seating primers in .38/357?

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years ago a friend reloaded a lot of .38 & .357. He evidently did not fully seat the primers...occasionally cylinder binds on high primer. Can I seat them with a hand primer seating tool or it that sporty with a loaded round.
thanks, Ned
 

Igor

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Not sure what "sporty" means, but I wouldn't do it. Never have had a primer go bang while being seated, but it would only take one on a loaded round..................
 
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I've been reloading since 1975 and I have seated primers deeper when I didn't do the job quite correctly the first time. This is not a regular thing with me but it does happen every now and again. The primer seater is just about the same width as the primer and if you just give enough pressure to seat it (and if you hand prime your primers you can feel when they bottom out correctly.)

I have never had a primer go off doing this. Primers really need a pretty sharp blow to the primer to set them off and a slow steady pressure probably will not do it.

A good explanation about the seating of primers can be found on page 57 of the Lyman 49th Edition (that's newest one I currently have). It explains what might help you make a decision.

NOW, all that said, It is your call to do what you want.

AS A CAUTION, I HAVE HEARD OF MORE PEOPLE SETTING OFF PRIMERS THAT WERE SEATED HIGH WHEN THEY DECIDED TO DEPRIME TO START OVER. The decapping pin is much smaller and as such actually touches the anvil of the primer and forces it into the primer cup and the primer mixture when you decap, thusly more likely to set the primer off if you do it too quickly. If you do this, go SLOW and STEADY - no jerking down on the handle.

Whatever you do, be safe, wear safety glasses and hearing protection (and maybe even gloves).
 
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thank you all for the thoughtful responses.....since there are probably less then 100 out of the thousand rounds...and since the hand primer tool has a cost and the process has a slight risk....NAH, going to toss them in the secure barrels at the range...when the guy picks up the brass to reload he can disassemble these and reuse the brass & bullet if he wants.
I know my friend, now deceased, fix some for me once...but he was a very careful guy and no doubt had a well thought out process...heck maybe in a bunker....he was the penultimate engineer.
 
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I believe if I were going to do that, I'd do as Gramps said and take 10 or so apart and use the primer tool to get a feel for how it feels and how little actual pressure it would take, before I tried it with loaded ammo.
 
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