[mugsie]

I've got a load of military 223 brass - what you you people recommend in removing the crimp? Anyone have any home made remedies? Thanks...

[ATAShooter]

I just use a couple twists with my RCBS or Lyman inside debur tool. works great so far.

[ClarkEMyers]

Home made, a pocket knife will do it - with inconsistent results and be blister raising over a lot of cases.

Ideal is a Super 1050 from Dillon as just one more step in reloading from the best of the progressives.

The swaging tools for a single stage press from all the major makers do a fine job - and in the case of RCBS at least share some parts with their stuck case remover so as to be handy in a well equipped home shop.

Depending on quantity there is something to be said for buying the Dillon stand alone swaging tool and turning it over on EBay after use - considered as a rental it does a fine job quickly.

[ReloaderFred]

I've used the RCBS Primer Pocket Swaging Tool for many, many years and it's worked like a champ. It's a small investment to make, especially for the occasional user. The only caveat is that you have to use it on a single stage press with a ram similar in size to the Rock Chucker. There are more expensive tools that are dedicated to crimp removal.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[ocabj]

I have the RCBS swaging die kit. It works great for large rifle primer pockets (.30-06 and .308). I haven't had luck with the kit on .223. When I used it on LC .223, it didn't do a very good job at swaging away the pockets. I still had to use a primer pocket uniforming too to ream out material.

I think you are better off shelling out the money for the Dillon Super Swager.

[Deanimator]

Dillon makes a primer pocket swager for removing the primer crimps in military cases. It has a reversible tool for large and small primer pockets. Well worth the money if you have a lot of military brass.

[mek42]

I just bought a kit containing large and small primer pocket reamers and cleaners for use with a case trimmer. I'm new enough to reloading that I do not yet have a case trimmer (but am hoping to get on in May or June this year) and plan to carefully chuck the small reamer into my cordless drill (onto the smooth part - not the threaded part - of the shank.

I should get around to trying this method tomorrow and will report how it went.

The actual item: Lyman Ream/Clean Trimmer Adapter Set, Part No.: 7777795

I have no idea how long this has been on the shelf at my local gun shop.

Good luck!

[RustyFN]

I use a drill bit.
Rusty

[ROCKSHUND]

I have a Dillon 600 primer pocket swager on the way, if FedEx Ground can ever find my house!! And a fair pile of US NATO 7.62x51 brass waiting on it. That old mid-to-late '60s Twin Cities Arsenal brass is especially heavily crimped. -FNR.

[Khornet]

the RCBS with large and small pockets. Small works fine but is very tedious. Large doesn't swage enough and bends the case head.

I also have a tool from C-H which scores the case heads and doesn't swage all that well.

Forster makes a bit you can chuck in their little lathe-like case trimmer that chamfers the crimp away quickly and easily. It's the best option I've tried yet. Quick, effective, and easy on the hands.

The deburr tool is my second choice. It does the same as the Forster tool but slower and harder on the hands if you have any arthritis.

[mek42]

I broke my 223 die (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=268902) today and thus do not have a report about the effectiveness of chucking a reamer bit into the cordless drill. I'll report back with results when they are available.

Good luck!

[Liberty4Ever]

I was using a very inexpensive Lee Primer Pocket tool. You wouldn't want to process a lot of brass that way. The case neck deburring tool actually bevels out the entrance to the primer pocket but I was afraid it wasn't uniform and may take off too much brass resulting in loose primer pockets. I never had a problem, but I only did a few cases.

I bought an RCBS Primer Pocket Swager Combo (RCBS #9495). I use it on the Lee Classic Cast press. It works well on the .223 brass and it swages instead of chamfering, so no brass is removed. It does a good job of uniforming the primer pocket. The case stripper doesn't work, but it's not that big of a deal. I rock the brass and it tips off without any problem. Most of my brass doesn't need any primer pocket swaging, but it's easier to put the primer over the swager to test it. If it won't fit on top of the swager button, I push the brass up into the die and raise the ram to swage the primer pocket.

For all case trimming and chamfering, I thought the cordless drill would be great, but it's heavy and awkward. The little Lee Zip Trim actually does a very good job, and is much faster and more consistent.

[Khornet]

with a deburr tool or the like, over-chamfering the pocket doesn't hurt much. You'd have to remove a lot of metal to really shorten the pocket.

With the Forster rig I mentioned above, you could easily go too far. A light quick spin is all it takes.

[cheygriz]

I've had very BAD luck with the RCBS swager. The ONLY RCBS product I ever had a problem with.

I have a Dillon Super-Swage tool. A bit pricey, but I managed to swage the primer pockets of 5,000 MilSurp 9MM cases in one evening.:D

[Liberty4Ever]

cheygriz,

Can you elaborate? What kind of "bad luck" have you had with the RCBS Primer Pocket Swager Combo? I've only used the small primer pocket swager, so I don't know if it works with .308, but for .223 it's been fast and reliable. It seems very well built. This and the tumblng media case separator are the only two RCBS products I own. So far, I like the primer pocket swager. You sure we're talking about the same product (RCBS #9495)?

[ReloaderFred]

I've used my RCBS primer pocket swager for more years than I can remember and have been very happy with it. I've swaged 9x19, .38 Special (yes, some of the military .38 was crimped), .45 acp, 5.56, 7.62x51 and 30-06. You have to be sure to adjust it correctly, but that goes for any tool.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[nitesite]

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/product_images/044-9349.jpg

[cheygriz]

Can you elaborate? What kind of "bad luck" have you had with the RCBS Primer Pocket Swager Combo? I've only used the small primer pocket swager, so I don't know if it works with .308, but for .223 it's been fast and reliable. It seems very well built. This and the tumblng media case separator are the only two RCBS products I own. So far, I like the primer pocket swager. You sure we're talking about the same product (RCBS #9495)?

I got tired of the Lyman primer pocker reamer about 30 (?) years ago, so I got the press mounted swager from RCBS. After all, everyhing they make is great. (actually, it really is:D )

Anyway, It seemed to work fine, but when I tried to prime 9MM cases, it was almost impossible to get the primer in. Well, says I, no sweat, the small swager button is defective, but the "big un" oughta work!:D

So I swaged some .30-06 pockets. Same problem. I sent the buttons back and RCBS replaced them, but the new ones didn't work any better. Well, it was too small an investment to get real upset about.

A local commercial reloader had a case processing machine and a roll sizer. He cut me a deal, and roll sized and processed my MilSurp brass for $10/thousand. Including primer pocket reaming in the processor. (O.T., but that's a neat machine. 5,000 cases per hour ready to load!:) )

Anyway, a few yeare ago, I got a Dillon super swager, and it's a really neat tool. Almost no effort, FAST and swages the pockets to perfect size without "cutting away" part of the pocket the way the case processor did.

I can't seem to find anyone else that has had a problem with the RCBS swager, So maybe I had one of those one in a million incredibly bad luck experiences.:confused:

I'm happy to hear that they seem to work for most folks, but it didn't for me. OTOH, maybe thats a good thing, because if I had been satisfied with it, I wouldn't have bought my super fast Dillon!:D

[mek42]

I chucked the small primer pocket reamer into my cordless drill and milled 25 primer pocket about 5 minutes ago. The operation worked great and was faster than I foresee myself being able to operate a swaging tool. It took about 5 seconds or less per case to ream the crimp out.

I then primed the cases (20 of them) with my handheld Auto Prime tool without issue.

Hopefully I'll be able to get out to the range to shoot these this week. I'll check back in to let you know how they shot (i.e. were there any misfires, etc).

[cheygriz]

I chucked the small primer pocket reamer into my cordless drill and milled 25 primer pocket about 5 minutes ago. The operation worked great and was faster than I foresee myself being able to operate a swaging tool. It took about 5 seconds or less per case to ream the crimp out.

That sounds like a great idea!:)

[mek42]

Just got back from the range. No misfires for 20 rounds of LC 75 brass that was decrimped using the aforementioned small primer pocket reamer chucked in a cordless drill. This isn't the largest statistical population known to man, but it is enough so that I'll be power reaming the rest of my cases.

I hope whatever method the OP chooses for primer pocket crimp removal works for him.