Wet primers?

[Dalendenver]

I was in Utah 2 weeks ago helping my wife with the burial of her mother, succumbed to Alzheimers. While we were gone we got that mother of all rain storms in Aurora. It decided to go through my basement. The gutters could not handle all the water.

As we were cleaning up and shoveling mud out last night I was reminded that my Rockchucker kit was against the basement wall under the window that blew out. I have had this stuff for 35 years but this rain storm took care of it. Rusted everything except the scale.

The locked box that I keep my powder and primers in also got filled up with water. The powder should be ok but I am afraid I lost over 3000 primers. Does water do them in?

I hope all of you fared better during the thunderstorms.

[Byte Stryke]

not sure, but you could always seat one into an empty case, drop it into a weapon (No Projectile or powder) just to see if it will fire.

pointed in a safe direction, it shouldn't be any worse than a firecracker

[Dalendenver]

Good idea...if my press wasn't all rusted.

[Limited GM]

not sure, but you could always seat one into an empty case, drop it into a weapon (No Projectile or powder) just to see if it will fire.

pointed in a safe direction, it shouldn't be any worse than a firecracker

BS! Dont do this^^^^^. A primer has more umph than you credit. They will and have, sent a bullet downrange.

Water wont harm them. The Lecks had thousands and thousands under water when the Guadalupe river flooded their house. I personally shot probably 10,000 of those. never a glitch nor any different deviation of velocity.

Let'um dry good and load a few rds to satisfy your peace of mind.......or just give them to me.

[Byte Stryke]

BS! Dont do this^^^^^. A primer has more umph than you credit. They will and have, sent a bullet downrange.

Water wont harm them. The Lecks had thousands and thousands under water when the Guadalupe river flooded their house. I personally shot probably 10,000 of those. never a glitch nor any different deviation of velocity.

Let'um dry good and load a few rds to satisfy your peace of mind.......or just give them to me.

you did see the part where I said No Projectile or powder and pointed in a safe direction, right?

I think the length of immersion will also have bearing on the situation as well.

[mcantar18c]

I've looked into how to render primers inert, and as far as I know/seen the water will disable them until it dries, and then they're fine.

[Byte Stryke]

I've looked into how to render primers inert, and as far as I know/seen the water will disable them until it dries, and then they're fine.

As will oils and solvents.

[ray1970]

I remember the first time I popped a primer in an empty case. Indoors. Holy crap that thing was loud. I was expecting a small "snap" sound. What I got sounded like I just discharged a .22 in the room. Really made my ears ring.

[Clint45]

As will oils and solvents.

I have heard that penetrating oils, such as WD-40, will ruin primers regardless of if it later dries. Can anyone confirm or refute this?

Oh, at the hunter safety class I took as a teenager, the instructor wanted to demonstrate the power of a primed shotgun casing and placed a quarter on top of the muzzle . . . it flew straight up 5 feet and stuck in the ceiling.

[Byte Stryke]

next time I am just telling whoever asks to throw them away...
I never meant this to turn into a debate about how deadly a primer could be...

fer fuck sake.