?After pulling bullet Case questions?

[svxwilson]

I recently purchased a hammer bullet pulling tool. I had a small amount of questionable rounds that I had stored away that for a variety of reasons (2 diff calibers .308, 44mag.) I was NOT going to shoot. So I pulled the bullets from the brass with my tool (was a little hesitant at first) and it worked very well.

There is a lot of neck tension left a bullet won't slide back in by hand, would it be ok to re drop powder and shoot them without resizing? I have a lee crimp tool for the rifle rounds I don't typically use it but would it help to use it in this scenario. I know I can just pop the primer in the gun chamber one at a time, just trying to salvage some time with the brass prep.

The other curve on the scenario is I have just began to use a hornady headspace gauge to measure the bump back I was putting on the rifle rounds. I was only putting a .001-.002 bump back on the 308 rounds previous to the new tool acquirement. So my SCAR17 leaves the cases with a fired headspace of 1.631, so the brass in question above has a resized headspace of 1.629-1.630. It is lapua brass and has only been fired once. I won't be using it for precision just plinking rounds.

The 44 brass is 2x fired Remington and the Pistol is a Desert Eagle.

My concern is safety. Need some advice.

Cheers,
Aaron

 

[vinsonr]

I pull bullets then remove live primers with my decapping die and treat them as if they were just fired.

 

[former naval person]

Get two Lee Collet neck sizers. Cut the decapping pin off of one. Neck size the primed cases. Problem solved. Use the other one to neck size and decap prior to bumping the shoulder back when necessary with your Forster body die. JMHO

 

[Pinecone]

I bought some pulled LC cases. I used a Redding bushing neck sizing die to get them right. Some had good neck tension, some were loose.

Semi autos tend to need more shoulder setback than bolt guns.

1 - 2 thou is a bolt gun size. Semi auto is more like 5 thou for reliable feeding.

I resize my semi auto rounds to fit a Wilson case gauge. But for most calibers, I have multiple rifles, and want the rounds to chamber well in all of them.

 

[svxwilson]

I pull bullets then remove live primers with my decapping die and treat them as if they were just fired.

You can remove LIVE primers by de-capping? I had considered it, but didn't want to be my own experiment.

 

[Brasscow]

You can remove LIVE primers by de-capping? I had considered it, but didn't want to be my own experiment.

Proceed with caution, but yes.

 

[svxwilson]

Proceed with caution, but yes.

Could you elaborate on the recommended precautionary measures to take. I assume smooth fluid movements as normal. I have a universal de-capping die to use.

 

[Brasscow]

Could you elaborate on the recommended precautionary measures to take. I assume smooth fluid movements as normal. I have a universal de-capping die to use.

I just wear safety glasses and move a hair slower than normal.

 

[svxwilson]

I just wear safety glasses and move a hair slower than normal.

Have you ever had a primer give you a show while doing this?

 

[Brasscow]

Have you ever had a primer give you a show while doing this?

Nope.

 

[Mad_Charlie]

Nope.

Neither have I.

Maybe you could just unscrew your decapping pin and go ahead and re-size your cases.

 

[Sniper Uncle]

I had about 50 rounds that I had made for a rifle before re-barreling it, which did not fit the new chamber. I just pulled the bullets, dumped the powder one at a time, re-sized with the de-capping pin removed, poured the powder back in to the case it came out of, and reseated the bullet. Worked like a charm. No need to remove the primer if you are going to use the case still.

 

[leadbullet]

I have had primers pop while decaping rifle brass, you know what happens ??? Nothing, it makes a little muffled pouff and a little smoke that is all, no explosion, no broken windows or loss of limbs, dies are a lot thicker than most barrels and it is only a primer.
Basically, relax and go sloooow.
Cheers