Crimped Primers

[HB]

I am finishing prepping a batch of about 2000 .223 cases.

Anybody else think crimped brass isn’t worth the trouble?

I had an RCBS prep station that went with the roommate when he moved to Wisconsin. It worked well but still a pain to remove crimps.

With the Hornady Case Prep Duo I have now it takes about 30 seconds to remove crimp per case.

While I know this is a 1 time chore I dont think Ill ever bend over for LC brass ever again!

HB

 

[somethingbenign]

My one buddy that reloads .223 doesn't bother with them anymore either. He's broken too many decapping pins and now he just gives me all his crimped brass to go in my scrap pile.

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

While I know this is a 1 time chore I don't think Ill ever bend over for LC brass ever again!

To each, his own.
I don,t even own a firearm that shoots .223, but I am a brass addict. So most all brass that I see gets picked up. When I have enough brass to fill one of those postage boxes, I ship them to my son in Alaska, with primer pockets swagged and cleaned via wet S/S pins & soap concoction.

It is not that I do not have any thing else to do, I just enjoy the process.
BTW, being retired helps.

 

[Riccochet]

Took the reamer bit from a lyman case prep tool and stuck it in my cordless drill. 2 seconds and the crimp is gone.

 

[edwardware]

Never broken a pin on a crimped primer (LC 5.56 or HXP .30-06). I do think crimped pockets start and stay tighter longer. . . if you're clever enough not to destroy that advantage by over-reaming or swaging.

My 223 LC brass dies for loose pockets at 15-20 reloads. I want the pockets barely seat-able to start with.

 

[HB]

When I have enough brass to fill one of those postage boxes, I ship them to my son in Alaska, with primer pockets swagged and cleaned via wet S/S pins & soap concoction.

You are a great dad! I enjoy the process but adding the de-crimp process adds a lot of time. The frustration comes when I squeeze a primer in there. 1 in 20 or so are “skinned” by the remaining crimp and have to be tossed.

 

[troy fairweather]

make a die block from wood and use the stop on a drill press, work fast.

 

[1976B.L.Johns.]

1 in 20 or so are “skinned” by the remaining crimp and have to be tossed.

I leave any problems in the reloading process of salvaged crimped .223 brass up to him. He still gets 'em free and most assuredly comes out ahead, as would anyone who wants to spend the time. Sometimes time and frustration = $.

 

[Blue68f100]

I added the swagging setup for my LNL-AP, it's very fast. Just takes a few seconds and done. Reminds me I need to find some tubing to fit the finished die to route it to a bucket.

 

[CMV]

I bought a Dillon super swage....Around $110 so kind of a lot for what it is, but I go thru lots of .223. Anything I buy new which later ends up in the brass mix is typically crimped too - XM193, Wolf Gold. RCBS makes a similar looking one but have never seen one in use. I like that it leaves a real tight pocket & can change over to .308 since I have a lot of LC brass there as well.

I've never broken a decapping pin on one. Occasionally pushed up the Lee one before I torqued the bejeezus out of it. I use the universal decapping die now so I can do cruddy brass and only have to clean once

 

[Skgreen]

The right tool for the job can make a big difference,,,

One of these in a case prep device is slow as mud, but it's 'a whole 'nother animal' when you chuck it in a cordless drill:

https://www.amazon.com/RCBS-90386-Military-Crimp-Remover/dp/B0063IDE6A

 

[edwardware]

Occasionally pushed up the Lee one before I torqued the bejeezus out of it.

If you torque it to wicked-tight at the first, it'll hold there; if it slips once, it needs the full four-wrench-cheater-bar-I'm-gonna-twist-this-off treatment to stay put.

 

[Allen One1]

"Anybody else think crimped brass isn’t worth the trouble?"

I think that every time I process .223 brass. I bought a case catcher so that I could catch the brass that I had prepped. It is also the reason I won't buy a .308, no more military calibers. But every time I see a big pile of shiny brass I pick it up and bring it home. It's a mental disorder I guess.

 

[CoalTrain49]

LC brass is all I shoot in my bolt rifle. I like it because it's thicker brass than most that you will find just wondering around picking it up at the range. Takes some work to clean it up but once you do you have some pretty good brass that will last awhile.

Swagging the crimp out of military brass is a huge waste of time and swaggers are expensive. I know, I have an RCBS and I've used it.

The best kept secret for removing a crimp is a cordless drill and a reamer. It takes about 2 seconds. Get a drill that has an adjustable speed that can be locked. Then buy one of these.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NOAH2W2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[lightman]

The thing is, not all crimps are created equal. LC seems to be the least problematic. I usually scrap all of the other 223 brass that is crimped. I've had several different tools and they all work ok some of the time. I've had the Dillon and RCBS swage tools. And the Lyman and Wilson reamers. I've used a knife blade and even the tang end of a file. (an old Bullseye shooters trick) But I keep returning to the 45º countersink (like CoalTrain posted above)and a cordless drill. 223 seems to be more of a pain than 7.62, 30-06, 9mm and 45 for some reason.

 

[jmorris]

Every time I think about how I used to have to deal with crimped primer pockets, I realize how great the investment in 1050’s and their built in swage station has been.

Swage as you load.

 

[Olon]

Took the reamer bit from a lyman case prep tool and stuck it in my cordless drill. 2 seconds and the crimp is gone.

Same here. Makes quick work of it, though I don't come as cross a ton of crimped brass. When I know they're not crimped I'll use it to clean the primer pocket.

 

[HB]

Ill try out the countersink and block method. The Hornady Duo i have currently is a cheap rechargable drill and will get returned to Cabelas. I think part of the issue is that the cutter is cheap chinese junk just like the drill.

 

[otisrush]

I'm close to thinking it's not worth the trouble - but I'll likely continue on dealing with them. I like the idea of putting the Lyman bit in a drill. I'm going to start doing that.

 

[gifbohane]

I also place the RCBS reamer in my drill. Takes a little technique to keep the cartridge from spinning. I find it doable.

Also any ideas on how to avoid over reaming? How can you tell you are over doing it.. besides noting that the primer will not stay in the pocket.

 

[Dudedog]

Good thing about crimped brass is you can be fairly sure it is really once fired.
Primer crimps are a pain but you only have to remove them once.
I mark the base of my .223 brass with a sharpie so I can tell "my empties" at the range.
Then they can go in the crimp removed bucket when they come home.
All the other lonely range brass gets a good home in a different bucket

 

[kcofohio]

I have a primer pocker swager that fits on the ram. A lot like RCBS swager. In fact I copied theirs. Works great.

I haven't at this time broken any decapping pins on pocket crimped primers.

 

[Toprudder]

I've used the CH4D swager, the RCBS crimp remover bit, and the Dillon swager.

I've done a few thousand cases with the RCBS crimp remover, mounted in the case prep center. The negative is that the bit really needs to turn faster than the case prep center runs. I see where the newer RCBS center has a couple of stations that turn 550 instead of 350 rpm, that might help. But eventually I started using the cutting bit in a drill and things went much faster. The nice thing about the crimp remover bit, versus a countersink, is that you can't remove too much.

Once I got the Dillon swager, though, I started kicking myself for not getting it sooner.

 

[Big Wes]

I have a Dillon Super Swage and I swage all my 223/308 brass whether it needs it or not, it doesn't take that long to do and you don't have to worry about one getting in the mix breaking a decap pin.

 

[LD-Ordie]

I also discovered using a 45 degree countersink bit in my portable drill motor, lock it in my vice and about a second or so will do the job. I've yet to see a procedure that is quicker and cheaper. Only around $12. for a high quality bit.