Best primer pocket swager?

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adcoch1

adcoch1

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So I've been avoiding primer pocket swaging for a while now, and I finally decided I need to start on my 5 gal bucket of 5.56 brass. So what's the best tools to tackle this? Opinions and advice?
 
I have the Dillon super swager but there is no way to automate it.
Although I have no personal experience with it I think that the Lee APP with the swageing die is probably a better choice since a case feeder can be added.
 
I have the Frankford Swager as well as the RCBS swager, hands down I prefer the Frankford. SO much easier to owe. The RCBS is 1) more difficult, and 2) brass will sometimes lock up and you have to manually remove the brass from the bottom part.

The Frankford is a little more expensive, but WELL Worth the additional cost. I lost one of the pins and called fortford, they sent a pair, large and small at no charge. Great customer service.

‘Good Luck
Dan
 
I use the rcbs military crimp remover... it's not swaging like your title but it works gooder, and any case like s and b 38 that does not come chamfered like it should is easily fixed by this tool. Maybe I like it because it's versatile, or because it's cheap, or maybe just because it's fast. Never had a problem and neither did my dad.
 
thump_rrr said:
I have the Dillon super swager but there is no way to automate it.
Click to expand...

Wrong Dillon product, the 8 station presses have a swage station, #3, where cases are swaged before being primed in #4, as part of the loading operation. Even operated manually it’s by far the fastest method I have used.

If fast and easy = best, it’s a winner.

Swaging and finish loading looks something like this.



They do need to have been previously sized and trimmed though. I also use their press mounted trimmer, as it makes it a breeze to size and trim more than 1000 cases/hour. All of the other methods leave me with well worked fingers if I do that kind of volume.

That said, if you don’t have to do the entire 5 gallon bucket and can knock out a hundred at a time, other methods do work and are cheaper by a good margin.

Swagers like the Super swager and RCBS dies do a good job and the reamer style worked by hand or electric motor work as well. Just not as quickly and all add an extra step to the loading process.

F3F4E36A-AD4A-4EB1-81F6-DBA1F98C82AC.jpeg
 
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I've had the Dillon and the RCBS. I may be the only guy alive that didn't care for the Dillon. Having to readjust it for different headstamps was a deal breaker for me. I've also used a Lyman reamer, an RCBS reamer, a Wilson reamer and a 45º countersink in a drill. The Wilson has the better steel and stays sharp longer. Its different in that it works in their trimmer and is the method that I use.
 
In my experience, the Dillon super swager works well enough for 5.56 but for really tough lake city 7.62, I ended up just reaming the crimp out with my case prep center. For 7.62, I think reaming this way is better, faster and requires less energy on my part and it's how I will be proceeding from now on. I may just end up doing the same thing with 5.56 although, I just swaged some 3,000 5.56 cases and the Dillon seemed to do just fine but I think it would still probably be faster to just ream them after full length resizing and trimming right alongside the primer pocket uniforming and flash hole uniforming steps.
 
redcon1 said:
In my experience, the Dillon super swager works well enough for 5.56 but for really tough lake city 7.62, I ended up just reaming the crimp out with my case prep center. For 7.62, I think reaming this way is better, faster and requires less energy on my part and it's how I will be proceeding from now on. I may just end up doing the same thing with 5.56 although, I just swaged some 3,000 5.56 cases and the Dillon seemed to do just fine but I think it would still probably be faster to just ream them after full length resizing and trimming right alongside the primer pocket uniforming and flash hole uniforming steps.
Click to expand...
For large primer pocket brass I've been using a countersink style cutter to get rid of crimps, but it doesn't seem to work as well on the small primer brass. This the reason for the question. Seems like there are lots of options I hadn't thought of, but I find it interesting to get recommendations to do what I'm already doing. I figured swaging would be a better solution, and maybe it is for the small primer pockets.
 
Varminterror said:
Dillon 1050. Run it twice through, preferably with a Mark 7 Autodrive running it… Fully automated for a high volume, daft criticality process.
Click to expand...
I knew you were going to suggest something like this... Maybe after I get my house and shop built out in Montana...
Maybe I should have said the best tools for under $250 bucks...
 
I have tried a bunch of different swagers. Bought one made specifically for my dillon 550 works ok can't remember the name of it. But I have gone back to my rcbs military crimp remover and it works the best for me no tight primer pockets just takes a little longer to use but I'm ok with that.
 
adcoch1 said:
I knew you were going to suggest something like this...
Click to expand...

I hate spending my time in processing brass… I’ve come to realize about myself - I would much rather BUY great brass than MAKE it. So I don’t like to process range pick up brass into shootable brass any if I can avoid it, and if I can’t avoid it, I look for ways to automate the processes and reduce my handling time.

Swaging, unfortunately, is a relatively necessary evil for gaining value on range pick up brass. I can pick up brass, decap, wet tumble, swage, expand to save crush necks, and resize and expand and add value to the lot, and really not have much time invested into the brass. Sell that, buy quality brass. Easy peasy.
 
Blue68f100 said:
I use the Hornady swager for their LNL-AP press. Makes quick work of it. In most cases you will get better results if you sort by head stamps.
Click to expand...
That is what I use. The only thing easier would be the Dillon 1050/1100.

Swaging on the Lee APP looks like it would be easy, but I haven't tried it yet
 
I bought a RCBS primer pocked swager at a gun show used for 10.00. Come to find out one of the punches was bent, OUCH. I contacted RCBS customer service, and they sent me a new one. NO CHARGE. Adjusted properly it works great
 
jmorris said:
Wrong Dillon product, the 8 station presses have a swage station, #3, where cases are swaged before being primed in #4, as part of the loading operation. Even operated manually it’s by far the fastest method I have used.

If fast and easy = best, it’s a winner.

Swaging and finish loading looks something like this.



They do need to have been previously sized and trimmed though. I also use their press mounted trimmer, as it makes it a breeze to size and trim more than 1000 cases/hour. All of the other methods leave me with well worked fingers if I do that kind of volume.

That said, if you don’t have to do the entire 5 gallon bucket and can knock out a hundred at a time, other methods do work and are cheaper by a good margin.

Swagers like the Super swager and RCBS dies do a good job and the reamer style worked by hand or electric motor work as well. Just not as quickly and all add an extra step to the loading process.

View attachment 1073692
Click to expand...

I'm well aware of the swaging stations on the 1050 and 1100 but they are not stand alone swaging systems which is why I didn't mention them.
Also here in Canada a bare 1100 goes for $3,000.

MidwayUSA has the APP for $99 and another $40 for the swage kit.
I can build one of TylerR's collators for around another $100.
https://youtube.com/shorts/r6lv3wKqGL8?feature=share
I can automate it fully with pneumatics for less than another $100.

You of all people know how to automate things.
I believe this is your YouTube channel.
https://youtube.com/shorts/01zbImsdkbg?feature=share
 
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hdbiker said:
I bought a RCBS primer pocked swager at a gun show used for 10.00. Come to find out one of the punches was bent, OUCH. I contacted RCBS customer service, and they sent me a new one. NO CHARGE. Adjusted properly it works great
Click to expand...
Be careful because brass of different headstamps can have different web thickness.
This is how you bend the rods.
 
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