Hello everyone. During my trip to the range earlier today, I found a factory round (.40 S&W) with the primer reversed. Is there any way to salvage at least the brass from this round? If not, what is the best and safest way to dispose of it? Thanks!
Reversed Primer
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ScottJ
Member
You could probably take one of those long butane lighters like for a gas grill and get it to burn. Uncontained it'll just fizzle a bit.
This is after you pull the bullet and powder with a kinetic puller first of course.
Wear gloves and safety glasses of course.
This is after you pull the bullet and powder with a kinetic puller first of course.
Wear gloves and safety glasses of course.
ChuckS1
US Veteran
Pull the bullet, dump the powder and deprime/resize the case. Done it quite a few times with my reloading mistakes. Not gonna set the primer off depriming it.
anomad
Member
+1
Deprimed upside down primers several times with a sizing die. Just go SLOOOOWW.
What they said. Wear eye protection, of course... The first time I did it I wore earmuffs and a face shield too.
Should be able to reload the bullet too.
You "found" a 40 SW round? Not one of yours. For a 40, I would just throw it out. I am frugal, cheap even but for a 40 or 9 mm it hardly seems worth any effort.
JohnnieB
US Veteran
Never decapped a case with a reversed primer, but have decapped some mistakes and recovered brass from questionable ammo.
I soak them in a water based cleaning solution for a while and then use a Lee Universal Decapping die.
No sense in risking a carbide sizing die.
I soak them in a water based cleaning solution for a while and then use a Lee Universal Decapping die.
No sense in risking a carbide sizing die.
gregintenn
Member
I've deprimed a backwards primer more than once with no problems.
The chances of it going off are slim to none as long as the anvil doesn't hit anything. With it pointing down through the shell holder it should hit no resistance and even if it did go off the blast would be directed down through the ram, so don't stand in front of the spent primer exit when depriming.
If you are really all that concerned with it just remove the anvil before you start.
If you are really all that concerned with it just remove the anvil before you start.
ArchAngelCD
Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I agree. There's no problem depriming that case as long as you do so slowly.
Perhaps "discovered" would have been a better word. It was in a box of Federal ammo I bought at Wally-world. This is the first instance of this I've encountered in numerous boxes of the same ammo.
Thanks for the info everyone!
Yes, I had some tight pockets and loaded a primer backwards. When I deprimed it it ignited. no problem, but it did tighten me up.
Well that's a different story
Years back I had a 100 rd box of Win White box that some of the bullets had been pressed into the case so hard at a angle that they bulged out the side. Almost looked like they had melted. I called Olin Winchester and they issued a call tag to pick the defective ammo up at my door. Reviewed/tested it and promptly sent me a coupon for another box. They were very nice and concerned about the problem. If you still have the box and the loaded round, call Federal.
I agree with that..........I had an issue with Remington 40's. They were concerned when I telephoned, wanted all unfired ammo returned (at their shipping expense) for them to investigate. They were rather generous with replacement ammo.
Huckelberry75
Member
Had it happen a few times. It's no big deal. Like a few have said, just pull the bullet and powder and de-prime it slowly. If you had shot it, it wouldn't be anything more than a fizzle and smoke with no "Bang".
