[P51D]

I was full length resizing some .223/5.56 assorted range brass last night. This is a new caliber for me for reloading. On one case, the depriming pin got stuck in the flash hole. It sucessfully decapped the case, but as the ram lowered, the pin pulled out of the stem/expander, and the pin remained stuck in the flash hole. It was a Boxer primed case. I was able to drive the pin out with a punch, re-insert the undamaged pin into the stem, and continue on.

The headstamp on the offending case had the letters "IK" (I think) on it. The flash hole diameter definitely looks smaller than most I've seen. The case looks like a military case, with a primer crimp and some red sealer.

Are Boxer flash hole diameters standardized?

Do large and small rifle cases usually have the same diameter flash holes?

Thanks

P51D

[USSR]

Do large and small rifle cases usually have the same diameter flash holes?

Usually, but not always. Hirtenberger 7.62/.308 brass is notorious for having undersized flash holes.

Don

[rscalzo]

On one case, the depriming pin got stuck in the flash hole

I've had that happen with some foreign brass. I don't push the issue because in the past not only the pin but the entire rod assembly bent. Easier to but dump that piece in the recycle bucket.

[243winxb]

IK http://www.igman.com/ammunition/ Primer flash holes come in all shapes and sizes, some are missing. I use a lyman flash hole uniforming tool for benchrest case prep. http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=729748

[ReloaderFred]

Flash holes are generally punched in the brass. Norma used to drill theirs, but I don't know if they still do or not. Some companies use different size punches for their brass and as the punches wear, the holes will get smaller. In your case, they probably started with a small size anyway.

I had this discussion with the technicians from Speer at the 2007 SHOT Show. At that time, they were contracting for some of their 357 Sig brass, since they couldn't keep up with the demand for this caliber. They had bought a bunch of brass, with Speer headstamp, from Starline, and those cases had smaller flash holes. A Dillon decapping pin wouldn't go through them, but RCBS, Redding and Lyman would.

I saved the brass by setting up a jig and drilling them the same size as the Speer brass. It was a chore, but I saved several thousand rounds of perfectly good brass.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[243winxb]

Most commercial cartridge manufacturers specify a 0.082" flash hole diameter. There are an increasing number of manufacturers using a 0.058" to 0.062" flash hole on some of the target cases such as the PPC, 6BR, and 223 Remington. If you are checking the .082" flash holes, use a #45 wire size drill bit as a gage. http://www.sinclairintl.com/newsletters/99b1.html

[1858]

Last night I was prepping some .300 Win Mag cases (W-W Super) and one of the 80 cases had a flash hole shaped like a sausage ... an elongated hole! I discarded that case but then it occurred to me that I could use it as a case trimming set up case ... I measured its length and it measured 0.005" under the trim-to length! :( So now it's basically scrap.

243winxb, I use a similar tool made by RCBS to debur the flash hole inside and out.

:)

Added in Edit: I suppose I could still use that "defective" case to zero the case trimmer then back out the adjustment nut by 0.005" ... better than wasting a nice, shiny case.

[SyberShooter]

The Hirtinberg 5.56 cases have small flash holes and usually pull my decapping pins out also. I now decap them with an old lee decapper and hammer. I threaded the decapper and put a big washer on it so the down stroke of the press pulles it out of the flashhole.Then I use a uniformer on them. I have some IMG and a couple outher oddball headstamps do similar to my decappers.

[P51D]

Thanks, all. ReloaderFred, I set up my drill press to drill down through the case mouth to enlarge the flash hole enough to keep the pin from getting stuck. I do this before decapping. A little time consuming, but as you say, it's saving some otherwise perfectly good brass.

Win243xb - thanks for the flash hole specs, the #45 drill bit info, and the Sinclair link.

P51D

[243winxb]

Something like this might help http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n420/joe1944usa/IMG_2979.jpg Another thread on same subject. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=5411076#post5411076