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Deactivate Primers

BerscoBersco Member Posts: 14 ✭✭
edited February 2006 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
Strange question, can primers be "deactivated" or made harmless by leaving them in water or some solution. I have damaged primers and I don't feel right about putting them in the garbage, I know the sanitation guys and don't want anyone getting hurt, or a fire in their truck, whatever. Probably more for my piece of mind.
(P.S. I can't pop them with a hammer or "set them off" in any way because the neighbors are too close, and they are not 'firearms friendly'...I live here, but I don't "love ny".)
Thanks for the help in advance.
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Comments

  • brier-49brier-49 Member Posts: 7,090 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    a drop of oil
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  • MosinNagantDiscipleMosinNagantDisciple Member Posts: 2,612
    edited November -1
    Yep, use some oil. Primers are designed to be water resistant and it wont always deactivate them.
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  • OregunnerOregunner Member Posts: 129 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A shot of WD-40 will kill primers instantly.
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  • Tailgunner1954Tailgunner1954 Member Posts: 7,734 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well, I see the standard URBAN LEGANDS have been trotted out.
    The priming compound itself might be killed by the oil, but as soon as the WD-40 dries back out the compound will be active again.
    The real problem is that the compound is sealed with a lacqure compound that prevents most solvents from getting to the compound. You have to desolve the lacqure first, and than perminatly degrade the compound, not a easy thing to do (and how are you going to dispose of the chemical residue?? call in a toxic waste hauler?)

    Best bet is to simply put them in the trash (a few at a time).
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  • Colonel PlinkColonel Plink Member Posts: 16,460
    edited November -1
    I use an hammer, an anvil, hearing and eye protection. The primer are then safe to throw away. It's utterly reliable.
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  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Get a plastic pop bottle with a couple ounces of motor oil in it. The motor oil will seep in a deactivate the compound within 24 hours.

    It really is easier to just toss them in the trash. The odds of one going bang is off the chart.

    I burn my trash here. I had two trays of CCI primers that got soaked with case lube. I burned the whole lot. There was a little popping for a while but no big deal.
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  • PinheadPinhead Member Posts: 1,485 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Back when I started reloading, none of the primer manufacturers sealed their primers. If you handled them with you sweaty, oily fingers they died a slow death. The result was a dud round. Then the manufaturers started sealing the primers and we no longer had to worry about dead primers BUT we now have a disposal problem. Regular used motor oil or new for that matter, will soak thru in a few hours and render the primer mixture enert as long as the oil is present. Put the primers in a plastic bottle, fill the bottle with the above oil, cap it back and put it in the landfill trash. As long as the cap remains sealed, the primers will continue to be enert and no problems should arise.
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