Recently I helped clean out my deceased cousin's ammo collection.
Some how I ended up with some cases that unusable but have a good primer in them.
I don't think that a recycling place would want live primers in a batch of old brass.

So what do I do with them?

Not for serious purposes, but I have carefully deprimed and ended up with reusable primers.

At the price of primers today,it was worth the effort.

YMMV

If I damage a case after priming (or discover damage) I just put a drop or two of oil in the case to deactivate, making sure it gets in the primer. Oil is poison to primers.

At least, that's what I've read. I've never verified that. Maybe I should...

You should be able to take the primers out, reuse them. We’re not talking crimped in place primers, they could come out fairly easily.

Of course wear safety glasses, try with slow, steady pressure. A ‘universal decapping die’ would be my choice, if you have one.

If you want even a higher level of safety protocols, wear gloves, drape a towel over the press.

If you just want the primers out, don’t plan to use them, put a little oil in the case, render them inert.

Most of the cases were 30 carbine so I expected them to be crimped but they all pushed out easy.

New question on the topic:

Anybody ever tried to push out primers that were put in backwards?

Have removed reversed primers; slow and steady wins the race. I did it with my Mighty Armory decapper, which flicks the primer out of the case with a bit of gusto to get around fussing with crimped cases and it still didn't go off.

Careful, even pressure with eye and ear protection and you should be fine.

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
New question on the topic:

Anybody ever tried to push out primers that were put in backwards?

If you’re trying to save the brass, just scrap the anvil and component out with a toothpick, then deprime

Why not just stick the brass in a gun matching it, pop them, then deprime?

I'm not sure why some are so fearful of primers. When I was a kid we used to whack them on the basement floor with a ballpeen hammer. Kind of loud, but not exactly dangerous. Just don't do it around a pile of powder.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Why not just stick the brass in a gun matching it, pop them, then deprime?

I'm not sure why some are so fearful of primers. When I was a kid we used to whack them on the basement floor with a ballpeen hammer. Kind of loud, but not exactly dangerous. Just don't do it around a pile of powder.

You sir, had pretty much the same childhood as I

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
New question on the topic:

Anybody ever tried to push out primers that were put in backwards?

I've done it. A small punch or better yet, an old deprimer from a die set, a small/lighter weight hammer, a shell holder, safety glasses and light hammering (think low amplitude, high frequency) will get them out. I plan on them going off (hence glasses), but have never had one ignite.

As other have said you can push primers out in a press, just go slow and easy. Wear safety glasses and take your time. Did a couple yesterday that I found with bad shoulders.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

Kind of loud, but not exactly dangerous.

I wouldn't exactly say that. When I was a teen, I stupidly decided to hold a primer with a pair of hemostats and put a lighter to it. When it went off, the primer went completely through my finger leaving a bulge on the other side. The doctor cut the bulge and the primer fell out. I quickly learned they were no joke.