223 primer crimp removal

[edfardos]

I'm about to load my first 223 cartridges (waiting for a shell plate), and I'm evaluating my components which consist of FC and LC(+) brass. I'll be loading the FC brass first, which is once-fired, and I'm assuming it's military brass with a crimped pocket. Since I've never seen a crimped primer, I decided to see what happens when you insert a primer into a crimped pocket. I put a few spent primers in my press and started priming the brass with the spent primers. Unexpectedly, they all inserted just fine!? I then did the same thing with the LC(+) brass, and got the same result.

So are crimped primer pockets loadable for the most part? just squish a primer now and then?

I was about to decrimp all my brass with my deburr tool, but I don't know how much brass to take off to remove the crimp. I figured I'd grind off a little, and see if they accepted a primer, then grind off a little more, until I found the "just right mount" to file off. But they primed w/o any crimp removal.

am I missing something?

thanks,
-edfardos

 

[W.E.G.]

I load LC crimped-primer .223 brass without bothering to remove the crimp.

I use a Lee hand tool.

Sometimes a primer is a little extra-tight, and you gotta use some finesse.

Rarely, a primer just won't go.
Don't force it.
Just pull the shell holder and pop the stuck primer loose with a narrow-tip screwdriver before you crush it.
You can ream THAT case. I'll bet you won't have even 1% that won't take a primer from the Lee tool.

At least that has been my experience with my tools and my brass.

The only brass that was a complete fail with the Lee tool was crimped 9mm brass.
I had to swage that stuff to get primers in it.

 

[T Bran]

I actually put a slight bevel on the edge of the primer pocket to ensure easy alignment of the new primer. Yes some will seat even with the crimp in place but it isnt uniform and shaves some brass from the new primers. My guess is that when you deprimed the old primers they were also resized to some extent. It is very unlikely that the new primers will behave the same way. Before I realized that some of my Hornandy brass had crimped primers I managed to seat a couple but crushed them pretty badly while others would not seat at all.
GOOD LUCK
T

 

[edfardos]

Okay, thanks for the help. So the brass is probably crimped, and I'm just not (yet) noticing the ill effects. So just take a tiny amount of brass off with the debur tool so it has more of a radius than a sharp edge?

I'm concerned about a large radius on the edge of the primer pocket because it'll be an issue if you get bad primers (primers which pierce at the corner instead of flow).

I'll just "kiss" off the crimp and see how it goes. Like a quarter turn with the deburr tool with one pound of pressure. Cool?

thanks a bunch!
-edfardos

 

[T Bran]

That's all you really need just even up the top with the sides of the pocket. Take a look at a factory round that has no crimp they have even more bevel than I use but it is a good guideline.
T

 

[medalguy]

Do a little and try new primers. Remember it's easy to take more off, but super glue and brass shavings don't work so well....

 

[amlevin]

Some military crimps were applied more "vigorously" than others. If the crimp was light, the de-priming probably removed enough of the "lip" to allow a new primer to be seated easy enough. Some crimps can actually deform the primer pocket, upsetting metal farther down into the cavity than necessary.

I prefer to use a swaging tool to cure not only any deforming of the pocket but to also put a small radius (not chamfer like reamers do) on the mouth of the primer pocket. I prefer to "reform" the metal rather than "remove" it.

 

[CHALK22]

I use the RCBS swaging die kit. It works very well, but is kinda tedious one at a time, but at least you fingers/hands wont cramp up from using a standard deburring tool.

 

[P-32]

Be aware 223 Federal brass is heavy and pretty much junk if shooting in a gas gun. You will have to work your load back up when you move away from the Federal. Don't be surprised if primers fall out after shooting them a couple of times. I will not load Federal 223 brass.

I like to swage crimped primer pockets and follow up with uniforming. I like the "feel" of a swaged pocket over a cut one. Uniforming the primer pocket has been the most return for the buck accuracy wise. Some brass is right on though.

If you are going to do allot of GI brass may I suggest the Dillon Super Swage. About $90.00 but it sure makes life easy.

 

[edfardos]

thanks p32, will swaging shrink an oversized pocket as well? Like you said, when the primer falls out or leaks, it's junk. I have lake city LC(+) brass as well. Which is worse? LC or FC?

thanks,
edfardos

 

[helotaxi]

will swaging shrink an oversized pocket as well?

Not with the same tool. There is a tool out there that is supposed to be able to reform an expanded primer pocket. It isn't worth the cost in time and money for .223 brass

Which is worse? LC or FC?

Worse with regard to what? Crimps or overall case quality? For crimps, unless you get it "virgin", new, never loaded, or find a stash of match loads, LC will always have a crimp. Part of the mil-spec under which it is loaded. Many people, myself included, find the quality of LC brass high enough that it is worth dealing with the crimp to be able to use it. The crimp only has to be dealt with once.

FC brass on the other hand, many people will not bother with because of their reputation for primer pockets loosening quickly.

Personally, I have the Dillon swage tool that I bought for LC brass, and it isn't that big a deal to remove the crimp from the FC brass while I'm at it. FC is short from the factory (cost savings I'd imagine) so it doesn't require trimming (LC always has to be trimmed when acquired once fired) which offsets the prep time from removing the crimp. I load the cases once with practice loads and either stash them or put them in the bin for training use. Once they've been fired, I don't bother looking for them other than to put them in the recycle bin so I don't worry about loosing one or many.