Hydraulically depriming Berdan Brass and US source of Berdan primers

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hang fire

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Did a search and reloading Berdan primed brass has been addressed, but as this is a bit different, will throw it into the mix.

I just ordered 480 rounds of Swiss 7.5x55 GP11 ammo and came across the following for reloading the excellent GP11 Berdan primed cases.

The use of a reloading press and Lee universal depriming die, to hydraulically deprime Berdan Brass, it appears to be simple, fast, and involves little effort.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQNDgjcgofY&feature=fvw


And then these sources of Berdan primers available here in the US.

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/...ategoryId/3986 (currently out of stock)

http://www.dagammo.com/shop/non-corr...mers-p-47.html
 
That's one of those, "why didn't I think of that" ideas.
 
Ditto +1 on that.

I will be going that route, for as I understand it, the GP11 brass is some of the finest out there., so I look at it this way. I bought 100 pieces of 7.5x55 Prvi bras from Grafs, and it was $52.00. Got the 480 rounds of GP11 for $242.00, or $50.00 a hundred, so basically got the live ammo for free, and the once fired better quality brass cheaper than the unfired.
 
How many different Berdan primers are there? Is it hard to figure which ones you need for a certain cartridges?
They are numbered, and there are more choices due to different diameters and seating depths.

The .217 large rifle primer would be the one of most possible interest to reloaders here in the US. I suspect in the not to distant future the reloading with Berdan primers will be on the increase. Due to lack of correct reloading equipment, presently there is more work involved in reloading with Berdan primers. But as in all things, if sufficient market demand arises and a profit is to be had, some entity will step forward to fill the need.

http://www.dagammo.com/shop/non-cor...7/kv762n-large-rifle-berdan-primers-p-47.html

The Nato (.217") size and correct Cup height for all .217" Berdan Pocket cases of "European Military Rifle" calibers (7.9mm, 7mm, 7.65mm, 8mm Steyr, Euro .30/06, Euro .303 Br., 7.62R Albania, Czech, etc. 7.5MAS, 7.5 Swiss, 6.5 Swede, 7.62 Nato.)
 
“Hydraulically de-priming Berdan Brass and US source of Berdan primers”

Not a new ideal, Hydraulic de-priming has been around for years, case forming instead of fire forming has been around for years, something about water that makes it a solid, a fluid and at the same time allows it to flow, I have used a solid metal rod and hammer, problem, the Old Western Scrounger sold Berdan primers at the same cost of bullets. There was no advantage, forming cases” It was heaper to purchase forming dies and as was pointed out, it is a bit messy, in the old days it was messier

F. Guffey
 
Granted there is really nothing new under the sun, but be that as it may. Some people need reminding, OTOH, for most people, history started on the day they were born, and there are a lot of post 1960s reloader’s out there.

I am going to be doing it to accumulate some excellent low cost brass like the GP11 7.5x55 Swiss. Not to mention I am 74, and long retired, so don't mind the extra effort and time involved while enjoying my hobbies.
 
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Works now for me, but did not before, got the "Video currently unavailable" on a blank screen.
 
Either way it looks like a good idea if you have a fair bit of this brass hanging around and it gives the hand loader more options.
 
Pays to have a lot of respect for highly compressed water and other liquids.

About 50 years ago I worked as a maintenance mechanic in a Reynolds's aluminum extrusion plant. IIRC, the huge old Schulman horizontal aluminum extrusion presses operated at 46,000 psi. (today they have extrusion presses operating at 4,000 tons) It took an entire row of large hydraulic pumps, with rather small reciprocating plungers to achieve the pressures required.

One day a press operator was standing over a two inch line when it burst, literally cutting him in half.
 
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