removing .223 crimps with a drill bit

I've done quite a few cases that way with no problems that I know of..........jh

There's no problem cutting the crimp out as long as primers still fit snug in the pockets. It's the way I remove crimps in the huge 50BMG case. I've seen cases such as Black Hills that have the primer crimp cut out similiar to your pics. I use the RCBS swage tool and it is adequate and I have used my case mouth deburr tool to cut the crimp on a few cases. You want to keep the countersink cut to a minimum depth that will barely remove the crimp. If the cut exposes the sides of the primer below the radius of the cup then it may be a tiny bit deep?

The lyman case prep kit +/- $25 has a crimp remover that I chuck in a drill and only takes off what's necessary plus it comes with a nifty deburrer that does the inside chamfer at the same time, a real timesaver.

I think there is too much of the side removed. I know some guys just seem to have to do things fast, but I like the "feel" of a swaged primer pocket. The Dillon Super Swage is the only way to go if you have a bunch of GI brass.

The other thing Federal brass is nothing but trouble.......

It looks like a little too much to me too. As long as the primer stays put when fired. I would load only a few and try them before I loaded hundreds.

Pay <$10 for a Lyman primer pocket reamer and do it right.

RCBS swage set for under $30 is the way to go for infrequent crimped primers. I save them up and do them all when I need to (like trimming).

I used to do the same thing but I had primers that were flattening into the chamfer and I decided to do it the "right" way.

I have a set of three stepped drill bits. That larger two of the set are good for removing crimps from both large and small primer pockets. The single cutting edge provides a chatter free cut and the bits aren't that sharp so the chances of removing too much material is reduced.

tlen said:

Pay <$10 for a Lyman primer pocket reamer and do it right.

Click to expand...

+1 Cheap and easy.

I used a drill bit for to remove the crimp for many rounds. Yours look to me that you took too much metal away. All you need to do is remove just a little sharp edge of the crimp not any brass from the case head.
Have you shot any of these? How did the primers look? Am thinking that they could flatten or blow out the sides.
Got to see if I can find any of mine to compare.
Good luck

+1

The photo's appear to show you took off way too much metal that should have been left there to support the side of the primer cups.

I'm not even sure that one in the photos would be safe to shoot at full pressure.

If you get primer flattening, there is nothing left to keep the primer cup from blowing out.

The object of reaming out the crimp is just to remove the "lip" that projects inside the primer pocket, and no more.

rc

I use a very dull drill bit but don't take off as much as in the picture. I have been thinking about getting one of the reamers mentioned above.
Rusty

When I first started reloading in 1962, all I had to trim GI primer pockets was a sharp Case pocket-knife.

The intent was not to make a tapered funnel out of it, but to go around the pocket with the blade at almost the same angle as the primer pocket wall, and just trim out the lip inside the pocket that prevented a new primer from being seated.

That leaves full primer pocket support all the way up the primer.

rc

"I think there is too much of the side removed."

Me too. That's a lot more unsupported primer than I would be comfortable with. What's the thickness of a primer cup, about .020"?

Not sure that I would feel comfortable removing that much support from around the base of the primer. I suppose the bolthead will hold it in place.

Personally, I no longer spend the time to prep Federal 223 brass.

I must be cheap, but I use my chamfer/deburing tool to remove pocket crimps...

Walkalong
but I use my chamfer/deburing tool to remove pocket crimps...

Yep, did some .223 a couple of days ago. "Processed" once fired brass I bought from Midway years ago. It still needed a little help on some of them. RCBS chamfer tool to the rescue, although I did mutilate a few primers. (And they did not go bang or anything)

Click to expand...

Me to I did a couple hundred last night and have a few more sitting here waiting for a few quick turns of the deburring tool right now....

I was thinking of buying one of these

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=295771

Probably just chuck the deburring tool in a drill press and adjust the drill stop...

I also think that too much material was removed.

I use this Hornady product purchased from Midway Hornady primer pocket reamer - small. The reamer is designed to both remove the crimp inside the pocket as well as put a slight chamfer on the lip of the pocket. It is also available in the two part "tool" which includes the handle. Chuck it in a VSR drill, lock the speed and ream to your heart's content.

I measured the cutting depth of this product and if just bottomed out in the pocket, it will not over cut the pocket. The flat bottom helps to prevent over-cutting, but I'm sure that if someone wanted to, they could over do it.