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Is unprimed the same as once fired?

kukoo
hello all.
i am trying to find out the answer to a question that the British home office has asked me. I am wanting to buy around 20.000 to 30.000 once fired 9mm brass casings to use in artwork.
I have asked my home office if i need a license to import these from the USA they said if they are unprimed then i do not need a license or any permits to import from USA.
So if someone out there could put me straight with the question
ARE UNPRIMED BRASS CASINGS THE SAME AS ONCE FIRED?

that would be really helpful.

many thanks.

peter

Moved to appropriate forum
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Comments

5 comments

Date Votes
  • timhill100
    in my opion once fired means the old primer is still in the case, unprimed could mean new brass or any number they are fired but the case has been resized and the primer knocked out
    hope that helps
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  • Laredo Lefty
    I suspect the powers to be are concerned that they might have "live" primers in them. If the casing have "spent" primers or no primers at all then they are considered unprimed brass.
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  • RCrosby
    If weren't for the legal implications I'd certainly feel comfortable saying that, yes, unprimed typically means NO primer, Once fired can be unprimed or still having the original, spent primer. Functionally (logically) unprimed and once fired should be the same BUT, under the circumstances you need an opinion, preferably in writing, from the enforcing agency that could put you in jail or fine you heavily for an infraction of the law. (i.e. not my opinion, or anyone elses, about what makes sense to us)
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  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by kukoo
    hello all.
    i am trying to find out the answer to a question that the British home office has asked me. I am wanting to buy around 20.000 to 30.000 once fired 9mm brass casings to use in artwork.
    I have asked my home office if i need a license to import these from the USA they said if they are unprimed then i do not need a license or any permits to import from USA.
    So if someone out there could put me straight with the question
    ARE UNPRIMED BRASS CASINGS THE SAME AS ONCE FIRED?

    that would be really helpful.

    many thanks.

    peter

    Moved to appropriate forum

    Not exactly.

    "Once fired" means exactly that. . .the cartridges were fired one time only. These will almost certainly contain spent primers.

    Apart from "brand new/never loaded", "once fired" is the sort of brass that ammunition reloaders cherish most.

    "Unprimed" implies that the cartridges don't contain primers at all.

    So that could mean either brand new brass cartridges that were never primed, or alternatively, used cartridges that have had the spent primers knocked out (or "decapped" to use the reloaders parlance).

    In some cases, sellers might use the term "unprimed" just to mean used cartridges with spent primers in place (ie the same as "once loaded" or "twice loaded" or "who knows how many times loaded"), though that isn't technically 100% correct.

    In any case, I think Laredo lefty has it. Live primers are not only potentially dangerous in shipping (they pose a small explosive hazard) but in some jurisdictions they are highly restricted or prohibited.

    Your gov't (eg "home office") probably just wants to make sure you aren't importing live primers into the country, either because they're hazardous, or because they don't trust you with them (or likely both).

    I can't imagine why they would care if you were importing spent primers. . .those aren't reusable (or at least not in any cost-effective way), they aren't particularly hazardous, and they're effectively junk.

    Assuming this is the case, neither "unprimed brass" nor "once fired brass" should contain live primers.
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  • babun
    There is also the point of "once fired" being USED. Importing "new"
    brass must have different duties asset. Bob
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