Recommend a solution for crimped primers?

[brewer12345]

In the next year I want to start fooling with loading 223 and of course a lot of the brass has crimped primers. What is the best solution? Ideally this would not take up a ton of space or be very costly.

 

[forty_caliber]

CH4D makes the best swager in my opinion. Order now and you might get it by next year. They are really behind.

https://www.ch4d.com/products/equipment/case-tools/psk

.40

 

[cfullgraf]

For most crimps, I remove them with a case mouth chamfer tool or something similar. Something that I had on hand.

A swager is handy if you have tons and tons of cases to remove the crimp.

 

[brewer12345]

CH4D makes the best swager in my opinion. Order now and you might get it by next year. They are really behind.

https://www.ch4d.com/products/equipment/case-tools/psk

.40

This will fit/work on a Lee single stage?

 

[Cemetery21]

several methods work. I use the RCBS cutter bit in a drill for bulk processing. It's adjustable to just cut the minimum required.

 

[forty_caliber]

This will fit/work on a Lee single stage?

Yes, it should. It won't work well on something like a Forster Co-Ax with an overhead swing but should be fine for most others.

.40

 

[edwardware]

A swage kit (I use RCBS) is faster than reaming, once you've sorted headstamps. It also leaves the pockets more durable.

 

[lightman]

I've used about every tool and method that there is, except for the C-H tool and a Dillon 1050, and I've not found anything that works everytime on every headstamp. The guys with Dillon 1050's report great success with their tool. But not everyone has a 1050.

I have used the Dillon 600 and may be the only guy ever that didn't like it. The RCBS press mounted tool works ok, usually. A 45º countersink chucked up in a drill works ok but its easy to overdo it. The Lyman and RCBS reamers worked ok but seem to dull quickly. Lots of guy like the Hornady reamer but I've not tried it. Many guys use their rocket looking deburring tool.

I started using a Wilson tool that fits my Wilson trimmer. It does a great job but its slow and its hard on bare fingers. Wilsons cutter is of much greater quality than Lyman's and RCBS's tool, in my opinion. I just finished doing 1050-1060 223 cases on my Wilson set-up and it was a slow job. I've used their tool chucked up in a drill but you have to be careful or you wobble and enlarge the primer pocket.

In short, a crimped primer is a PITA!

 

[mdi]

Being a life long machinist/mechanic the first time I encountered a primer crimp, I immediately thought of a countersink. I had a few in my tool box (60 degree x 1/2" on a 1/4" hex shaft) and deburred/decrimped 100 45 ACP cases. Now and with several thousand cases decrimped, I have had zero problems. While not a "dedicated reloading tool", it is effecient, inexpensive, easy to use and easily found in any good hardware store. I have intentionally over cut some primer pickets, even down to about 3/32" chamfer (0.093") and have had no primer blow outs/blown primers. https://www.mcmaster.com/countersinks/

 

[lightman]

Being a life long machinist/mechanic the first time I encountered a primer crimp, I immediately thought of a countersink. I had a few in my tool box (60 degree x 1/2" on a 1/4" hex shaft) and deburred/decrimped 100 45 ACP cases. Now and with several thousand cases decrimped, I have had zero problems. While not a "dedicated reloading tool", it is effecient, inexpensive, easy to use and easily found in any good hardware store. I have intentionally over cut some primer pickets, even down to about 3/32" chamfer (0.093") and have had no primer blow outs/blown primers. https://www.mcmaster.com/countersinks/

After doing over a thousand 223 cases with that Wilson tool I'll probably be going back to my countersink. I've just not found anything better or faster.

 

[buba68]

A swage kit (I use RCBS) is faster than reaming, once you've sorted headstamps. It also leaves the pockets more durable.

Yes the RCBS swage tool does an excellent job or removing the crimp, large or small primer pockets. I use it all the time.

https://www.rcbs.com/search?q=primer+pocket+swaging+tool&search-button=&lang=default

 

[Ruger 15151]

I have given up on swagging because it is so brand and lot dependent. I just ream the crimp out of the primer pockets with an RCBS pocket reamer. It has a stop so you cant remove too much and if you use it in a cordless drill, its every bit as fast as my Dillion 600 Swagger.

 

[Steelworker]

I have given up on swagging because it is so brand and lot dependent. I just ream the crimp out of the primer pockets with an RCBS pocket reamer. It has a stop so you cant remove too much and if you use it in a cordless drill, its every bit as fast as my Dillion 600 Swagger.

I got rid of my Dillon 600. It wasn’t fast, and unless you had all matching headstamps, it gave somewhat irregular results.

Now I just use a drill bit mounted reamer. It’s inexpensive and easy.

 

[irishlad]

I use the Lyman reamer tool. Works well with the Lyman case prep.

 

[hardheart]

I use a Hornady reamer in an impact driver

 

[bluetopper]

I use a countersink bit on my drill. It cuts them out in just a second.

 

[1KPerDay]

https://mrotools.com/images/product...p493x-1-4-phillips-3-hex-power-drive-bits.jpg

 

[2011redrider]

Yes, it should. It won't work well on something like a Forster Co-Ax with an overhead swing but should be fine for most others.

.40

It will work on the Co-ax but it will need the shell holder adapter instead of the jaws. Found this video with the Co-ax.

 

[entropy]

An L.E. Wilson or RCBS deburring tool. Cheap, and takes up very little space.

 

[gifbohane]

I've used about every tool and method that there is, except for the C-H tool and a Dillon 1050, and I've not found anything that works everytime on every headstamp. The guys with Dillon 1050's report great success with their tool. But not everyone has a 1050.

The Lyman and RCBS reamers worked ok but seem to dull quickly. Lots of guy like the Hornady reamer but I've not tried it. Many guys use their rocket looking deburring tool.

I started using a Wilson tool that fits my Wilson trimmer. It does a great job but its slow and its hard on bare fingers. Wilsons cutter is of much greater quality than Lyman's and RCBS's tool, in my opinion. I just finished doing 1050-1060 223 cases on my Wilson set-up and it was a slow job. I've used their tool chucked up in a drill but you have to be careful or you wobble and enlarge the primer pocket.

In short, a crimped primer is a PITA!

Lighman- Wow that is exactly my problem. I have the Hornady reamer and it worked like a charm....until it dulled and stopped working ditto on the RCBS.. I thought that it was me and THOUGHT that both were getting dull but I di not think that I had enough mileage on either one.....but I guess that I do and did.

 

[Dudedog]

I use this not fast, but it works well

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1012762394?pid=804809

 

[jmorris]

I have used lots of methods, from just a pocket knife, deburing it with a twist, to other cutters and swagers.



Hand held, 1/4 drive for power tools, single stage, stand alone and a few 1050’s. The 1050’s beat everything else but cost a lot more.

If you don’t have many, start cheap, as you get more and it becomes more frustrating, you can upgrade.

If you ever make it to a 1050, you’ll wish you started there but I wasn’t thinking about that kind of volume when I started.

Deprime/size and trim on the first pass, then swage, and load on the 2nd pass.

Leaves every other method I have tried in the dust.

 

[ms6852]

I use the swager from Dillon as it was a gift, but on occasion I use my Lyman prep center with the pocket reamer.

 

[DocRock]

This will fit/work on a Lee single stage?

Yes, it does. Great product. Works well.

 

[Ranb]

I've used the RCBS reamer tool and the swager. Now I don't bother using either and just throw the 1% of the brass that I can't properly re-prime into my recycle bin.