Prepping rifle brass, still learning.

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kmw1954

kmw1954

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In this instance I am still processing 223 brass and getting it prepared for loading. At this time I am uniforming primer pockets on some Fiocchi GFL brass that was given to me from a friend, all once fired from the same gun and never touched the ground. This brass does not have crimped primers but I have been using my RCBS primer pocket uniform tool on it all the same.

Some there has been hardly any material removed while others has much more from the bottom of the pocket. This batch is a total of 400pcs with the boxes and all the same lot number. So the question is this, is it really necessary to do these primer pockets? Will it make that much of a difference?

I don't mind doing this as it is being done while watching TV and I figure I have all winter to get this done and as far as I know it only needs to be done once and besides I am nearly exhausted of SRP and not enough TAC powder to do much else.
 
I don’t know what tool you are using but I don’t generally like to work in such large batches with a new tool or process.

I would prefer to take 20 rounds or so to test with, then if I can see an improvement or at least know things didn’t get worse. Less likely to mess up a bunch of brass that way.

Not sure how many hundreds of thousands of rounds I have shot that haven’t had the primer pockets modified since they were manufactured. The extra work being one factor, already have to swage the entrance on crimped ones. Having primers fall out of a pocket makes it only good for scrap.
 
Johnnyd said:
Unless you are shooting bullseye I would not waste the time.
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DukeConnor said:
uniforming primer pockets correctly will help primer seating issues. Especially if using mixed brass.
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That... and that. I consider it a waste of time... my primer pocket cutter sets unused for the past 25 years. It is, however, critical you seat primers at or below flush on ammunition intended for autoloaders, and particularly AR's (and other firearms with a floating firing pin...) so it can't hurt to uniform them.
 
The only reason I run my brass over a uniformer is to make sure all the crud is cleaned out. I load on a progressive and really dislike any priming issues. Uniforming has made no noticeable difference in accuracy that I can tell.
 
The only thing I do to my primer pockets since forever is to use the CH4D swaging tool to remove primer crimps after first decapping. I do clean with SS pins after primer removal though. BUT I am not a long distance shooter either.
 
I suppose I would uniform the pockets for any sort of accuracy rifle. I wouldn't really expect it to accomplish anything, but when dealing with a small set of matched cases, well, it's a hobby, right?

There's a fine line between "hobby" and "second job", though. I'm not going through the primer pockets of hundreds of cases unless someone is paying me to do it!
 
Thanks everyone. Every comment makes sense . Guess part of this exercise was after I went thru and did about 600 Lake City and PSD brass I have and then moved on to this GFL brass. So now I have about 1k pcs of 223 brass that has been processed and now ready to load and will now use this and cycle it thru until it's gone. Besides the season is about over at the range I've been working and doubt I'll be picking up much more for awhile.
 
I only mess with primer holds if theres a crimp. I do anneal most rifle brass. This does really help with Neck sizing. If you are match loading ammo or have a primer pocket issue I wouldn't worry about it.
 
I've glommed onto a lot of range brass over the years both rifle and pistol. I like to run all brass that's new to me through all the prep steps including primer pockets. After I "know" the brass, I don't do it again. I have a 9" lathe that makes it pretty easy.
 
I use a hand tool to seat my primers. I can definitely tell a difference between when I clean and don't clean the primer pocket. I just use a little metal hand tool that has large on one side and small on the other. If you are most concerned about time, you could get a motorized case prep station. A little motor spins brushes and tools to do prep operations like clean pockets, debur etc.
 
Not too concerned about the time factor, more so is if it is worth the time and effort to make a difference. I did this on the crimped brass as it also helped clean up the pockets from the reamer.
 
Can't help you with the SRP, but Recob (Wisconsin, ships Speedee for lower hasmat) has BL-C, W748 and CFE 223 in stock 8lbs. Don't know your specific application, but all of these should be suitable where you're using Tac.

As for the original question, it's probably overkill. I've been a pretty serious service rifle shooter, and never felt the need to take this step. Won't hurt, but probably could not notice the difference with anything but a highly tuned target rifle.
 
Random 8 said:
Can't help you with the SRP, but Recob (Wisconsin, ships Speedee for lower hasmat) has BL-C, W748 and CFE 223 in stock 8lbs. Don't know your specific application, but all of these should be suitable where you're using Tac.

As for the original question, it's probably overkill. I've been a pretty serious service rifle shooter, and never felt the need to take this step. Won't hurt, but probably could not notice the difference with anything but a highly tuned target rifle.
Click to expand...

Three part answer to two responses.

I have been to Recobs, great place and if they ever get primers back in stock I will be making the 2hr drive just to get them. I also do have BL-C2 powder on hand but I have not started using it yet and have no loads developed for it whereas the TAC I do have loads.

I have never worked primer pockets on pistol brass in the many years I have reloaded but then none of those ever had crimped primers either. This primer pocket stuff is all new to me which is why the comment that "I'm still learning." The First 2 hundred 223 I loaded were done with PMC and GFL brass and all went very well w/o touching primer pockets so I suppose that should tell me something.

Dudedog, I have not experienced any difficulties with the GFL brass that I have processed. Right now I have over 600pcs on the bench prepped and ready to reload. 200+ of those are mixed range pickup from over the summer and 400 of those are from the same shooter, same gun, same lot. These are all right now setting in loading blocks with the primer pockets facing up and after uniforming these 400 one at a time I have looked at each one.

I will admit that there are a few that the flash holes are not perfectly centered but they are also not off far enough that I experienced problems removing the primers. I will add that all flash holes were completely round and well defined unlike some brass I have seen. I will continue to use this brass until it is all junk. However long that takes.
 
Dudedog said:
Watch the flash holes in that brass, I got some where they were way off center
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I process all the GFL brass I pickup by dropping it in the recycle bucket, that and some other notorious brands. Granted, I have enough other brass to keep me busy, so I can pick and choose.

If I were to do anything, as far as conditioning, it would be to uniform the flash hole, not necessarily the primer pocket.
 
Not too concerned about the time factor, more so is if it is worth the time and effort to make a difference.
Click to expand...

Thats what it boils down to with me. I have won my fair share of 3 gun matches with mixed brass, processed and loaded on progressive presses. Almost all of the rounds were loaded without me touching a single one until I case gauge them.

Only way you can see what, if any, difference is made, is to test with your combination. After that, you can decide if the reward is worth the work.

For some folks, they like doing it or think simply adding manual labor to any process improves quality and consistency. They might not even test their reloaded ammunition against the factory ammunition they got the fired case from...

So there are lots of folks pouring time and effort into reloading that give them a product inferior to the ones that were made by the thousands an hour, with very little human interaction but they don’t know that and are perfectly happy.
 
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jmorris said:
Thats what it boils down to with me. I have won my fair share of 3 gun matches with mixed brass, processed and loaded on progressive presses. Almost all of the rounds were loaded without me touching a single one until I case gauge them.

Only way you can see what, if any, difference is made, is to test with your combination. After that, you can decide if the reward is worth the work.

For some folks, they like doing it or think simply adding manual labor to any process improves quality and consistency. They might not even test their reloaded ammunition against the factory ammunition they got the fired case from...

So there are lots of folks pouring time and effort into reloading that give them a product inferior to the ones that were made by the thousands an hour, with very little human interaction but they don’t know that and are perfectly happy.
Click to expand...
I agree with that. I went through a phase of doing every possible step.
I did find running a uniformer in once fired 223 brass made life easier for primer seating.
My accurate guns get full brass work up.
My AR gets fed whatever
brass I take out of the tumbler.
I lose a quarter inch at one hundred on a gun that only gets shot to about 250 yards. But I have hours of work...
 
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