Sorting brass for large and small primer sizes

[Charlie1022]

I bought 10 gallons of mixed range brass and have it sorted by caliber and now need to sort come of it for large and small primers. Is there a fast and easy way to sort it?

 

[Walkalong]

jmorris has a cool way to do it. I just have to do it the old fashioned (hard) way.

 

[lightman]

I'm guessing that you mean large and small primers in 45's. I just cull out the small ones when I sort by headstamp.

 

[Dudedog]

I just do a quick clean on it, deprime/resize then sort the LP vs SP by hand. Easier to tell them a part with no primers.
I just watch the news/sports etc and sort them then, Inspect them then as well, case mouth splits etc.

 

[tcj]

I just do a quick clean on it, deprime/resize then sort the LP vs SP by hand. Easier to tell them a part with no primers.
I just watch the news/sports etc and sort in them then, Inspect them then as well, case mouth splits etc.

I do the same but use a large primer pocket cleaner as my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I sort as them out as i prime them kick the sp 45acp off to the side save them for when I shoot at the outdoor range and just leave them

 

[rjbmjb]

I do the same but use a large primer pocket cleaner as my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

I do the same thing, for the same reason

 

[meesterdon]

I had 15 lbs mixed range brass to sort. Did them one at a time using the large primer pocket tool. If it fit it went in a bowl (one for each head stamp) and if i didn't it went into this bag.

edit - Yes I deprimed them all 1st.

 

[Hondo 60]

Yup like others, the Lg primer pocket cleaner is my go/no go tool.

 

[sparkyv]

I had 15 lbs mixed range brass to sort. Did them one at a time using the large primer pocket tool. If it fit it went in a bowl (one for each head stamp) and if i didn't it went into this bag.

edit - Yes I deprimed them all 1st.

View attachment 791099

Excellent and elegant solution.

 

[exbrit49]

After tumbling, I just do a quick visual and as I come across a SP I throw it in a container, after a while I have enough to load up a boxful and clearly mark the finished product as SMALL PRIMER. When I go to shoot at a range where its difficult to recover brass, or its hard to see as on grass etc, I will take the Small primer loads with me. That way I am not upset when I can only find half of them.
i have never found the need for a Gage etc as for me the SP are easy to spot.

 

[mdi]

Mebbe it's my machinist/mechanic background an I can see the difference between small and large primer pockets, but if I had trouble I'd first sort by head stamp (so far I'v only found Federal and Blazer brass with small primed cases), Then sort with the gauge recommended by the fellers above. This would eliminate the need to "poke" each case's primer pocket...

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm in agreement, the two are easier to see when already deprimed. Like some of the corners my eyes are not what they were so the large primer pocket tool is a god-sent.

 

[Walkalong]

I can see the difference between small and large primer pockets,

Me too, just a quick look and toss the SP ones in a different bucket. I don't pick them up at the range if I can help it though, I have too much LP .45 ACP brass.

 

[FROGO207]

I inspect each piece of brass after it comes out of the FL sizing die anyway to look for problems and to sort so to ID the size of primer pocket is not that big of a deal. The SPP brass is put away for a possible time that LP primers may not be available and I want to reload some 45 ACP.

 

[Dudedog]

Forgot to mention in .45 ACP SPP=Small Posterior Pain
As FROGO207 mentioned, never can tell when LP might not be available so I hang on to them.
They shoot just fine.

 

[mdi]

Just for my information (and I have read a few reports) I ran my own "test" of small vs large primed 45 ACP. Identical loads of 200 gr LSWC with Universal, and 230 FMJ with Bullseye, 25 each in both large and small primed Federal and Blazer brass. Not enough difference from my two 45s (RIA 1911 and Ruger P90) to bother with in velocities or accuracy. So, I keep all the 45 ACP brass I find, just sort during primary inspection...

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I tumble and then visually sort them with the spent primers in place. I reload progressively so I don't want to deprime first. When I have enough to use a brick of SPPs I'll load them. Until then they just sit and wait.

 

[Toprudder]

When I get back from the range, the first thing I do is to sort all the brass by caliber and then run them all through the decapper die. While I am doing the 45acp, I will separate the small and large primer brass.

Most of the 45 small primer brass I have seen are Federal, and Blazer. (BTW, those companies make/made both large AND small primer brass, so you can't just go by the headstamp). I have also seen both Federal and Winchester "NT" brass which are crimped pockets. There are others, I know RWS and Speer make small primer brass as well. I believe Blazer quit making large primer brass a few years ago, but they still pop up occasionally.

 

[jmorris]

This is the first device I built for the job. It works great and makes it no extra work or time as they are culled out while loading without interruption to the loading operation.



A thread a few years later and my enjoyment of making things had me build this machine that decaps and sorts them as well.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

BTW, those companies make/made both large AND small primer brass, so you can't just go by the headstamp

Yeah, and I'll be eternally grateful to those companies for that royal PITA.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

What Dudedog and many others said, a large primer pocket cleaner. Kinda like a plug gage.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[Toprudder]

Yeah, and I'll be eternally grateful to those companies for that royal PITA.

I actually prefer small primer brass as I don't have to change the primer setup on my press (only takes a minute, but still...).

The indoor range where I am a member, on the week of a member's birthday, they give free rental for full-auto SMGs. My wife picked the Thompson last month for her birthday. But, we have to buy their ammo (I don't blame them, customer's ammo would be an unknown). I picked the Blazer as it was the cheapest, and I figured it would be all small primer. I used my brass catcher to catch all the brass. When I got home, I was surprised to find that it was all large primer. As Blazer has not (to my knowledge) made large primer 45 in a few years, I figured this must have all been old-stock. The boxes did look a little worn.

 

[25-5]

When they started using small primers on .45 ACP, I was caught off guard. The brass went to the garbage. Now I do not purchase .45's with small primers. Lots of brass and no sorting.