Primer question?

[ChootEm]

So I got some 45 LC brass in a recent purchase and some of them had already been primed. Not knowing anything about what primers that were used or their age I don't want to reload with them and would rather put new ones in. I tried just shooting them but the primer would swell and lock up my cylinder on everyone of them.

Can I press them out? I was concerned about compressing a live primer.

Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks

 

[bocefus78]

Yes you can. Go slow, and wear eye protection.

 

[Thegeek]

Just chamber them, bang the primer and then press out.

 

[boostjunki]

If it were me I'd just use them for some light target loads. It's likely that they'll all go bang. There is a small increase in pressure with magnum primers, but I believe the biggest difference is a harder/thicker cup on magnum primers.

 

[dooshie]

use them as plinkers.. Or load some wax in them and target shoot in your backyard or better yet pop a few squirrels lol

 

[ChootEm]

I was thinking and came up with the same conclusion as the last two posters....I am going to use them while I get some dies dialed in. Once I get them all set with a good load run the rest through then make them go bang bang and repress them for final loads.

 

[l1n5c0tt]

load up some plinking loads but you could press them out just be careful

 

[billybob44]

Load them up...

With a 200gr. cast projectile, to around 900 fps. and have fun...Bill.

 

[oldpink]

Just chamber them, bang the primer and then press out.

That probably won't work very well with .45 Colt, at least out of a revolver, because the primer will probably back out and tie up the cylinder.
It's for that reason that brass for blanks used in revolvers will have the flash hole enlarged.
Graf & Sons - STARLINE BRASS 45 LONG COLT (BLANK) UNP PER 100 - Graf & Sons

 

[oldpink]

You've gotten good advice for what to do, so just be sure that whatever load in the manual you use is one of the factory load equivalent (stay far away from H110/W296 for this, believe me!) that generally max out in the range of sending 255 grain bullets out at just a smidge over 800 Feet Per Second, then go with the starting load, and you'll be safe.
As a suggestion, it might make cleanup a bit easier if you use one of the listed powders that are said to be very clean-burning, which would definitely leave out the ever popular (and very good with medium warm loads) Unique.
The lower pressure starting loads will often smoke up your brass, so the reason to use cleaner-burning powder is to make gun cleanup and tumbling the brass much easier.

 

[Thegeek]

That probably won't work very well with .45 Colt, at least out of a revolver, because the primer will probably back out and tie up the cylinder.
It's for that reason that brass for blanks used in revolvers will have the flash hole enlarged.
Graf & Sons - STARLINE BRASS 45 LONG COLT (BLANK) UNP PER 100 - Graf & Sons

The logic of that is completely confusing....

So a primer with no powder or bullet to push will have enough pressure to back out of the pocket, but a loaded cartridge won't.

 

[rvb]

So I got some 45 LC brass in a recent purchase and some of them had already been primed. Not knowing anything about what primers that were used or their age I don't want to reload with them and would rather put new ones in. I tried just shooting them but the primer would swell and lock up my cylinder on everyone of them.

Can I press them out? I was concerned about compressing a live primer.

Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks

Id say if they are going bang, load some and shoot 'em.

The logic of that is completely confusing....

So a primer with no powder or bullet to push will have enough pressure to back out of the pocket, but a loaded cartridge won't.

w. full pressure, the case head is pushed back against the breach, holding the primer in. w/o any pressure in the casing, yes the primer can jump out of the pocket from its own force.

 

[oldpink]

The logic of that is completely confusing....

So a primer with no powder or bullet to push will have enough pressure to back out of the pocket, but a loaded cartridge won't.

The reason for it is because the case doesn't have anything to force it to expand and seal up the chamber and hold the case in place.
I learned about this on my own years ago when I first started reloading and tried to just prime some brass and pop the primers, which did indeed tie up the cylinder, but not before had I read some article in a gun magazine that explained the dynamics behind the primer backing out.

 

[Thegeek]

Great explanation guys. Learn something every day.

 

[schmart]

I agree. Thanks for the explanation! It makes sense now, but before it was explained, I was going Wha???