crimped primer pockets

[pistolman1974]

How do you remove or reduce the crimp in order to prime the brass?

what tools are needed?

[Keith E.]

Dillon Precision has a primer pocket swager or you can get the 1050 reloader which swages primer pockets as part of the reloading process. Both work as advertised.

Keith

[jmart]

Or a reamer (Hornady, Lyman).

[Paulinski]

RCBS also makes a primer pocket swager.

[markm]

I sold the Dillon Super swager in favor of the Hornady hand primer crimp removal tool. It's much cheaper and you don't have to adjust anything each time you switch brands of brass.

I do small amounts of brass (50 or less by hand), and big batches using the bit in my hand drill.

Even if you go with the over priced dillon, the hornady unit is worth having as a tool in your reloading kit. Midway USA has it. Every AR reloader should own one in my opinion.

[SuicideHz]

My friend just showed me his reloading steps and never removed the crimp. I always thought it was necessary but he's proving otherwise.

[markm]

Originally Posted by SuicideHz

My friend just showed me his reloading steps and never removed the crimp. I always thought it was necessary but he's proving otherwise.

What chu talking bout, Willis?

How is he getting the new primer in with out mashing it?

[jmart]

It depends on the cases, not all cases use a crimp.

And you can seat a new primer in a case that's not had the crimp removed, it just seats very hard and I always wonder about cracking the priming compound and compromising/destroying the new primer.

If it's a .mil case (LC, etc.), I ream the crimp out.

[SuicideHz]

Well with him it's probably dumb luck. He is reloading once died radway and using his turret press to deprime. He then uses a hand priming tool from lee.

[SuicideHz]

Well with him it's probably dumb luck. He is reloading once fired radway and using his 23 dollar single stage press to deprime. He then uses a hand priming tool from lee. Powder, bullet seating and crimping get done on his 3 stage progressive from lee.

I was over at his house this evening to see how he splits his chores between presses and setups.

[markm]

Originally Posted by SuicideHz

Well with him it's probably dumb luck. He is reloading once died radway and using his turret press to deprime. He then uses a hand priming tool from lee.

Hmmm.. Radway has a moderate crimp. I don't think it'd be so easy with a batch of Federal AE, LC brass. Shit! Even after I decrimp that stuff I still mash a few primers.

But, yes.. crimps vary from ammo to ammo.

[SuicideHz]

Originally Posted by demigod

Hmmm.. Radway has a moderate crimp. I don't think it'd be so easy with a batch of Federal AE, LC brass. Shit! Even after I decrimp that stuff I still mash a few primers.

But, yes.. crimps vary from ammo to ammo.

Good to hear becair we bought up a bunch of radway last summer and I've got at least 2K of the stuff!

[rockm4]

Originally Posted by pistolman1974

How do you remove or reduce the crimp in order to prime the brass?

what tools are needed?

I've played the sucker too.. And bought a couple of those decrimper dies also and after the ultra slow proses, I've gone back to the old hick way of using a counter sink drill bit and a cordless drill works for this old " billy". Just don't get carried away, it only takes a little to drill out all that you need too much and you'll ruin the pocket and blow out primers. Thus ruining the bolt face.Been there saw that and someone else got the tee shirt.

[markm]

Just buy the Hornady "bit"/cutter for like a whopping $7 and you can't over cut the primer pocket.

You can buy the whole kit or individual cutters (large primer/small primer) at midway.

[rmecapn]

I have reloaded LC brass without removing the crimp using a Dillon 550B. I did mangle a few primers (say about 1 out of 50 on average), but it beat the heck out of removing the crimp. It also removed the problem of having primer pockets that were too large after the crimp removal. I was using the Lyman pocket reamer.

My experience is that if you go slow and steady with the primer seating, you can get good flow on the 550 and not ruin many primers.

[markm]

Originally Posted by rmecapn

I have reloaded LC brass without removing the crimp using a Dillon 550B. I did mangle a few primers (say about 1 out of 50 on average), but it beat the heck out of removing the crimp. It also removed the problem of having primer pockets that were too large after the crimp removal. I was using the Lyman pocket reamer.

My experience is that if you go slow and steady with the primer seating, you can get good flow on the 550 and not ruin many primers.

Funny you should mention that. I primed like 10 misc. pieces of XM193c brass that I had fired for testing a few weeks back. None of them had the crimp removed, and like only one of them gave me any resistance.

Now I dare you to try it with the LC brass that AE 223 is loaded in. I end up smashing primers on brass that I HAVE removed the crimp on... 1 or 2 out of every hundred pieces. There's NO WAY you could get a primer in that brass without a crimp removal.

It's weird that the two crimps would be so dramatically different. Another strange thing with LC brass is that the XM193 brass stretches much faster than the AE223. I can easlily get 3 loadings from the AE lake city brass without trimming, whereas the XM193 is already starting to get out of spec after one firing and resizing!!

[rmecapn]

Originally Posted by demigod

... whereas the XM193 is already starting to get out of spec after one firing and resizing!!

That has been my experience, also. Which is why I've been contemplating getting a Dillon electric case trimmer for the sizing die. Up to this point in time, my only experience reloading LC brass has been with the XM193 cases. I only have 1K of AE and I haven't fired it yet.

[markm]

Originally Posted by rmecapn

I only have 1K of AE and I haven't fired it yet.

If it's loaded on LC brass, you'll be amazed at the difference.

[rockm4]

Originally Posted by demigod

Just buy the Hornady "bit"/cutter for like a whopping $7 and you can't over cut the primer pocket.

You can buy the whole kit or individual cutters (large primer/small primer) at midway.

Hornady, any better than RCBS and Lyman. I've dulled about 4 or 5 of each in 35 years or so.

[markm]

I don't know. I've only had the Hornady. I can't offer a comparison. I've done a few thousand rounds and it shows no sign of wear.