Help me prep rifle brass.

[68Dave]

I absolutely love to reload. I do not enjoy prepping .223 though. I currently trim my sized cases on a single stage with the Lee quick trim die. I’ve got the trimmer that chamfers in and out when it cuts, chucked up in a cordless drill. I brush out the primmer pockets with a hand held tool. I had used the RCBS swagging tool for crimps, but often times the primers still crush a little on the edges When priming on my 550. I’ve since been using an inside chamfer tool in the pocket to insure easy priming.
Please critique my process. What do you do that is better? Would a prep station be worth the money? Would it make the process faster or easier? Can I trim on one? Which one do you like?

Thanks, David

 

[BIZERKO666]

I feel your pain. I've been reloading pistol rounds on a Dillon XL650 for 25 years. Just recently got into doing rifle and .223 cases are a Pain in the ASS. Trim swage, swage, debur, chamfer.....Still get primer crushes more often than I like. I'm currently using a Frankford Arsenal hand primer. Havent set up the Dillon for .223 yet.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I was just going to make a new thread about this.

I pick up.a lot or range brass at the gravel pit I take my eight year old grandson to shoot at.

For a couple of years I swagged all of the brass with the RCBS Pocket Swagger on.my Hornady LnL single stage press.
Well I prepped just under 500 piecesbof 223 and yesterday I recieved two new small swagger rods from RCBS.
I installed a new rod and started swagging. Yes it is SLOOOOOOW GOING.


Last year I bought a (new) uaed dillion 660 pocket swagger and made a bracket for it that I could bolt to my reloading bench.
I have been procrasturating mounting it becauce I would have to drill a couple of 1/2 holes in my formica bench top.

Well tonight I started awagging with the RCBS swagger and said EFF IT, i got the Dillion Swagger & bracket, my 1/2" bit & Rigid cordless drill and mounted it.
I just whipped through about a hundred pieces in no time.
My brother needs a swagger for a but load of 223 brass that I gave him.
Instead of giving him one of these Rcbs pocket swaggers, I will buy him a Dillion 660 Swagger.
These two RCBS Swagger sets I have are going in the trash. I wouldn't give them to a Iranian.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

Get a RCBS X-Die. Trim once then never trim again. Best money I spent in a long while.

Cleaning primer pockets is a proven waste of time and effort.

Cut primer crimps out with a reamer instead of swaging them. Put the reamer in a drill and you can do a boat load in no time.

 

[Highland Lofts]

I brought the dog in, had to contend with the other distracting half, went to the bathroom, had two brverage breaks snd just got done swagging with just under five hundred 223cal. In just over an hour.
I'm happy with what I have right now..

As far as the RCBS X die how can you trim once and never trim again?

Doesn't brass stretch after your size it?

 

[1-12 INF (M)]

I've had mixed results with X-Dies. Reaming instead of swaging is the way to go on rifle brass. Front end into the Giraud trimmer, back end onto the drill press spinning the reamer. Uniforms and cleans the pockets too.

 

[Toprudder]

Dillon swager. Nuff said. I’ve tried different ways to remove the primer crimps, and wish I had spent the money on the Dillon from the beginning.

Similar situation for trimming, I now have the Lyman brass smith trimmer and love it, but the Giraud trimmer is probably the best but pricey.

 

[GW Staar]

There's always other ways to skin a cat. For me I didn't buy the Dillon 600 because RCBS came out with a similar table top version that I could use at the same time as my Trim Mate (nothing hangs over the bench)........so once trimmed, I could swage, uniform, and even deburr the flash holes in one operation. I used to use the RCBS press mounted swager....it worked but as others have indicated, it's a royal PIA.

The following video demos what I do.....now..... I have a reamer mounted too that I used on the last one to compare to the swaged.......and I also tried to swage one with the primer still in.....doh.....was a bit slow figuring out what was wrong with that case.



One more thing......swaging .223 with their little primers for a progressive is another order of pain, if the swager isn't deep enough to round the edge in. Breaking the rhythm on a progressive because one edge on a primer catches is a royal pain. To make that a thing of the past, for insurance, I now bump the edge of the swaged pockets on the reamer just a half a second to make sure the edges are rounded.....

Fast forward to today....and another way presents itself......I pre-ordered Lee's brand new not yet shipping APP press for about the price of the Dillon 600 or the RCBS bench swager......because I'm curious.

Appears to me that it might just make case prep even easier......we will see if it can round the edge in as well or weller than the other swagers........plus it can do more than just swage.......another week or so I'm hoping.....can't resist new cheap toys. Lee's video below:

 

[ponchh]

I use an RCBS cutter to cut primer pockets. It has a shoulder to keep it from going to deep or wide
If you're loading a lot of 223 I would suggest a trimmer that indexes of the shoulder. There's several brands, mine is the trim it 2. I haven't used the others so I can't really compare. With mine, I can see the sealed bearing turning. So I used a permanent marker to make a few lines on the bearing, and when the lines stop turning I know the case is trimmed, removing any doubt if it's finished or not. Use high spindle speed for best cut.
When using a shoulder indexed trimmer don't worry about the full length of the case, it's very possible they will be all over the place.

 

[mdi]

One way to simplify your brass prep is to use a countersink to remove primer crimps and don't bother "brushing" primer pockets. While you'll still have to handle each case to remove a crimp, it takes me about 1/2 second each. I put my 60 degree, 1/2" countersink in my hand drill and it only requires a touch (half of "one Mississippi"). I am not a benchrest shooter but I do appreciate getting the best accuracy out of my rifles as I can. I forgot to clean some primer pockets many years ago, and saw no difference in accuracy (7.62x51 once fired and I got 7/8"-1" groups @100) so I quit cleaning primer pockets.

 

[Barman54]

I have a Dillon 550 when they first came out in 1986
Bought the Dillon Swager shortly there after, they cost $39.95 !!
Recently sent it back to Dillon, and had it replaced, as the Base had a developed a crack, good people there.

I have two Gracey's one for .30 Cal one for ..22
Course I shoot A LOT of Service Rifles throughout the year.

My advise for the Casual Shooter.

Get the Dillon Swager
For trimming get a Little Crow Trimmer, as they index off the shoulder

My .22 Cents worth

Barman54
Out

 

[Ks5shooter]

Dillon swager,RCBS x-dies

 

[Highland Lofts]

I bought my dillion 660 last year and made the stand I can bolt down on to my reloading bench.
I should of mounted it a long time sgo.

I can't believe how much faster and easier it is compared the the RCBS swasgging die.

 

[glc24]

I mounted my Dillon Swager the same way. It it is wing nutted too, like my vice so I can remove easily!

 

[Barman54]

Never got into the X-Dies
But I do use Sml Base Dies in .308, .3006 and .223
Had to, after I got Match Barrels that where at wee bit tighter than GI ones.
I just trim them after each time I size, like running them through a Pencil sharpener, with the Gracey's.
Barman54
Out

 

[Bat Rastard]

I don't use milsurp brass and have no need to swage.
After watching the video of the Lee press, I want one. It looks like a neat mousetrap.

 

[gifbohane]

Get a RCBS X-Die. Trim once then never trim again. Best money I spent in a long while.

Cleaning primer pockets is a proven waste of time and effort.

Cut primer crimps out with a reamer instead of swaging them. Put the reamer in a drill and you can do a boat load in no time.

AWESOME - What type of reamer do you use to cut out military crimps on 223?

 

[mrawesome22-250]

Hornady primer pocket reamer cutter.

Stick the threaded shank in a drill, go to town. Takes half a second per piece of brass.

 

[entropy]

I can't help you-you'd hate the way I do them. By hand with a Wilson reamer.

 

[gifbohane]

Awesome- I use this one but it either got dull or just wore out. I probably will buy another. Too bad Wilson or someone does not make one in carbide.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1165253550

 

[Chuck R.]

I'm going through the same ordeal now, it's really an annual ordeal as now is when I prep and load my .223 ammo for 3Gun matches, all of which is range pick up stuff.

My "procedure" for a couple 1000 rds at a time:

1. Deprime on an old RCBS Rockchucker
2. Tumble clean using steel pins
3. Inspect primer pockets using a gauge; three fold purpose:
a. Cull loose pockets before I waste any more time
b. Sort the crimped stuff.
c. Find "good" brass for my bolt guns which will then get annealed and prepped for accuracy.
4. Swage the crimped pockets using a Dillon Swager
5. Use spray lube on brass and run through my Dillon 550 with only a Small base RCBS "X" Die in the tool head. The 550 used as a single stage actually speeds up the process as I only touch the brass once.
6. Run brass through big Dillon vibratory cleaner to get the lube off
7. Run all brass through a Trimmit2 set up on a drill press (it's actually faster than measuring and sorting)
8. Load on my 550 with only the powder die/measure and a seating die.

Sounds like a lot, but I have plenty of space in my reloading room and I just leave the stuff set up. I'll just work on the steps between other projects. As long as I'm done loading by the 1st match, it's all good.

 

[jmorris]

The 1050 swages as part of the normal loading process, their trimmer is fast and painless, like more than 1000 cases sized and trimmed in an hour and you don’t have to touch a single one unless you want to.

 

[stillquietvoice]

I can't help you-you'd hate the way I do them. By hand with a Wilson reamer.

I use camphor and debur tool by hand. I did 200 yesterday.

 

[rbernie]

Specific to the trimming and chamfering part of the process - nothing beats a Giraud. I can process at least 500rds per hour, just as simple as stuffing them into the holder and pulling them back out again - trimmed and with the neck fully chamfered inside and out.

Buy once, cry once.

 

[Skgreen]

Lots of nice methods above.
I've used a small assortment of different 'bits/reamers' in the last few years, both in a FA case prep center and in a Cordless.
There's no disputing the fact that some ways are faster/slicker than others.
Today, I use (and I'm happy with) my RCBS Swagger. I also don't run through that much crimped brass anymore.

Crimp Removal:
The inconsistency in the amount I removed led me to swagging.
I was a bit too timid with my first batch, but relief was just an adjustment away.

As always, YMMV.