Swage or Cut primer pocket crimp?

[dbarnhart]

"The Dillon is expensive"

That's what I said to myself and tried to find a cheaper solution. I bought the RCBS. I bought various other hand tools. None of them worked well and I found myself cussing at each one.

If I had just taken the money I spent on all the 'cheaper' solutions and spent it buying the Dillon in the first place I would have been money and time ahead.

 

[lykoris]

no experience of the others but when I researched it there was a lot praise for the dillon swager....so I picked it up and went through several thousands cases in a few hours.

It worked flawlessly and made short work of removing the crimp in mil brass.

It was worth every penny to me.

 

[GW Staar]

Some guy on eBay is selling high strength rods.

Hes a little too late. RCBS has upgraded their tool to include that. It's called the RCBS Primer Pocket Swager Combo 2

Quoting the Product Description:

This tool also features swaging rods that are made form stronger higher tensile strength steel that more than doubles the strength when comparing to the original tool.

Unfortunately Midway is out...again...they are still selling the old tool out of existing stock "on sale" of course. http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct
/default.aspx?productNumber=447022
If I was wanting one I wait for the new one.

Also, if you have a bent rod and call RCBS for replacement, ask for the new part # that has the high strength steel.

 

[Cherokee]

I used the RCBS tool for many years, then bought a Dillon swager. The Dillon is much better and faster, but also cost more. YMMV

 

[Sport45]

I remove military crimps with a Hornady primrt pocket reamer chucked in a drill. With the drill clamped in my bench vise, I can de-crimp cases about as fast as I can pick them up from one bucket and drop them into another.

I don't worry about the amount of brass lost when reaming crimps. It's no more material than you loose when trimming to length and it's at the thickest part of the case.