Anyone know if you can recycle spent primers like you can old brass shells?

Sure, pack them full of Tannerite and your good to go or C4 if you can find it. On a serious note it very well may come to this soon enough,

following closely...

I deprime my brass with a hand tool so all of mine are in a neat little tube so I've been recycling these. I assumed it's ok until I read your question. Now I'm not sure.

I don't see how. The firing pin makes a dimple into the metal, weakening the metal in that area. To "reuse" the primer, you would have to flatten out the area from the previous impact. this would create a weak point from a second strike. That's not counting messing with the anvil and such. I don't see how it could work.

I thought he literally meant "recycle" the material. I throw mine away in my recycling bin.

Oh geez, i'd be scared to try that, UB. I get it but I'm just too much of a wuss. Also, i only reload precise rifle so this seems like a great way to introduce inaccuracy. However, I would love to make some of those exploding caps.

Oh noooo... I meant to ask if the metal can be cashed in for recycling. I would never re-charge them!

I've taken many a jug filled with spent primers to the local recycle center with no issue.

Dude, u have enough spent primers to be worth the effort?

Yep. I wasn't advocating it, or saying that I was going to do it...just saying that it can be done.

I have about 25 LBS of them

I saw that video some time ago. I had to know... I have no idea what kind of pressure they generated and in no way am I claiming it was safe. My azzhole was twitching on the first one but A wheel full of low power starting load .38’s later through my 357 and they all worked. Tedious process

I use them for slingshot ammo.

But can you reload them, the answer is yes, during WWII there was a public works manual that explained it I had that manual at one time, may still have it in my junk room. A brief guide from memory, pop the anvil off with a small screwdriver, Use a flat punch to remove the firing pin dimple. Using powder from matches to make the powder. At this point I am not sure, it has been a few years since I saw the booklet. But in my head I think you wet the match powder, add some to the primer slurry and replace the anvil. Let it dry.

I got the booklet from my grandpa, who served in WWI, I remember him talking about primer and powder shortages during WWII and how they recycled primers. I will add that the match powder is dangerous, and can hurt you if you pluck the wrong thing. Wear safety glasses, and gloves.

Well I had only intended to see if I could recycle the spent primers for scrap metal purposes. I would have never guessed that they could be recharged and reused.

I'll file this for whenever we get to the point that new primers are no longer an option.

Holy spent-primers, batman! That's a bunch. De-priming a 100pcs fills up this little tube catcher. I can't imagine how many I'd need for 25lbs.

I bought some stuff to store away in the event I had to re-use these guys some day.

I figure I have plenty of brass with primers to use if ever it comes to having to reuse them. I'll cash in on the metal value of the ones I already have extracted. Might pay for some extra bullets or powder when I can find it

Well shoot I’ll take some large rifle primers! I want to try this match experiment, I watched the video a few months ago and thought I’d try it.