Swaging 9mm crimped range brass

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BiknSwans

BiknSwans

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I’m reloading 9mm on a new Mark 7 Evolution, and am not sure how to adjust the swaging. When I load 100 rounds of all crimped range brass, I will have several primers that don’t seat properly and have to be tossed. Usually the crimp on these problem cases is not symmetric. On one side the crimp ring is thicker than the other. The primer is seated a little crooked, though not sideways, but gets deformed.

I have a Ballistic Tools primer pocket gauge arriving in the mail today, which should help.

Should I increase the swage until the No-Go end of the gauge fits into the primer pocket, and then back off a little? Or just increase the swage until the Go end of the gauge fits? Or something in between?
 
I will admit I am completely confused... (Not the first time.)

With uncrimped 9mm range brass as common as flies in a barnyard, why deal with crimps?

ETA:
Well, I suppose if one is loading unsorted range brass, there might be crimped casings mixed in, hence the need to deal with them.
 
Last edited:
climbnjump said:
With uncrimped 9mm range brass as common as flies in a barnyard, why deal with crimps?
Click to expand...

I agree with climbnjump. If you have crimped pieces of 9mm just pitch them. I seem to collect 9mm brass cases far faster than I can reload them and have a large stockpile of cases at hand.
 
Impressive 3500 rounds an hour. Better get shooting. I'd say call the factory rep and I betcha they are glad to help.
 
Texas10mm said:
Have you called Mark 7? Have you read the manual?

https://www.markvii-loading.com/media/wysiwyg/files/Mark 7 Evolution User Manual 1.2.pdf

Page 20
Click to expand...
Thanks. Yes, I've read the manual, and the instructions are very helpful. But for swaging, the instructions for adjusting the swage are are "adjust as needed" and "We recommend using a primer pocket gauge especially if uses crimped/military brass". This is my first progressive press and first attempt at swaging, and I was looking for more detailed guidance.

I received the gauge yesterday, and was pleasantly surprised that very detailed instructions came with the gauge. The first check I did on a crimped primer pocket using the new gauge indicated that I need to increase the swaging. I'll be adjusting and testing the swage setting today. I think I'm going to like the gauge a lot.
 
BiknSwans said:
Thanks. Yes, I've read the manual, and the instructions are very helpful. But for swaging, the instructions for adjusting the swage are are "adjust as needed" and "We recommend using a primer pocket gauge especially if uses crimped/military brass". This is my first progressive press and first attempt at swaging, and I was looking for more detailed guidance.

I received the gauge yesterday, and was pleasantly surprised that very detailed instructions came with the gauge. The first check I did on a crimped primer pocket using the new gauge indicated that I need to increase the swaging. I'll be adjusting and testing the swage setting today. I think I'm going to like the gauge a lot.
Click to expand...

The Evolution™ is shipped with the swage rod fully backed off in the down position. We recommend to cut an empty case in half (cross-section) and insert it into the shellplate in station 3.
• Move the Tool head to the bottom.
• Lower a swage back up die until the center contacts the bottom of the case. Lower a ¼ turn and lock down.
• Raise the swage rod until the swage rod enters the primer pocket and the shoulder contacts the bottom of the case. Turn ¼ more and lock in place.
• Remove the case used to adjust the rods and install a case that has been previously decapped.
• Perform a cycle with the case in station 3 -then remove and inspect the primer pocket to confirm that the pocket is swaged properly. Adjust as needed.
• We recommend using a primer pocket gauge especially if uses crimped/military brass.

Maybe we have different manuals. The above is take directly from the manual I linked. It's a bit more than "adjust as needed"
 
Texas10mm said:
The Evolution™ is shipped with the swage rod fully backed off in the down position. We recommend to cut an empty case in half (cross-section) and insert it into the shellplate in station 3.
• Move the Tool head to the bottom.
• Lower a swage back up die until the center contacts the bottom of the case. Lower a ¼ turn and lock down.
• Raise the swage rod until the swage rod enters the primer pocket and the shoulder contacts the bottom of the case. Turn ¼ more and lock in place.
• Remove the case used to adjust the rods and install a case that has been previously decapped.
• Perform a cycle with the case in station 3 -then remove and inspect the primer pocket to confirm that the pocket is swaged properly. Adjust as needed.
• We recommend using a primer pocket gauge especially if uses crimped/military brass.

Maybe we have different manuals. The above is take directly from the manual I linked. It's a bit more than "adjust as needed"
Click to expand...

You are correct. I didn't list all the steps, but I did use them all, and I've been using the same manual. But the instructions for adjustment ended at "adjust as needed", which I should have noted. That's where I was stumped, until I got the primer pocket gauge and the instructions included with it.

I worked with the primer pocket gauge this morning and made progress. Once I realized that some pockets had already been swaged or reamed, and that any debris at all on the sides of the pocket stopped the Go gauge from being inserted, I was able to adjust the swaging rod properly, I hope. I ran one case at a time through the decapping die, checked the primer pocket before swaging and then after swaging, being careful to clean out any debris and checking quite a few pockets before changing the swaging adjustment. I went through about 150 cases and feel that swaging went quite well for the last .

I increased the swage rod insertion by 1/3 of a turn more than the original 1/4 turn recommended by Mark 7. The swaging 'feels right' now too.
 
I bought the Mark 7 because my old eyes had trouble seeing which primer pockets were crimped, and sorting them out was getting tiresome. So was crushing primers trying to seat them in a crimped primer pocket that I missed. My case preparation now consists of separating range brass 9mms from everything else, checking for Berdan primers, and wet tumbling.

For a one pass loading operation, the only manual consumer presses that swage are the Dillon 1100 and the Mark 7. But if I'm getting a progressive press, then I think it makes sense to use a swaging die, case feeder, lock out die, bullet feeder and separate seating and crimping dies. I don't think you can do all those operations, and the normal ones, in one pass on an 1100. I've read that the 1100 needs one more station. But it's no problem with the 10 station Evolution. The lock out die has saved me a lot of trouble already, and the Mr Bullet Feeder works very well. It has been keeping me very occupied as getting comfortable with my first progressive press has resulted in a number of operator errors. It's been fun learning though.
 
When I run across crimped primer pockets in 9mm brass I just pull them off the shell plate of my 650. I've never had a problem knowing when there's one in station 2. The feel is totally different.
 
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