38 Special

[Headhog]

Started reloading some 38 Spl. ammo target loads today when I came across these two rounds mixed in. I think they're good for one or two more reloads.

IMG_2269.jpg (160.99 KiB) Viewed 1774 times

Ok so I'm just kidding about reloading these cases. They actually made it onto my progressive press and I didn't notice them until they reached station 4. That's the powder check station. I immediately pulled the from the press and dumped the powder charge back into the measure. Being frugal, after I finished loading the rest of the cases, I put them back into station 1 and carefully decapped the primers. Then I finished up by loading 2 more good cases. Total 300 rounds of 38 Spl. target load.

With the price of primers today I'm not about to waste perfectly good primers. You just have to have a gentle touch when removing them from the case.

Paul

[Sir Henry]

You are braver than me for decamping live primers.

[The Happy Kaboomer]

Get ya a 5 gal brass collection bucket. Put all your reject brass and .22 hulls in it. When full you'll get about $60.00 from the recycler.......This is what I do.

[Vaquero]

You are braver than me for decamping live primers.

Just slow and easy, I've done it a number of times.

RP

[Vaquero]

Get ya a 5 gal brass collection bucket. Put all your reject brass and .22 hulls in it. When full you'll get about $60.00 from the recycler.......This is what I do.

Yep, that's what I'm doing also.

RP

[Hatchdog]

Started reloading some 38 Spl. ammo target loads today when I came across these two rounds mixed in. I think they're good for one or two more reloads.


IMG_2269.jpg


Ok so I'm just kidding about reloading these cases. They actually made it onto my progressive press and I didn't notice them until they reached station 4. That's the powder check station. I immediately pulled the from the press and dumped the powder charge back into the measure. Being frugal, after I finished loading the rest of the cases, I put them back into station 1 and carefully decapped the primers. Then I finished up by loading 2 more good cases. Total 300 rounds of 38 Spl. target load.

With the price of primers today I'm not about to waste perfectly good primers. You just have to have a gentle touch when removing them from the case.

Paul

I recently did the same thing but I put the primers in a separate container for testing later. I’ve decapped live primers many times without issue but have never re-used them. Who woulda thought?

[Vaquero]

Started reloading some 38 Spl. ammo target loads today when I came across these two rounds mixed in. I think they're good for one or two more reloads.


IMG_2269.jpg


Ok so I'm just kidding about reloading these cases. They actually made it onto my progressive press and I didn't notice them until they reached station 4. That's the powder check station. I immediately pulled the from the press and dumped the powder charge back into the measure. Being frugal, after I finished loading the rest of the cases, I put them back into station 1 and carefully decapped the primers. Then I finished up by loading 2 more good cases. Total 300 rounds of 38 Spl. target load.

With the price of primers today I'm not about to waste perfectly good primers. You just have to have a gentle touch when removing them from the case.

Paul

I recently did the same thing but I put the primers in a separate container for testing later. I’ve decapped live primers many times without issue but have never re-used them. Who woulda thought?

Why deprime, if ya ain't using them

RP

[Headhog]

No problem reusing previously seated primers. They fire off the same as new ones.

The ones I have a problem with are when my press fails to completely remove the old primer. The case them over on the next station and the spent primer gets reseated in the case. I've found that these primers don't work well the second time around.

Paul

[Hatchdog]

Started reloading some 38 Spl. ammo target loads today when I came across these two rounds mixed in. I think they're good for one or two more reloads.


IMG_2269.jpg


Ok so I'm just kidding about reloading these cases. They actually made it onto my progressive press and I didn't notice them until they reached station 4. That's the powder check station. I immediately pulled the from the press and dumped the powder charge back into the measure. Being frugal, after I finished loading the rest of the cases, I put them back into station 1 and carefully decapped the primers. Then I finished up by loading 2 more good cases. Total 300 rounds of 38 Spl. target load.

With the price of primers today I'm not about to waste perfectly good primers. You just have to have a gentle touch when removing them from the case.

Paul

I recently did the same thing but I put the primers in a separate container for testing later. I’ve decapped live primers many times without issue but have never re-used them. Who woulda thought?

Why deprime, if ya ain't using them

RP

I’ll reuse them, just planning on loading them in something that I won’t use for a specific purpose like load development. Just never done this before so want to experiment a bit.

[Vaquero]

I recently did the same thing but I put the primers in a separate container for testing later. I’ve decapped live primers many times without issue but have never re-used them. Who woulda thought?

Why deprime, if ya ain't using them

RP

I’ll reuse them, just planning on loading them in something that I won’t use for a specific purpose like load development. Just never done this before so want to experiment a bit.

Just yanking you chain, yea I use 'em in range stuff, but
to be honest I'm pretty sure I've never had one to fail.

Now I've had primer failures no doubt, had one this weekend in a 223 round and my Savage.
Tried it twice, no go bang. Laying on the bench to be tore down.

RP

[Bake]

I've tried decapping and reusing primers in my 308 Winchester. Upon firing these rounds with the recycled primers, I found there were significant gas leaks around the primer and gas cutting on the bolt face. I'm afraid the combination of seating and decapping a primer causes a decrease in primer diameter and allows the gas to escape. If I see any gas leaks happening in the fired cases, the two are thrown away, so I throw away the primers first ...