Sam Adams
Member
I've been reloading a bunch of .223/5.56 mm brass for load testing lately, and I've had a big problem with seating primers. Here are the specifics:
1) I've mostly been using Israeli brass (either TZ, TZZ or IMI headstamps), or Winchester brass from Q3131A.
2) I have a Lee press and Lee dies. Once I decap and size, I do any necessary trimming, and also clean out the primer pockets with the Lee tool.
3) I then load primers using the Lee hand-priming tool. I've used it for MANY years in various calibers, and never had problems. Now, however, when I try to load Federal match primers, I experience a lot of resistance and many of them get only partially seated. Sometimes I'm able to salvage the brass after removing the damaged primer, sometimes not.
I am EXTREMELY frustrated, and I'm losing primers, brass and time like crazy. Does anyone have an explanation and/or suggestion as to how to avoid this problem in the future? Could it be that because this is mil-spec brass, I have to ream out the primer pockets?
P.S. I loaded up a bunch of misc. brass (Remington, Federal, Lake City) that I found on the range to use as fouling shots prior to load testing - with WSR primers - and had NO problems. They all seated easily, quickly and (to my eye) perfectly.
1) I've mostly been using Israeli brass (either TZ, TZZ or IMI headstamps), or Winchester brass from Q3131A.
2) I have a Lee press and Lee dies. Once I decap and size, I do any necessary trimming, and also clean out the primer pockets with the Lee tool.
3) I then load primers using the Lee hand-priming tool. I've used it for MANY years in various calibers, and never had problems. Now, however, when I try to load Federal match primers, I experience a lot of resistance and many of them get only partially seated. Sometimes I'm able to salvage the brass after removing the damaged primer, sometimes not.
I am EXTREMELY frustrated, and I'm losing primers, brass and time like crazy. Does anyone have an explanation and/or suggestion as to how to avoid this problem in the future? Could it be that because this is mil-spec brass, I have to ream out the primer pockets?
P.S. I loaded up a bunch of misc. brass (Remington, Federal, Lake City) that I found on the range to use as fouling shots prior to load testing - with WSR primers - and had NO problems. They all seated easily, quickly and (to my eye) perfectly.