prepping LC brass primer pockets

[ordnancemarine]

Can anyone recommend a good consistent way to prep the primer pockets on m118 special ball LC ammo. I want to know if some one has a method that will prep them and what tools are you using. I was thinking about getting the dillon swagging tool, the super swag 600. Any thoughts?

 

[JohnWayne]

I've had great results with the dillon tool for .308 and .223. It's alot cleaner to use than the reamer type tools, no shavings.

 

[nfhjr62]

Have the RCBS primer pocket swedge tool works real well, but just a little slow

 

[2506]

If you are really going to prep those cases to the full by removing the crimp and squaring the bottom of the primer cup and deburring the inside the case flash hole burrs. Get a RCBS power trim mate case prep center. You can put the crimp remover in one station the pocket uniformer in another and the inside the case deburring tool in another and get all three operations done quick. You will have to trim all your cases the same first. If you do a lot of military cases this RCBS prep center is worth it's weight in gold.

 

[Rustystud]

A 45 degree neck deburing tool can be used to remove the primer pocket swage. Just deprime cases and chamfer the pocket edges with the deburing tool. If you have a lot put the deburing tool in an drill, drill press or lathe. It only takes a few seconds. I have done tens of thousands this way. Don't take to much, just chamfer the pocket.

Nat Lambeth

 

[Travelor]

Are the M118LR primer pockets crimped?

I thought they were not.

If I am right, all I would do is use a primer pocket depth uniforming tool and shoot.

 

[ordnancemarine]

Well maybe not crimped, however they are close to impossible to get a primer in there unless you use a primer pocket uniformer. I have one that goes in the chuck of a power drill and it is a pain in the ass to use. My dumb ass cut my my hand using it and I got fed up. I'm just looking for a more consistent way to get this things ready to reload. Will the Dillon or the RCBS tool do the trick, or should I just invest in leather gloves, suck it up and just use the primer pocket uniformer bit that has been the bane of my existence?

 

[Cheechako]

M118 is not crimped

M118 SB is crimped

M118 LR is not crimped

There is no way to tell an empty M118 SB case from any other empty 7.62x51 case. So your cases could be from any of the various combat rounds, and not a Match case.

Ray

 

[lightman]

I have used the RCBS and the Dillon tools and they both work, with mixed results.I guess the crimp is not the same on all cases! I get better results using a cordless drill and a 45 degree countersink to cut the crimp out. Swadging only moves the crimp someplace else, while a countersink makes it dissapear. It does not have to be perfectly consistant, as long as you can seat the primer consistantly.Yeah, it is a little messy, I usually use a large plastic bowl to catch the shavings in, much like Grandma did when shelling peas! Good Shooting!

 

[MikeyG]

I don't have brass with crimped primers so can't comment on that. To uniform primer pockets I use a Sinclair primer pocket uniforming tool in a cordless drill.

I've found turning the tool by hand leaves toolling marks in the primer pocket so I use the drill. I've also found stopping the drill then removing the case leaves a ledge in the bottom of the primer pocket so I pull the case away from the drill with the drill still turning.

To get around the shavings problem I do this sitting in a deck chair on the local range between shoots.

 

[ordnancemarine]

cheechaco, I am using M118 special ball. I got an entire ammo can full of them,lucky me!), all from the same lot. So, what I am doing is firing the cartridges then separating the cases by weight,after I have de primed, trimmed, cleaned and resized), so I can use them at long ranges,600 -1000 yards). sounds like there are a few different ways to approach this.

 

[Cheechako]

You can confirm that the cartridges are M118 SB by pulling a bullet. It will be a 172 grain BT. The headstamp will have the LC, year of manufacture, and the NATO symbol,+).

The M118 SB was technically considered a sniping cartridge and was loaded to the same specs as the Match ammunition. So, it should be a good accurate long range cartridge in its own right. The only reason the primers were crimped was because the ammunition was intended for combat situations, as compared with pure competition where things such as crimps and waterproofing are not wanted.

The current sniper/match/combat round is the M118 LR which is loaded with the 175 grain SMK.

Ray