.223 Lake City Brass Primer Problems

[sparetime]

I am relatively new to reloading.

I am currently trying to reload some .223 Lake City Brass I purchased off Gunbroker. I understand the military brass has a crimp on the primer. I thought I could simply use a small primer pocket cleaning tool to clean out the primer pocket, but this doesn't seem to be the correct thing. I tried cleaning all the primer pockets, but I don't think I'm removing anything.

I am using a Lee Auto Prime to prime the cases, but I am having difficulty and suspect there is another step I need to take with the brass before priming. What is it?

 

[sparetime]

I think I'll answer most of my own question, I need a primer pocket swagging tool.

Any recommendations on which one to get. I have about 750 brass to do, and expect to use it again in the future.

 

[whiskey08]

you are correct, at the very top of the primer pocket is a thin ring (crimp) that needs to be removed with a reamer. there are some decrimpers that punch it out or the hand held reamer which i always used.

http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/BrowseProducts.aspx?pageNum=1&tabId=1&categoryId=8937&categoryString=9315***731***695***

 

[DoubleUp]

Works good and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=501588

 

[fivering]

Get yourself a Dillon Primer Pocket swager and solve your problem. It has swager for both large and small primer pockets, is extremely well made and will last for a lifetime.
Reaming the pockets leaves a large portion of the sides of the primer unsupported.
Military brass run through the Dillon tool prime as easily as civilian brass.
The Dillon is much faster and does a better job than the press mounted tools.

 

[ChuckMiller]

Swage 750pcs of mil brass?? Why don't you just get someone to stab you in the eye with a screwdriver, it'll feel about the same. Send it to this guy and be done with it. I've owned both the Dillon and RCBS swagers before I tried this guy, sold them both on Ebay.

http://www.custombrassprocessing.com/index.html

 

[Rookie]

Get yourself a Dillon Primer Pocket swager and solve your problem. It has swager for both large and small primer pockets, is extremely well made and will last for a lifetime.
Reaming the pockets leaves a large portion of the sides of the primer unsupported.
Military brass run through the Dillon tool prime as easily as civilian brass.
The Dillon is much faster and does a better job than the press mounted tools.

+1

 

[jonbearman]

The dillon doesnt work right.It doesnt move enough of the crimp out of the way.I still end up cutting a small chamfer to make the primer seat without a hydraulic press.It is the only dillon piece that doesnt work very well.Now I chuck up a wilson case deburr in a drill and chamfer the military crap.

 

[fdshuster]

If you already have a Forster case trimmer, they make a cutter to remove the crimp from military brass. Shown in Midway catalog #33, page 321, lower left corner, "Primer Pocket Chamfering Tool". Hand held cutters are also available from Lyman and others. I prefer to cut them out rather than swage.

 

[fivering]

You can adjust the swager on the Dillon to go deeper.

 

[tomj44]

You can adjust the swager on the Dillon to go deeper.

You sure can. You can adjust too far and destroy the primer pocket and bend the rods.

 

[fivering]

Well of course you can, and you can do the same thing with the wrong setting of a decapping rod, a little common sense is called for!

Since the swager is backed up by a rod on the other side of the cartridge web, sometimes you need to tweek the adjustment of the swager between years or brands of military brass, as the web can be of different thickness.

 

[treeman]

wilson makes a reamer for the pockets that is intended to be used with a wilson tool but I have used it by hand with good results the difference in "feel" of seating primers after useing this is amazing.

Treeman

 

[andre3k]

the dillon works fine as long as you read the directions and adjust it properly.

 

[Travelor]

The Dillon primer pocket swager is the best thing since sliced bread for removing the crimp from military primer pockets.

I would not even attempt to do job this without my Dillon. I have the RCBS tool and it is junk in my experience.

Some people are using their inside neck chambering tool to remove the crimp with success.

George

 

[lightman]

I agree with the guys who cut the crimp out. I have used several tools over the years,but the one that I like best is the Wilson. I also take the knob off and use it in a drill. I have both the RCBS and Dillon swaging tools. The Dillon works the best,but requires readjusting sometime,for different brands of brass. If cost is a factor,your deburring tool will work,or a common 45 degree countersink works ok.I have never noticed the unsupported part of the primer to cause problems. Lightman

 

[Martin S]

Try one of these. I have one and it does a good job. It takes all the work out of prepping brass.
MartinS

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_10202398_999045519_425000000_999045517?hvarAID=shopping_shoppingdotcom

 

[xr650rRider]

I've used swagers and reamers and the RCBS power station.............CUT YOUR LOSSES and buy new Lake City brass that isn't crimped especially if your loading on a progressive.

I paid nearly 2x what Natchez sells it for and it was absolutely worth it unless you enjoy sore fingers.

http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=FA556UPB&src=tpCtg

 

[Martin S]

I did away with sore fingers by using a cotton glove with rubber dots on the fingers. I really like my work station.

Martin

 

[xr650rRider]

I like the case prep center for other things but processing crimped .223 isn't one of them. I processed 3000 cases and I swore never again. I used the reamer and small rifle primer pocket uniformer and on about 45% of them it would stall the motor. Still hard to seat primers on some of the cases. Bought 3000 new cases and will throw any crimped cases in the scrap bucket.