Berden Brass - cautionary tale

[gpurp]

What head stamps are more likely to be Berdan? I just got 1000 pieces of range brass in .223. So far I'm seeing mostly LC FC and RP.

 

[MErl]

the one that got me just had a 90 on one side and a 74 on the other.

Primer was staked in at one spot instead of crimped all the way around.

 

[mstreddy]

gpurp: What head stamps are more likely to be Berdan? I just got 1000 pieces of range brass in .223. So far I'm seeing mostly LC FC and RP.

The berdan primed 223 I've come across is mostly European or other source. It won't be LC, FC, RP, Win or any of the typical US brands. I have seen some PPU as berdan, but it's been the ones with the "nny" head stamps.
I sort all my rifle brass by head stamps, so any I come across with an unknown brand gets the flashlight shined inside.
Numbered head stamps as MErl mentioned are likely indicators of surplus ammo, so good habit to keep the flashlight handy.
I too have encountered the oddball Berdan primed 9mm case. Again it's been Euro brass from some makes. I"ll have to check what head stamps those were.

 

[Match10]

As to Lee replacing it? Not so much. My Lee dies are 20 years old, and they wanted to charge me for my .270 that broke... I replaced it with RCBS.

The best advice is to really inspect your brass before you do anything else!

 

[ConstantStudent]

I've been very lucky using a powerful magnet to pull out any suspected 'BAD' primed cases. Is there any possibility I will have non-magnetic cases that still have Berden primers?

 

[MErl]

The steel ones went straight in a recycle bucket. (and some of them were boxer/reloadable)

This was a non magnetic brass case. Yes there are berden brass cases.

Funny to see people mention the lee universal deprimer. I was looking at that but it also is sold out. I'll just have to be more gentle with the press.

 

[25cschaefer]

My friend and I started reloading recently and it was the first time we had used this particular die set. The first three were a rough to de cap so we thought it was dirty, the forth one snapped the pin and we discovered that we were converting brass, three holes.

 

[rondog]

Oh yeah, there's lots of Berdan primed brass cases out there, they're not restricted to steel. You'll find them in many calibers too, some you wouldn't expect.

And I deprime EVERYTHING with my Lee Universal Decapping Die. Everything.

 

[Zeke/PA]

There is plenty of info herein to help you with the Berdan/Boxer primed dilema.
I don't reload the .223's but my friends do and I only submit the Remington,Federal and Winchester brass to them after a range pick-up session. MOST are once fired!
The Mil/Surp stuff is another issue and head stamps must be considered.
If in doubt, a bore light in the case mouth will tell the tale.

 

[jackdaddycustoms]

i'm with rondog, lee decapper and run 'em all through there. i have hornady dies but the zip spindle doesn't always zip and a berdan primed case ruined my day once. hornady replaced the spindle assembly but i had already ordered a lee decapper and received it before the new spindle arrived. best purchase i have ever made as far as reloading for range 223 goes.

 

[rondog]

FWIW - I've mentioned this before, but these are the handiest pocket flashlights ever! Get 'em at WalMart in the Sporting Goods area, cost $2.98 each. I use them many times every day, and they're wonderful for looking inside rifle cases or general gun inspections or bore inspections. Buy one, and you'll go back for more of them. Only uses a single AAA battery, and it'll last for months with heavy usage.