No need to remove staked crimp on newer LC brass?

[Berger.Fan222]

A buddy scored a bunch of newer LC once fired brass (5.56mm) with a squarish staked crimp rather than the circular crimp that I am used to. Working together to prep it, we noticed that newer crimp seemed to leave more room for the uniforming tool, so we just tried seating primers without removing the crimp, and much to our delight, the primers seated just fine.

Given the quantity of brass involved, we'd love to just load them up without removing the crimps. The goal is good quality AR ammo, not 0.5 MOA bolt gun ammo. (That's why God created Lapua.) Seating the primers requires a bit more force than usual, but nothing excessive like the older round crimp that has not been properly removed. So what are our risks of just leaving the crimps in place? We're thinking it may even reduce the occasional primer getting loose in an AR action and delay loose primer pockets if this brass gets used with hotter loads.

Thoughts and opinions?

 

[alb]

I've recently processed about 700 such cases, and found it to be hit or miss; many of them exhibited the behavior that you witnessed, but it wasn't universal. The 'Swage Gauge' primer pocket go/no go gauge sold by Ballistic Tools is very handy in this instance.

 

[Ron Blain]

So what are our risks of just leaving the crimps in place? We're thinking it may even reduce the occasional primer getting loose in an AR action and delay loose primer pockets if this brass gets used with hotter loads.

I remove crimps to allow seating a primer. If I can seat primers without removing the crimp then all the better. I wouldn't worry about it.

Ron

 

[243winxb]

If crimp is not removed-
Primer can kaboom in a progressive press, or maybe even a single press.

In an AR rifle, high primer, may cause a slam fire.
www.photobucket.com/kabooom

 

[johnfred1965]

I'm thinking that leaving that stake burr on the pocket could gouge the primer going in, and leaving a weak spot for gas to escape on firing. Might watch for gas cutting on the bolt face. Just a thought, not experience.

 

[johnfred1965]

If crimp is not removed-
Primer can kaboom in a progressive press, or maybe even a single press.

In an AR rifle, high primer, may cause a slam fire.
http://s338.photobucket.com/user/joe1944usa/slideshow/Firearms and Reloading/KABOOM

243, is this a personal photo? I load a bunch of crimped 9mm on a Dillion, guess I better watch myself!

 

[243winxb]

243, is this a personal photo? I load a bunch of crimped 9mm on a Dillion, guess I better watch myself!

No , not my personal experience. . Internet photo. There are others, not mine.

I have been lucky when i slammed the jammed primer feed on my RL450 Dillon years ago.

The problem with a progressive , is transfering the primer from tube to seating plunger. When it jams, if forced, the primer can fire.

Smashing a primer into a pocket should not go off, unless to much force is used.

 

[Boyd L.]

A buddy scored a bunch of newer LC once fired brass (5.56mm) with a squarish staked crimp rather than the circular crimp that I am used to. Working together to prep it, we noticed that newer crimp seemed to leave more room for the uniforming tool, so we just tried seating primers without removing the crimp, and much to our delight, the primers seated just fine.

Given the quantity of brass involved, we'd love to just load them up without removing the crimps. The goal is good quality AR ammo, not 0.5 MOA bolt gun ammo. (That's why God created Lapua.) Seating the primers requires a bit more force than usual, but nothing excessive like the older round crimp that has not been properly removed. So what are our risks of just leaving the crimps in place? We're thinking it may even reduce the occasional primer getting loose in an AR action and delay loose primer pockets if this brass gets used with hotter loads.

Thoughts and opinions?

The few I've primed have a "feel" that I am not comfortable with. I can't speak to specific safety issues, but all the same I'll remove the crimps/staking, just to be safe.

 

[jepp2]

Seating the primers requires a bit more force than usual, but nothing excessive like the older round crimp that has not been properly removed.

You really answered your own question.

I bought 2K of LC 11 with those staked crimps. I swaged them all and they now are perfectly normal on primer seating. As mentioned by others, any time you are "forcing" primers into pockets, you are going to have issues. Removing the crimp is a one time operation good for the rest of the life of the brass.

 

[243winxb]

indexed to the next stage to drop powder and flare the case when I heard a primer pop and then a loud bang.

http://forum.pafoa.org/showthread.php?t=244584
LNL AP Explosion/fire. May have to join forum to see all photos. Not the photo above, different.

 

[Shaggy357]

You may have 95% of the primers seat just fine. It is the 5% that don't seat right that you have to worry about. For me, it is easier to remove the crimp. The crimp like shown can be a little harder to remove depending on what you are using to remove it. Some of the "cutters" catch the entire stake....fully round crimp they cut fine. I think I used a swage type crimp remover on those style the last time.

I have three Dillon progressives. Less than 20% of my primers are installed with the press. Anything going in competition ammo or hunting ammo have primers seated with the Lee Priming tool where I can feel the primer seat and then quality check it before going on. Not saying the press is not capable of doing a great priming job. Even one high primer, or flipped primer, or crushed primer is too much when you are depending on the ammo. I loaded up 400 6TCU the other night and had one primer flip even with the Lee. But since I was immediately checking, I culled it out for a later removal. On the progressive, it would have been fully loaded and likely headed for the ammo box before I found it. Not a big deal with plinking ammo. Big deal tho if I was loading a 30 round magazine and missed seeing it.......

 

[Jdne5b]

I still swage them on a 1050. I much prefer the older style crimp.