Enlarging the 308win flash hole??

[eric32]

First of i am new to this forums so far alot of good reading, i tried to use the all mighty SEARCH function but came up empty. I do have experience reloading but this time i have come across something that i cant find a clear answer on. I have some Winchester brass and the flash hole have some funny shapes to them.

Would enlarging a flash hole with a drill bit hurt in anyway shape or form?

if so would like to find out a better way of getting a more circular flash hole out of the brass?

 

[TonyR]

There are tools that uniform flash holes, one size each for large and small rifle primers. The K7M is a good one. They don't enlarge the flash hole as much as they make them all the same. These tools are of the correct diameter and have a guide that keeps the hole straight.

 

[eric32]

Could you please direct me where I can find this K7M tool at it would help a lot thanks for your advise.


I figured it out but this tool seems to just ream the inside part of the primer pocket with in the case. What do you with the hole on the outside of the case with direct contact with the primer?

 

[Keith Glasscock]

Eric,

Before you do too much to the flash holes, try cutting the primer pockets to the proper depth. Both of my last two batches of Win brass had primer pockets so short that some primers could not be seated flush. I noticed the same flash hole irregularities, but they got pretty round by the time I got the pockets to depth.

I also debur my flash holes quite agressively in Win brass. Either I'm living right, or it is working because I'm getting good ES and SD with just about everything I put through the cases.

 

[necchi]

No, you don't wanna make'm bigger, let's too much pressure come backwords and will wearout the brass faster.
Inside Flash hole Uniforming tool;
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/729748/lyman-flash-hole-uniformer-tool

They "punch" those holes, sometime there can be a little brass left inside. This tool helps remove the stuff and makes all the holes the same (unless they're too large already)

Unlike Busdriver I'm not too aggressive with this tool, I just want to clean'm up and not chamfer too much out of the inside. If I feel a burr I cut it out till the tool runs smooth.

 

[eric32]

so i am understanding about the inside of case flash hole. but what do i do about the outside flash hole being not perfectly circular when looking from the primer pocket side of the case.

 

[TonyR]

Could you please direct me where I can find this K7M tool at it would help a lot thanks for your advise.


I figured it out but this tool seems to just ream the inside part of the primer pocket with in the case. What do you with the hole on the outside of the case with direct contact with the primer?

There a number of suppliers. Here is a link to a Forum advertiser:

http://www.precisionreloading.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=PRE&Category_Code=K_M_PROD

 

[Keith Glasscock]

Eric,

They seem to shoot just fine with out of round flash holes. Maybe nothing?

 

[TonyR]

Uniforming flash holes and primer pockets is probably one of those things that falls in the catagory of "Leave no stone unturned." It probably means more if you are in situation that demands the utmost precision. I feel that the F-Class Long Range targets do so I uniform both. It also may depend on the quality of brass you start with. I have some RWS and Lapua that don't seem to need it much because the tools remove next to nothing whereas I have had cases from other manufacturers where I needed a wrench to turn the flash hole uniformer.

 

[eric32]

thanks everyone for all the replies i will take what i learned from yall and see where it takes me

 

[XTR]

To me the single most tedious activity in reloading is the initial prep on my brass (I use Win not Lapua) Uniforming the primer pockets and cleaning up the flash holes is just drool on yourself mind numbing tedium, but I do it for every case before I load it the first time.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

Same here - it is time consuming, I did 250 cases a few weeks ago. Sizing, primer pockets, trimming, flash holes, and neck turning (just a cleanup) took several 8 hour sessions....

 

[ronsroom1]

It's K & M .........................not.................K7M..........

Could you please direct me where I can find this K7M tool at it would help a lot thanks for your advise.


I figured it out but this tool seems to just ream the inside part of the primer pocket with in the case. What do you with the hole on the outside of the case with direct contact with the primer?