifle. The deputy that showed up couldn’t believe that I had driven myself or that I’d been shot with a 50 BMG. He has known me and my family for quite a while. Once they did the x-ray and CT scan they figured out that I had not mortally wounded myself. Thank goodness for fat. The primer went in above my belly button and traveled about 6 inches to my right and stopped about 3 inches under the skin. The doctor felt around and thought he had figured out how to get it out and made a cut over where the primer should be. After digging around for 20 or 30 minutes he kept having trouble with the primer moving out from between the forceps. He sewed me back up and told me to see the surgeon on Thursday. Man do I feel stupid. I know better than this and could have killed the primer with a drop of oil but I was in a hurry and it bit me. I guess it could have been worse, it could have lodged in my stomach or other important organ. The marks on my spine are from a spinal fusion I had about 4 years ago. I just want you all to know that the power of a #35 50 BMG primer is about as hot as a .22 short judging from the way it bored a hole in me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kawi kid Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 just listen to the advice given and you should be good. Priming cases is what I really don't like when reloading. I can't remember the brand of press but it was either a Dillon or a hornady progressive. Either way it had the automatic primer feeding tube. During the the lever pull the primer on top ignited and started a chain reaction down the metal feed tube. Guy said it was like a pipe bomb. Make sure you always wear eye protection when working with the primers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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