Decapping .470 NE brass cases without dies

Roland Tembo

Roland Tembo

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Hello there! Possibly a dumb question...

What would you suggest to remove some Federal 215 live primers from .470 NE cases without owning the proper decapping / resizing die?

I believe there ain't no universal deprimer around that can fit such a long safari cartridges brass, right..?

If the primers were spent I would just use a pin and a hammer, but I am not sure it's safe for work this way with live primers. Also Federal 215 are powerful primers, so...

... suggestions?

Thanks,
 
Put on gloves, ear and eye pro and tap them out. It's also a good idea to inform the spousal unit that things might go BANG!, but it's anticipated and not an accident. Or take them to the range and pop off the caps; that's probably the easy button.

Edit: come to think of it, I've always used dies to remove live primers. I'd be very cautious tapping and try to use some form of continuous pressure as would be done by a press. I still think that just shooting the cases at the range is the easiest option.
 
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I would not tap them out. If you want to save the primers I don’t know. I know on here have hydraulically de primed berdan primers, but am unsure of the specifics.
 
deewayne2003 said:
How many are you talking about?… a couple or a couple of dozen?

If your that worried about the primers going off just soak the brass in water to nullify the primers.
Click to expand...
Doh! I’m embarrassed that I didn’t think of something so simple.
 
If you’re not trying to save the primers the just chamber them and fire the primer. It makes hardly any noise. I once bought a bunch of primed 6.5 Swede brass in college and fired off the primers in my apartment. The neighbors didn’t even notice. Just pointed the muzzle into a plastic bucket.

I can’t remember any I wanted the primers gone. I think I was worried they were corrosive or something.

Depending where you live you might be able to do it in your yard and use it like dry fire practice.
 
Wyatt Smith said:
I would not tap them out. If you want to save the primers I don’t know. I know on here have hydraulically de primed berdan primers, but am unsure of the specifics.
Click to expand...
If you want to save the primers, you just GENTLY use a resizing die to push them out.

FYI if you are trying to decap Federal Factory cases with Federal factory primers....they are not 215 primers - they are stronger 216 primers that are not released to the public!
 
Roland Tembo said:
Hello there! Possibly a dumb question...

What would you suggest to remove some Federal 215 live primers from .470 NE cases without owning the proper decapping / resizing die?

I believe there ain't no universal deprimer around that can fit such a long safari cartridges brass, right..?

If the primers were spent I would just use a pin and a hammer, but I am not sure it's safe for work this way with live primers. Also Federal 215 are powerful primers, so...

... suggestions?

Thanks,
Click to expand...

Have you tried the area 419 depriming die? $60 and it has worked on everything I have tried it on, but I can't say for certain I've tried it on 470NE yet.
 
load em into the rifle and fire. not loud at all. if worried about any noise at all, stick the muzzle into an old pillow or something similar.
 
deewayne2003 said:
If you want to save the primers, you just GENTLY use a resizing die to push them out.

FYI if you are trying to decap Federal Factory cases with Federal factory primers....they are not 215 primers - they are stronger 216 primers that are not released to the public!
Click to expand...
I’ve done it before, but was thinking about him not having a die. That doesn’t mean I like doing it.
 
deewayne2003 said:
How many are you talking about?… a couple or a couple of dozen?

If your that worried about the primers going off just soak the brass in water to nullify the primers.
Click to expand...
40-50 primed cases. Yeah, my main concern is that something could go wrong by leaving them primed: live primers could go bang, spent primers could... corrode? Maybe ruin brass?

deewayne2003 said:
If you want to save the primers, you just GENTLY use a resizing die to push them out.

FYI if you are trying to decap Federal Factory cases with Federal factory primers....they are not 215 primers - they are stronger 216 primers that are not released to the public!
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I don't have the dies. These were handloads by the way, so I am quite sure it's the 215s.

rookhawk said:
Have you tried the area 419 depriming die? $60 and it has worked on everything I have tried it on, but I can't say for certain I've tried it on 470NE yet.
Click to expand...
Never heard before but seems just as short as any other universal decapping die around.
As far as I can tell by their website, "This die will work with cases up to and including 338 Lapua length/diameter".

Anyway, it seems that most of you agree that punching them out while live with a pin and a hammer could be a bad idea. But if I fire or de-activate them with water or WD-40 then I could safely work my way removing them with the pin + hammer. I'll probably go this way, seems to be the cheapest solution.
 
If you know someone who has an arbor press (assuming it’s big enough) they will let you use, you can push out the primer with a constant force, using a pin punch. This would alleviate the sudden shock of a hammer hit, and hopefully prevent any primers going off
Gumpy
 
Roland Tembo said:
40-50 primed cases. Yeah, my main concern is that something could go wrong by leaving them primed: live primers could go bang, spent primers could... corrode? Maybe ruin brass?


Unfortunately I don't have the dies. These were handloads by the way, so I am quite sure it's the 215s.


Never heard before but seems just as short as any other universal decapping die around.
As far as I can tell by their website, "This die will work with cases up to and including 338 Lapua length/diameter".

Anyway, it seems that most of you agree that punching them out while live with a pin and a hammer could be a bad idea. But if I fire or de-activate them with water or WD-40 then I could safely work my way removing them with the pin + hammer. I'll probably go this way, seems to be the cheapest solution.
Click to expand...
Your live primers in the brass should out live you with no corrosion. Not too sure what your worried about here.
 
MacJenkins said:
Your live primers in the brass should out live you with no corrosion. Not too sure what your worried about here.
Click to expand...
I read this and then re-read what you were replying to and gave myself a slap on the forehead, yes, you are completely correct, if they are 215’s they are modern non corrosive primers and completely safe. I replied to the original question and hadn’t read the reply before mine
Gumpy

Edit to add, if you really want to remove them , my answer is still applicable
 
Roland Tembo said:
Hello there! Possibly a dumb question...

What would you suggest to remove some Federal 215 live primers from .470 NE cases without owning the proper decapping / resizing die?

I believe there ain't no universal deprimer around that can fit such a long safari cartridges brass, right..?

If the primers were spent I would just use a pin and a hammer, but I am not sure it's safe for work this way with live primers. Also Federal 215 are powerful primers, so...

... suggestions?

Thanks,
Click to expand...
I have read that the primers can be rendered inert by spraying a little WD-40 inside and some water before tapping out the primer. I've never done it, but it seems like it would work.
 
You could do it the way they used to remove Berdan primers. Fill the case full of water, find a wooden dowel that fits through the case neck, and just place the dowel in the case filled with water and tap the dowel with a mallet. The water pressure will drive the primer out. It makes a mess with all the water splashing about. If it were me, I would just do as others have suggested, go some place safe, chamber the rounds, fire the primers, and the drive them out with a tool like this:

Lee Universal Deprimer

Always use full protective gear .
 
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