From: bercov@bevsun.bev.lbl.gov (John Bercovitz)
Subject: Re: removing primer
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, California

In article <53254@mimsy.umd.edu> earlw@Apple.COM (Earl Wallace) writes:

#I did screwup once and decap a primer from a case in my RL550B but it didn't
#go off.  I rather not try my luck again :-)

    Probably enough has already been said on this subject but that never
stopped any of us, right?  8-)  Here are my experiences:

     I've decapped probably a couple hundred cases in a single stage press
over a lifetime.  Only five or six of them have gone off (noisy buggers,
too.)  They only went off if I got in a big hurry.  I've never had one go
off while using the press slowly.  I don't think I'd do it in a progressive
because there're too many little parts there and the press is expensive.
Just wear ear and eye protection when you decap.  I mean real eye protection
like thick Lexan machine shop goggles.  I've had one or two primers go off
since I adopted hearing protection when decapping and it's certainly a lot
pleasanter.

John Bercovitz     (JHBercovitz@lbl.gov)