PRIMER POCKET REAMING,ISNT THERE A MORE PRODUCTIVE WAY?

[jonbearman]

Today I was working on prepping some Winchester military .223 brass.It occurred to me that this sucks.It takes a lot of time and it kills my wrist to do it in the first place.Does anyone make an easier way to do it ,basically do the rcbs and lyman motorized units do it faster and easier.I currently use a Sinclair uniformer in a cordless dill,one at a time.I have at least a thousand to do,so its prepped in advance as I loose them or whatever. The prep centers seem to turn so slow.I wish gracey or someone made a unit to speed things up a bit.I know I am rambling but it just sucks.LOL

 

[stubbicatt]

If it is the crimp you seek to remove I've had luck with the Dillon primer pocket swage tool.

 

[hogpatrol]

If it is the crimp you seek to remove I've had luck with the Dillon primer pocket swage tool.

+1 on the Dillon. I rigged up an automatic reset on mine as shown in this youtube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9VLAeFwnq4

 

[Eddie Harren]

Jon, with your background as a "Machinist/Engine Builder" I would think you would have come up with a way to do it on a lathe. Even a small Jeweler's lathe would work.

 

[brxbrad]

The only way to fly......and it includes a swage....
Auto indexing shellplate
One set of dies
Built in primer pocket swager
Automatic powder measure system
Automatic priming system
Electric casefeeder
Low Primer Alarm

This is a commercial grade machine, is capable of loading 1,000 to 1,200 rounds per hour and carries a one year warranty.

http://www.dillonprecision.com/content/p/9/pid/23877/catid/1/Super_1050

 

[stool]

the dillon super swager is a great tool...but it is adjustable for a reason. case head thicknesses vary and the tool must be adjusted for each LOT of brass. or you will be going along and some feel easy to do..cause you did not swage anything.

power for reamers is an issue..yep a lathe works best ..the case does not slow it down.

what you want is a reamer that does just enough but not too much. go into a gun stores cleaning brass prep area and look at vld style neck chamfering tools. look for long pointy ones.
then the plan is simple, you grind down the tip of the tool till it takes out enough material that you can reprime a case. you want a very narrow angle and just deep enough. lyman's tool use to work but they redesigned it and it is too big to do small...it does large but not small.
grind slow..if you grind off too much , go buy a new one and start over, use the first one for large primer pockets.
been there done that....takes about 4-6 sec per case, from picking up to letting go.

 

[jonbearman]

This thread was more of me trying to investigate easier ways like the rcbs prep center or whatever.Of course I could do it on the lathe but it would even slower than the way I am doing it now.So I am not going to waste my time making a case holder to use my tool post to do the job.I have used Wilson holders to hold the case still during the reaming prcess but I have had carpal tunnel surgery so it is really hard on my hands and wrists as they are compromised.I just wanted to pick the brains of my fellow shooters to see how they approach primer pocket reaming.

 

[jonbearman]

I already use a vld tool for the crimp. I am struggling with the primer pocket uniformer.

 

[artbosco]

How about doing it vertically on a drill press? http://www.forsterproducts.com/catalog.asp?prodid=700292

Using something like this with the case turned upside down might be easier on your hands.

P.S. This might help give you some ideas: http://www.forsterproducts.com/client_images/catalog19938/pages/files/Power_Case_Trimmer_Instructions_PT1010-001.pdf

I recommended the press in order to keep everything square.

 

[Witchhunter]

I use a Sinclair chamfering tool holder chucked in my cordless drill. It is pretty fast. Of course then I will need to use the primer pocket uniformer chucked in the drill later. I agree with the RCBS nit being too slow, I have been thinking of taking mine apart and seeing if is possible to speed it up some how.

 

[kcomeau10x]

RCBS makes a primer pocket swaging tool that fits into your press. $42.00 from them direct.

 

[gary0529]

10X
I have both the RCBS and after I bent about a half dozen rods (RCBS, in their wonderful generous ways always replaced them-usually 2 at a time) I went to the Dillon and kicked myself for not doing so earlier.
The impetus for the Dillon was a lot of 5k military 5.56 and there was no way in hell I could see me using the RCBS press mounted unit for that quantity.

Quite pleased with the performance of the Dillon unit and I am not a Blue fanboy!

Gary

 

[Road_Clam]

Honestly, I don't even bother reaming mill spec swaged brass. All's I do is chamfer till the top swage marks are gone. The new primers press in perfect and feel the same as my non-swaged brass. Here's a pic of my work station. I bolted my press to my drill press table so I can efficiently resize, trim or chamfer , then re-prime is one operation. This method works great for me as it allows me to keep better track of how far along my brass is within the prep process.

 

[snakepit]

This thread was more of me trying to investigate easier ways like the rcbs prep center or whatever.

I use the Lyman Case Prep XPRESS Electric Case Prep Center. It has multiple stations including a Primer Pocket Reamer, Primer Pocket Uniformer, and a Primer Pocket Cleaner. Works good, easy to use and not very expensive.

 

[Lesloan]

CH sells a primer hole swage kit for $28 that works just great. I bought one of these a coupla years ago, and have done a lot of crimped primer .223 cases with it. IMO it's just as good and fast as the Dillon tool for a fraction of the cost. Fits in your C-press.

http://www.ch4d.com/products/equipment/case-tools/psk

 

[stool]

guys if you read his later post, his original post is misleading...
it appears he is after primer pocket depth uniforming, not crimp removal

for small lots i use a 1/2 drill and sinclair cutter and hand hold cases.

bot big lots i use the lathe and a wilson case holder..by hand with a lite glove...

 

[jonbearman]

Stool is correct.I was tired when I posted and uniforming is what I was bitchin about.I hand hold with a vld tool to just remove the crimp burr.I guess it just takes time.LOL

 

[jonbearman]

Boyd,I uniform for one reason. Back some years ago I was loading for a ar-15 and ended up with some primers that were slightly proud and actually got a slam fire.So now I just do this uniforming to avoid anything that could be proud.

 

[Codeman]

I use the RCBS prep mate, with a sinclairs carbide cutter and adapter. It works great.

 

[brian427cobra]

Uniforming primer pockets with a powdered tool is certainly faster, my first recommendation is to upgrade your tool first, I have used all of them, but I only use a Sinclair one now, it cuts better and way faster by hand than any other tool I have used, when not in use I keep it covered with the little red rubber it came with, you can skip the bit holder if you have a drill with a 1/2 inch chuck, don't go full blast and keep the sides of the uniformer free\clean from brass because that can cause undo wear inside the pocket