taking apart factory ammo

[scope eye]

I have all kinds of differant factory ammo half boxes stuff that did not group and just plain crap, from years of collecting and stuff that comes with used rifles deals or what ever, anyway running low on brass I decided to start taking them apart and measuring the powder charge at the same time no wonder there crap powder volume was all over the place, anyway the new brass was welcome to replace my over extended usual stuff has anyone else ever done this?

[Tim300wsm]

ive piced up once fired at the range a few times but never taken loaded apart

[xhogboss]

I've done it. You can dispose of the powder in your flower bed - it will break down and might even make pretty good fertilizer. Or, you can burn it a little at a time. Always pop the primer in your rifle - it's not a good (or safe) practice to decap live primers.

[GaCop]

Old powder makes an excellent fertilizer.

[leather5to1]

Yes, I have seen the same thing. The powder weights are all over the place. Be careful.

[scope eye]

Hi the way I unload them I feel is very safe, all you have to do is put the round in the proper shell holder in your press "remove dies" then bring the round up to where the bullet just sticks out past the threads where you screw in the dies, clamp the bullet with wire cutters or pliers I use a cable cutter hold lightly you don't need a lot of clamping pressure not to mar the bullet "two slight dimples is all you should have more than that you are clamping to hard" and bring the handle back down slowly and smoothly, a press has a lot of leverage so no brute force is needed, it doesn't take long to get the hang of it and you will be able to reuse all of the componets, I use the powder and bullets when I am fireforming my latest AI barrel. I preffer this method to they hammer bullet puller, it just doesn't seem natural to whack a loader round in a hammer and my way you can do 10 in the time you set up to do one the hammer way, and the best part no violent whacking just a smooth cycle of the press. as allways re loaders take care or in this case "unloaders"
Thanks Dean

[us920669]

Yeah, I've done it a lot - kind of enjoy it in a way. I just whack and pray - the easy touch sounds better, though. Some military stuff is so tight it wont come apart. You're really not supposed to reuse powder, but if it's definitely from the same batch I think it's OK. Factory charges do vary, since they throw by volume, not weight. It just goes to show that there is no point in driving yourself crazy worrying about whether the knife edge is exactly even, or if the digital readout is a light 1/10 grain or a heavy one. Bullet selection is much more important, and so is brass. If you've got the bucks, Lapua is the way to go. Of course, BR guys live for their precision, but I figure ammunition just has to do whatever it is supposed to do.

[scope eye]

A couple of years ago when ammo was scarce and before I started to re load they only thing I could get my hands on was PRVI PARTIZAN , and since nobody new when the drought was going to end I bought a lot of it, what a bunch of CRAP so when things got back to normal ammo abundant wise and I started to reload, theres no way I could go back to that stuff and every time I would look at all those boxes it would piss me off especially since I paid a premium for them due to the shortage, It makes for an expensive re load but they were there paid for and don't have to look at them anymore.

[joshco84]

A couple of years ago when ammo was scarce and before I started to re load they only thing I could get my hands on was PRVI PARTIZAN , and since nobody new when the drought was going to end I bought a lot of it, what a bunch of CRAP so when things got back to normal ammo abundant wise and I started to reload, theres no way I could go back to that stuff and every time I would look at all those boxes it would piss me off especially since I paid a premium for them due to the shortage, It makes for an expensive re load but they were there paid for and don't have to look at them anymore.


I know this stuff is considered junk, and it is cheap ammo no questions asked. In my 25-06 savage, they cloverleaf if i am able to do my part, and they destroy deer. I normally am not one for shooting hollowpoints at deer, but i have shot a lot of deer with these, and they have all been bang flops. Only had one bullet "failure", but it was point blank range on the biggest deer i have ever shot. Stuck the rifle out the blind window and high shouldered a 250 pound deer. Bullet went through and traveled along the offside ribs and lost two of the four petals. the whole bullet was under the cape on the offhand side though, so i dont know if i really consider it a failure since it was so close.

I would say this one load may be an exception though, as i have heard horror stories of the other calibers. I liked this enough i went back and bought four more boxes for a total of six boxes i think. Not bad for 15.00 a box lol.

[scope eye]

I am not going to say how much I paid a box to upsetting but it was more than 15.00, hey when spanky took office back in 08 no one new what was going to happen, so like I said by recycling and making the most of every componet, I am trying to make the best out of a bad purchase. even tho it works out to prvi brass at lapua prices OUCH.
Dean

[Lee C.]

About 3 years ago i bought out a guy how did reloading for other people. I endded up selling 84lbs. of this brass to one guy. And had some for my self besides. all of this was loaded ammo i had to take apart my self. I'm off all winter so i had alot of time for it. I use a universal decapping die and never had one primer go off. Can one go off sure any thing can happen in life. Just take your time and be careful doing it and you should be ok.

[CRNA]

I have taken thousands of factory loads apart. Here's my method:
1) Acquire all of your factory crap loads
2) Acquire the firearm chambered for the rounds in which you wish to dispose of
3) Chamber the round at a safe place outside
4) Turn safety to "off"
5) Squeeze the trigger (This effectively disposes of all powder, pops the primer making it harmless, and sends the bullet far and fast away from you)
6) Eject spent case
7) Your once fired brass is now ready for the preparation process to be reloaded to tighter tolerances
;)

[scope eye]

CRNA I have used your method many times in an ar15 and ak47, but I have been shooting for a long time, so if I am going to take the time to cycle a bolt I have minimum standards at what is acceptable, and anyway brass does not last long enough to begin with so I would rather save it for a shot that won't aggravate me.

[GaCop]

Military loads are easier to disassemble if you first break the asphalt bond in the neck by seating the bullet a bit deeper.

[ourway77]

Sir, you are best off to dispose of the powder, especially if you are dealing with this or that. It's better to be safe than sorry. I pull the bullets with my RCBS collet bullet puller you can seperate the bullet and they can be reloaded. Trying to decap live primers in your press you will find that a couple may go off if you are too rough with the decapper, I have done it. If you decide to go that route make sure you have the right protective gear so not to cause you any injury. Like previously mentioned put the case in your firearm and fire same, One problem you said that you got some the the shells from wheeling and dealing so they have not been fired in the new rifle so some may stick. Be sure you have a stuck case remover handy. Best way if not sure pull the bullets and FL resize the case and the primer will be removed but as said do it gently. If you are in doubt, throw out. Good Luck Lou

[Warthog]

I have a friend with a similar problem. His dad (now gone, some sentimental value) left him some 50 cal rounds. He got the bullets out, and now he wants to make the brass safe by removing or detonating the primers. Has anyone done this before? What is a good way to do this?
Thanks.

[us920669]

Hmm, that is a challenge. You could let one sit overnight full of water - water does dissolve the bang-stuff in commercial primers, but I don't know about 50 cal. You could try that, put on your welding outfit, take it outside and hit it with a center punch. If that works, you could attack them any old way. Disclaimer: This works in my imagination, but your results may vary.

[scope eye]

I saw one my distant uncles a real old timer once fill a 30-30 case with water then use a wooden dowel that he taped from the bullet end to pop them out what do you know the first hydraulic primer de caper

[sha-ul]

wd40 will do a good job of rendering the primers inert. , but the hydraulic removal method also works well

[mudpig]

You could lay the cases on their side (outside) having the powder spill out of the neck slightly, then light the powder. This will, not only get rid of the powder issue, but will heat the primer enough to set it off too. The ammo, being military rounds, has the primer crimped in and there is no worry about it becoming a projectile. WARNING: Brass will be hot!