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Primer pocket depth issue...

bobinpa

Gold $$ Contributor
My primers are protruding significantly out of new ADG brass. Is this common?

It is new 338 RUM brass. I am using Remington 9 1/2 M primers. I also tried Federal 215 primers, which aren't as bad but still protrude.

My measurements using only a caliper are.

Remington Primers .134 - .135
Federal primers .128 - .129
Primer pocket depth on the brass is .127 - .128

I always thought that uniforming primer pockets was a preference and not usually a necessity. Meaning, I don't think most guys buy brass and assume they will have to correct the primer pockets. I'm sure some shooters just assume the primer pockets will be usable as is. I would assume the average guy just reloads new brass and goes with it...

What do you guys typically see?

Thanks in advance for your input!
 
Seat primers with an RCBS Ram prime, on a press.

I smashed some sp into 38 special brass, with very shallow pockets. All fired with no issues.
I did buy a depth uniformer later, a Redding. Now i use it to clean the primer pockets.

SAAMI Standards -- 1559664126328.png
 
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It is likely you are not setting the anvil properly. Both your case and primer are within specification.
 
If the manufacturer says "that is normal" or otherwise won't help you, you can buy some very good cutters really cheaply on Amazon. They are called "Burstfire" and comes in a two-cutter set (lg and sm) for about $18.00. They work much better than the price would suggest. I chuck them directly into my drill. Good luck.
 
Just to be clear, I do have a primer pocket uniformer from 21st Century and I do uniform primer pockets on some rifles, just not all of them.
The reason for the post is that I thought this was excessive and I am curious what others have seen.
 
Seat primers with an RCBS Ram prime, on a press.

I smashed some sp into 38 special brass, with very shallow pockets. All fired with no issues.
I did buy a depth uniformer later, a Redding. Now i use it to clean the primer pockets.

SAAMI Standards --
Thank you for the SAAMI specs. I don't want to get into smashing primers to seat them . To me that doesn't seem precise or repeatable.
 
I have had the same issue with 6.5 CM SRP brass. Even with a good crush, the primers set proud by several thousandths.
 
How are you measuring the primer height? Are you including the protrusion of the anvil?

Personally I'd rather a pocket be too shallow(fixable) as opposed to too deep!

Frank
Just because a primer pocket is shallow doesn't necessarily mean it's thicker. It could be just as thin there as a normal pocket and not produced in the correct depth.
 
It is very possible that for whatever reason ; the bottom corner of the pocket has a Radius in it that shouldn't be there , or one that is larger than it should be .
I shoot only Lapua SRP and even they have a small radius in the bottom corner of the primer pocket . Since I clean the pockets as part of my reloading process , I saw very quickly that the tool was cutting ever so slightly into the corner radius . It didn't have any effect on the primer detonating , so I don't pay any attention to it , but it may be something to look at .
 
I get a little head compression on AR fired 22 Nosler brass.
Near Max loads and the head swells in the bevel area.

After a few firings the pocket needs to be re trimmed.
So, I touch the pocket with a carbide trimmer to clean out carbon and trim.
 
Could you explain what you mean by setting the anvil? I've never heard of that...

The anvil is set in the cup above and not in contact with the primer compound. When seating the primer in the pocket you "crush the anvil into contact with the compound so that when the firing pin strikes the anvil compound is in contact with the anvil. EDIT: Don't put much into the very last pic that shows too deep. Bottoming out the cup in the pocket is not typically an issue unless the pocket depth and cup height are extreme and primer is too far away from the firing pin.

1727698388617.png
 
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