#2 Philips/Drill to remove crimp?

[777funk]

I noticed that a small touch with a #2 philips tip in a cordless drill leaves a nice small chamfer and removes the crimp on a small rifle primer pocket. Has anyone else done/tried this? Curious what the results were for others.

My only complaint there is that it's done by "feel" vs an absolute setting. I haven't tested it over a large number of cases but so far with the few I've done, it seems to work fine.

 

[rcmodel]

Yes.

Over the years I have progressed for a sharp pocketknife blade, to a phillips screwdriver, to a chamfer/deburring tool, to a real primer pocket reamer, to swaging tools.

It will get you by if you don't overdo it.

rc

 

[beatledog7]

I avoid using a drill because it doesn't give much control. I did it by hand until I got tired of blisters and popped for an RCBS (other companies make similar machines) case prep station. I wear a medical glove to aid in gripping cases.

 

[mdi]

I have been using a countersink for mebbe 20+ years. From my metal working, I had several laying around and used what was handy. As it turns out, a countersink, cutting the primer crimp from military brass, works as good as any dedicated reamer/cutter/etc. and much cheaper.

But, yeah, that screw driver bit will work. You can even sharpen it if it gets worn doen.

 

[Mike 27]

The Lee chamfer tool works pretty well and cheap. I used it before I got the swager kit. It was taking a bit to long.

 

[GLOOB]

My only complaint there is that it's done by "feel" vs an absolute setting.

I use a countersink in a drill. No problem. I just repeat the same pressure and duration using a drill with a fixed speed. You're batch processing, aren't you? And anyhow, the cut is somewhat self-limiting. The deeper you cut, the slower the cutting gets.

I prime on my press, so YMMV, here. Additionally, what I do is chamfer just a moderate amount, to where most of the pockets are fine. Then I keep the drill handy anytime I'm priming 223/308. If the primer doesn't go in easy on a case, I take the case out and chamfer it just a little. I actually end up putting a light chamfer some cases that didn't initially have any crimp. This is so I don't end up checking the same cases, over and over. If the primer doesn't start easy, it gets chamfered.

 

[KansasSasquatch]

I use a corded drill, a pocket reamer bit from a Lyman hand tool, a vise, and 2 pieces of duct tape. The reamer bit threads get wrapped in a small piece of tape, then the bit gets chucked into the drill. The drill goes in the vise, plug it in, wrap the other piece of tape around the drill's handle and trigger, setting it to a usable speed (takes some fiddlin') and get to reaming. Cheap, easy enough to use, perfect pockets, and I already had everything laying around. Someday I'll get around to picking up a Dillon SS600, but this works for now.

 

[hentown]

I chuck the cases in my drill; use a hand-held Hornady primer pocket reamer. Recently tried the press-mounted RCBS swager and it was a p.o.s. Sent it back to Midway for a refund.

 

[Cranky CJ]

drill press, counter sink and a little jig to hold the case. with the press I can get a very good feel for each round. seems to work just fine.

 

[1SOW]

Hornady reamer "bit" only in the drill press. The drill press "stops" give a consistant depth. I've over 1000 9mm WCC crimped cases (same size as small rifle) that now seat perfectly in my turret press.

 

[cfullgraf]

I noticed that a small touch with a #2 philips tip in a cordless drill leaves a nice small chamfer and removes the crimp on a small rifle primer pocket. Has anyone else done/tried this? Curious what the results were for others.

My only complaint there is that it's done by "feel" vs an absolute setting. I haven't tested it over a large number of cases but so far with the few I've done, it seems to work fine.

The problem with using a #2 Phillips bit is most are not very good quality and probably will not last very long when used as a chamfer tool. Heck, they do not last when used as designed as a screw driver bit.

You would spend some time searching for and some dollars getting a good hardened bit that might last a reasonable time.

As a stop gap measure, use what ever works, but using a #2 Phillips bit for long term crimp removal tool is being penny wise and pound foolish.

Get a tool designed for cutting metal. You will be happier in the long run.

 

[Mel1776]

Over 40+ years, I've done everything that RC and some others have done. Have not used the #2 Phillips bits from my sets, rather the cheapo, bulk bits that wear out quickly. I'm now very happy with my RCBS Primer Pocket Swager Tool. Would rather push the metal back where it belongs than cut it out.

 

[lightman]

I'm like RC on this,I've used about everything.I even knew an old Bullseye shooter that used the tang end of a file.It was good hard steel,and the taper allowed it to cut until it bottomed out.It worked great!I finally progressed to a Dillon 600. Lightman