Crimping vs Cutting Primer Pockets

[Wolfdog91]

So when it comes to prepping crimped primer pockets ( right now it's lake City brass) have y'all seen much of a difference in your groups when you go from one method of removing crimps to the other ?
I've been cutting them out with with one of the little fellas that screw into you brass prep station but I just got a lee ram swage and like it alot more lol.

So what's the chance it will cause some crazy shifts?

 

[JB10]

I have never paid attention. Ive done it both ways but mixed the brass all together. Used to mainly be for an AR untill i started using some for bolt actions. Any more ive been in the habit of just cutting the crimp out.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I don’t see how it would make a difference.

 

[ISS]

Where does the crimp you swage go? I see it on my floor when I cut the crimp out.

ISS

 

[Mark611]

It displaces the brass, it does not remove the material, I tried to use a swaging tool to remove the crimp I did not like the results, also a PITA!!!! I purchased a tool for prep station and chucked it up in a drill and just cut the crimp out!! I collected range brass for years and finally got around to prepping it last year and decided it's too time consuming, so I just buy new Starline and be done with it!

 

[Fuj]

I found swaging to be hit or miss with brass hardness. Some
would peel off a ring then hammer it into the bottom of the
pocket. It was an inspect every pocket deal. Went back to
cutting, then stopped wasting my time all together with any
crimped brass.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I like the swagger ok. Get one of the primer pocket go-no go gauges, just keep trying the swag in small increments till the go gauge will first slip in. It doesn’t take much and it will push crimp to a nice looking bevel.

 

[jpx2rk]

I've used both, only on 556/223 ammo and prefer the swage method which easier on the hands IMO. I also use the primer pocket go/no go gauge mentioned above.

 

[ASbobcat]

So when it comes to prepping crimped primer pockets ( right now it's lake City brass) have y'all seen much of a difference in your groups when you go from one method of removing crimps to the other ?
I've been cutting them out with with one of the little fellas that screw into you brass prep station but I just got a lee ram swage and like it alot more lol.

So what's the chance it will cause some crazy shifts?

Should not have any effect on accuracy BUT,

Cutting pockets is the worst solution because it removes material from the case head.

Swaging work hardens the case head, much like double stamping, and improves strength/durability of primer pockets.
Someone asked "where does the brass go when you swage?". It is compressed into the case case head. That's where the work hardening occurs.

Swaging can also tell you if your pocket is GO/No GO. It the punch sticks, you're GO. If it doesn't, NO-GO.

 

[ebb]

Where does the brass go? Back where it came from!

 

[ASbobcat]

Where does the brass go? Back where it came from!

Exactly Grasshopper!

 

[DR1586]

In my experience swaging will yield tighter primer pockets. Cutting with a countersink will make priming super easy. I prefer swaying with a bench-mounted tool. As far as accuracy, it matters none whatsoever.

 

[DDRanch]

I let my Dillon S 1050 swage the primer pockets

 

[markm87]

Tried both ways, and got rid of my super swager pretty quickly. Ruining brass was deal breaker.

I read a post here years back that said the case hardening was BS, and the guy saw no more life out of the brass even with swaging. Not sure if that's true, but cutting is fast and easy for me, and I can't "over do" it and ruin a primer pocket.

 

[searcher]

I too have done it both ways and had used a multitude of swagers. A few months back, I was getting ready to process a large batch of LC brass into .20 Practical. I happened to be on Amazon and ran across a pair of pocket cutters sold as a set for something like $25.00(?). I doubt I'll use my swagers again. They cut to just the right depth and with much more uniformity than is attainable with a swager. I like it.

edit: Just went to order another set for a friend - the cost is $17.95.

 

[markm87]

I'm going to be cutting crimps on these for weeks. Half way through the decap phase.

 

[markm87]

Good Lord. I'm one gallon into this brass crimp removal and am about to go Jack Nicholson from "The Shining".