Is deburring the flash hole necessary/helpful for lapua small rifle cases?

[Cassidy]

My understanding is lapua 6.5x47 cases, and I think all lapua cases, have their flash holes drilled, not punched, meaning there is almost no (I think) likelihood that a burr would form in the drilled flash hole like it can for other cases whose flash holes are punched. Since I am having difficulty finding (for sale) a small rifle-sized primer pocket flash hole deburring tool (they are available for large rifle sized flash holes; I have one for my 308, but it is too large for the smaller diameter small rifle flash hole for my 6.5x47 cases), this suggests to me that deburring small rifle flash holes like for my lapua 6.5x47 might not be necessary, and might not be done by many.

Please tell me if it is advisable for me to deburr the flash hole in my 6.5xx47 lapua cases, and if so, where do I get a deburring tool that will fit the smaller flash hole in this case.

Cassidy

 

[kelbro]

Used lots of Lapua brass. Never had a flash hole burr to worry about.

 

[jo191145]

I've never been foolish enough to mess with perfection either ;D

 

[fpskills]

This is the one I've got.

https://www.kmshooting.com/catalog/flash-hole-uniformer-tools/flash-hole-uniformer_professional-ppc_0062.html

It has a lot of dust on it though. I bought it thinking I would eventually run across a case with a burr... But I haven't. Maybe I missed one here or there but I've never noticed anything on target. With Lapua or even Norma brass I think it's one of those "feel good" things. I've used Lapua in .223,.243,.6br,.6.5x47L and never a problem.

Adam

 

[Forum Boss]

Lapua flash holes are not drilled. There is a punch that comes from the top and meets another metal unit that comes from the bottom. I check flash-holes for a little "quarter-moon" sliver of brass that sometimes appears. Otherwise I don't touch the flash holes.

I maybe see something like this in a few cases per hundred. My last box of Lapua 6BR brass had no issues. Do you need to mess with your flash-holes? We have seen no accuracy advantage to flash hole reaming, and one problem is that many of the tools have oversize bits. Read:

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2012/12/flash-hole-first-aid-removing-flash-hole-obstructions/

 

[BigDMT]

Never hurts to check em with a reamer tool. Better safe than sorry if competing with the rifle.

I just bought PPC size flash hole reamer from 21st Century. Also going to be used on a 6.5x47L with Lapua brass. Think it was about $25.

 

[Steve Blair]

I've never been foolish enough to mess with perfection either ;D

[br]
All things made by men will fail, even those of brick and mortar. I was in manufacturing a long time and nothing is perfect. I prep 200-500 Lapua cases per lot, several times per year. I've seen a variety of manufacturing problems and brought them to Lapua's attention. What sets Lapua apart from most other manufacturers is the low incidence of significant flaws, not the absence. They do occasionally have flakes at the flash hole that should be removed before firing. [br]
The only cases I've seen with no flash hole problems are Norma WSM cases. The holes are drilled and the inside uniformed. No need to touch them.

 

[82boy]

As mentioned Lapua flash holes are punched out. Most people don't mess with Lapua flash holes, and for the most part lapua brass is the best brass on the market. (There is a big debate if the flash holes should be reamed or not.) I have had a few lots of Lapua brass that was worse than others and had some nasty looking flash holes. A small flash hole reamer (.062) is not a hard tool to find many makers offers such a tool. Sinclair offers 3 different types of their small flash hole reamers on top or other makers such as Redding.
http://www.sinclairintl.com/reloading-equipment/case-preparation/flash-hole-deburring-tools/index.htm

PS. Posson Hollow makes a great small flash hole reamer.

 

[LCazador]

I've never been foolish enough to mess with perfection either ;D

[br]
All things made by men will fail, even those of brick and mortar. I was in manufacturing a long time and nothing is perfect. I prep 200-500 Lapua cases per lot, several times per year. I've seen a variety of manufacturing problems and brought them to Lapua's attention. What sets Lapua apart from most other manufacturers is the low incidence of significant flaws, not the absence. They do occasionally have flakes at the flash hole that should be removed before firing. [br]
The only cases I've seen with no flash hole problems are Norma WSM cases. The holes are drilled and the inside uniformed. No need to touch them.

Amen , here ! Nothing is perfect ! Here's some of the problems I've encountered with Lapua cases lately , and I have also brought these issues to their attention . Flash holes that are only partial or have eratic configuration . Rims that are thicker on one side than the other or just plain thicker than the rest of the lot . Split necks or slits in shoulders . Nothing is perfect !!!

 

[Forum Boss]

Never hurts to check em with a reamer tool.

The problem is that most of the reamer tools on the market are NOT sold with bit sizes you can have confidence in. The Lapua Flash hole spec is 1.5mm which = 0.059. I've seen a Possum Hollow unit that cut to 0.067, a K&M that cut to 0.068 etc. When I reamed 6BR flash-holes with that 0.068 K&M tool, pressure went up slightly, and my ES rose. YMMV.

Additionally, with the tools that come from the inside and cut a counter-sink hole on the inside it is very easy to over cut the brass, or remove brass inconsistently from case to case.

Apart from knocking out obstructions (easily done with a constant diameter bit in a pin vise), I'm convinced some that people are NOT doing themselves any favors by messing around with flash holes with tools that are generally NOT the 0.0625 as claimed.

 

[LHSmith]

This has been experimented with. Jack Neary, a World Team (short range) BR member, had Tony Boyer ( holder of the most points in the BR Hall of Fame) shoot a rail gun in a tunnel (Darryl Lokar's of PA) and found the best groups (100 yds) were produced by undisturbed flashholes... this was using Lapua brass.
I also agree it still would not hurt to give the cases a quick visual inspection if one is shooting competition.

 

[Cassidy]

Your replies are great! This is the info from you all I was looking for.

Cassidy

 

[mikecr]

So Cassidy,, you understand that Lapua flash holes are punched, and Norma flash holes are drilled right?
And that even popular brass like Lapua has lots that are better or worse than other lots, and with occasional flaws?
If you understand this, then you gained a piece of reality that many others deny, or undermine with assumptions.

Lapua is my go-to brass where possible. But I see it's quality(by my standards) go up/down by lots. I have also seen brass for cartridges not offered by Lapua that was better overall than any I've seen from Lapua.
IMO, regardless of brand, our best brass is what we choose and make of it.
That is, with enough measured pieces of a given cartridge, you could pick out 100 flawless cases of Federal, or even remington brass.

 

[LHSmith]

That is, with enough measured pieces of a given cartridge, you could pick out 100 flawless cases of Federal, or even remington brass.

No matter how perfect the Federal or Remington brass is.......it still will not take the pressures seen in competition.

 

[johara1]

It is a punch and a die,not a punch and a punch. you can buy a a.0625 reamer.but you will find some flash holes are larger,but the .0625 reamer will get 99% of them...... jim

 

[BigDMT]

That is, with enough measured pieces of a given cartridge, you could pick out 100 flawless cases of Federal, or even remington brass.

It would take you 20 years to find 100 "flawless" Remington cases

Remington makes the worst brass BY A LONG SHOT!

 

[Steve Blair]

No matter how perfect the Federal or Remington brass is.......it still will not take the pressures seen in competition.

[br]
David Bailey used Remington .280 R brass to win the F-Class national championship. I doubt they were wimpy loads. I've used Remington 6mm R brass in F-Class with no pressure-related issues. My load was driving Berger 105 Hybrids at 3400 fps from 32". Not a low pressure load. The brass has been fired five times and appears ready for the sixth. Now, I did cull ~50% of the cases to get that lot of 200, but those were dimensional problems unrelated to pressure handling.

 

[LHSmith]

gator-I should have said that Federal and Remington brass cannot be loaded safely to the pressure levels of Lapua brass.