Converting Berdan to Boxer primed

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Catpop

Catpop

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Does anyone sell a drill/end mill to size primer pocket/flatten anvil/drill primer flash hole? Just curious.
Also is primer pocket small enough to open a hair for the correct diameter for small or larger boxer primers to be snug and stay in?
It would need to cut both brass and steel.
Ive always wondered about this.
 
Standard 1/16" drill and a vice on your drill press will work. Especially if your vice has a vertical v-cut in the jaws.
Standard reamer should work.
I wouldn’t bother with steel cases.
 
Large Berdan primers are bigger than large boxer primers.
I think smalls are the same way.
Way too much work for steel. Steel can only be reloaded once or twice.
 
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N555 said:
Large Berdan primers are bigger than large boxer primers.
I think smalls are the same way.
Way too much work for steel. Steel can only be reloaded once or twice.
Click to expand...

a primer pocket is a precision pocket that is holding back extreme pressures. A lathe and a holder like a collet is recommended. A drill bit and bench vise isn't going to get it done.
 
AJC1 said:
a primer pocket is a precision pocket that is holding back extreme pressures. A lathe and a holder like a collet is recommended. A drill bit and bench vise isn't going to get it done.
Click to expand...
All the drill bit is for is to make the flash hole. That’s sorta what drill bits do.
The sticky part would be reaming the small berdan pocket to accept a large primer. As I understand it small pistol/rifle primers are smaller than small berdan primers so they would fall out of the pocket.
The solution would be to ream the small berdan pocket to large rifle/pistol. I suspect one would wear out a pocket reamer pretty quick doing a quantity of them.
 
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Atavar said:
All the drill bit is for is to make the flash hole. That’s sorta what drill bits do.
The sticky part would be reaming the small berdan pocket to accept a large primer. As I understand it small pistol/rifle primers are smaller than small berdan primers so they would fall out of the pocket.
The solution would be to ream the small berdan pocket to large rifle/pistol. I suspect one would wear out a pocket reamer pretty quick doing a quantity of them.
Click to expand...
A drill bit is a pointy, drilly thing that cannot precisely cut a flat bottomed pocket to a precise depth.
Someone may be able to do it on a mill or lathe using an endmill but with a hand drill or most home drill presses I wouldn't be anywhere close to the gun being fired.
 
Catpop said:
Does anyone sell a drill/end mill to size primer pocket/flatten anvil/drill primer flash hole? Just curious.
Also is primer pocket small enough to open a hair for the correct diameter for small or larger boxer primers to be snug and stay in?
It would need to cut both brass and steel.
Ive always wondered about this.
Click to expand...
What caliber are you trying to load for that boxer primed brass is not available?
 
7.62 x 54R
I lost most of my very small brass boxer primed stash due to powder deterioration causing case damage and split necks.
 
thump_rrr said:
A drill bit is a pointy, drilly thing that cannot precisely cut a flat bottomed pocket to a precise depth.
Someone may be able to do it on a mill or lathe using an endmill but with a hand drill or most home drill presses I wouldn't be anywhere close to the gun being fired.
Click to expand...
A flash hole goes all the way through. It doesn’t matter if the tip is pointy. Drill bits are very good at making holes all the way through something.
 
Someone was selling a primer pocket drill that that fit in a reloading die. It would allow you to drill out a berdan case and make it easy to remove the primer. They also sold bushings to size large berdan primer cases to boxer sizes. My brother tried it on an 8 mm. The bushing failed and caused gas cutting to his bolt face.
 
I will agree with the general consensus to just get boxer primed brass. As much trouble as that might be it sounds easier than converting.
 
I convert my berdan brass to a berdan boxer hybrid so they are easier to reload next time.
It's a berdan primer pocket with a boxer flash hole in place of the anvil and uses a berdan primer with a boxer anvil.
 
I'll have to look at the 7.62x54 brass I have to see what kind of primers they have.
I have a bunch of 308 brass that has berden primers. I must have 300 of them.

I have lots of boxer primed 308 brass.

I have some 8mm Mauser brass and it is 50/50 boxer & berden primers.
 
I know this might sound crazy but why not just buy some Berdan primers and a universal 2-prong Berdan depriming die? Berdan primers are still made, and there’s dies and priming sets made for them, and it’s sure a lot safer than drilling and cobbling crap together.
I know. I must be nuts.
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
I know this might sound crazy but why not just buy some Berdan primers and a universal 2-prong Berdan depriming die? Berdan primers are still made, and there’s dies and priming sets made for them, and it’s sure a lot safer than drilling and cobbling crap together.
I know. I must be nuts.
Click to expand...
Show us where to buy berdan primers
 
GeoDudeFlorida said:
https://fedarm.com/product/primers-berdan-lr/

My goodness you’re needy. Can’t use google?

Like every other kind of primer, keep your eyes open and watch for availability. Or, heck, just go at it with a hand drill and blow yourself up. Sorry I tried to be helpful. Crazy idea using the right primer for the brass.
Click to expand...
So ..out of stock...and those primers don't fit small pocket x54

Or convert your berdan to boxer and just roll on like normal.
 
A friend of mine used to reload his 7.62x54 and 8mm Lebel brass by drilling out the Berdan primer and using shotgun primers. It worked for him. I've done it for berdan primed brass 24-gauge shotgun cases that were converted to .577 Snider. I only fired black powder. I would be hesitant to use them in a smokeless rifle round.
 
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