Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Best solvent to remove & dissolve unfired rifle primers

RogueRose - 15-6-2020 at 18:00

I have a load of unfired 22lr cases that have been seperated, so it's just the brass case and the primer stuck to the case. I need to use the cases as jackets for other rounds, so the primer needs to be removed, and there's about 2,000 of them, so I am thinking about doing it in smaller batches of 100-300 or so. I'd like to try to save the compound by recrystalizations and I'm wondering if using distilled water would be best or I also have methanol, ethanol (75%), and some other standard solvents.

I've tried to figure out what the primer compound is, and it seems like it could be many different possibilities and it really comes down to the brand and what they are using at the time (it can vary by year and batch...)

As a side note, I found some video's of people making their own primers from scratch, making the cups and anvil from flat stock and using an assortment of compounds as the explosive from match heads to the powder from cap guns (even the paper tab caps were used as primers - that really blew my mind that they were powerful enough to fire rifle or handgun ammo!)

This project came about b/c it was less expensive to use the components from the 22LR to make custom 5.56/223 rounds, at about 1/2 the cost, on top of the 5.56 rounds not even being available in the near future. So the extracted primer and the powder are all bonus from the project.

Ubya - 16-6-2020 at 02:44

as you said, the composition varies a lot, so finding the one solvent that can dissolve all of them seems hard.
i found a generic composition, lead syphate, antimony sulfide and barium nitrate.

you could use hot water or methanol, but the sulfide won't dissolve

XeonTheMGPony - 16-6-2020 at 04:42

The way the .22LR is primed will make this a head act no matter what way you go, with that said, I'd try would be a water ethanol solution warmed in an ultrasonic cleaner.

Dissolve the binder then vibrate out the rest, then evaporate as a batch, mix while still damp then store as such, remix befor using.

As for field expedient DIY primers they work, but naturally produces a less then ideal burn geometry inside the round, so you get wide spread in muzzle velocity, and accuracy spread.

The art of priming you want a good focused jet of hot gasses to start the powder burning in a nice outward symmetrical pattern, you want a smooth pressure curve as possible with a fast peak.

RogueRose - 16-6-2020 at 13:02

Quote: Originally posted by XeonTheMGPony  
The way the .22LR is primed will make this a head act no matter what way you go, with that said, I'd try would be a water ethanol solution warmed in an ultrasonic cleaner.

Dissolve the binder then vibrate out the rest, then evaporate as a batch, mix while still damp then store as such, remix befor using.

As for field expedient DIY primers they work, but naturally produces a less then ideal burn geometry inside the round, so you get wide spread in muzzle velocity, and accuracy spread.

The art of priming you want a good focused jet of hot gasses to start the powder burning in a nice outward symmetrical pattern, you want a smooth pressure curve as possible with a fast peak.


The ultrasonic cleaner is a great idea, I wish I had one. I decided to try just using hot water, put it in a soda bottle and give a good shaking every few mins. The water has turned a lime green and there is a fair amount of undissolved green powder. I'm actually kind of surprised at the amount in each shell. I've never looked at how rimfire primers work and it looks like a ball of damp primer is dropped in and then it's pressed so it is on the outer sides of the rim and up the side of the case about 4-6mm up the side.

XeonTheMGPony - 16-6-2020 at 16:39

yup or a mobile solution is dripped in and surface tension does the rest.