The notorious and infamous RCBS swager

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ironhat

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Man, I've been reading posts for the last 1.5 hours on using this tool and even the one asking how swagging works fell back to post after post of, "It's easy", and "Buy the Dillon, if you canafford it". If I could get someone to just explain what the device is trying to do maybe I'd understand why it doesn't seem to be doing anyting.

I fiinally got the die adjusted so that the rod is just touching the web inside the case and I did manage to get the 'nub' shoved to the hilt into the primer pocket but it still doesn't accept a primer. I don't see a change in the pocket - the crimp sure seems to till be there. I think that all I did was to deform the brass but only a trace come off on the 'nub'. I stuck the case into my Trim-mate pocket trimmer but it seems to be doing an uneven job.

Sorry to so dense and there's no flame intended here. It's just the frustration of coming across 1K, 5.56 rounds and a swager for free and not being able to use it that has me fried!

Thanks again,
Chiz
 
I have one I bought used at a gun show probably 20 years ago. They are a PITA, but they do work. :)

I would hate to think I had to do 1K with it. A twist of the RCBS deburring tool will work, just don't get carried away.

I am looking at having to do a bunch soon, and I won't be doing them with the RCBS. I am going to break down and buy the Dillon I believe.

Hornady makes a relatively cheap alternative. ABout like using the deburring tool though.
 
Lyman makes a primer pocket reamer for their deburring tool. That tool is nothing more than a cordless screw driver. So if you have one of those get the lyman pocket reamer small and large and chuck it in your drill. No chance of screwing anything up like making the primer pocket to large.

I had the RCBS die and sold it to much of a hassle. Plus I could go through a 500 piece bag of 223 in about 40 minutes while sitting on the floor with a small garbage can and watching family guy.
 
I guess what I 'need' to know is is if what I'm seeing in the primer pocket is a cylinder that is pressed into a normal sized pocket. Am I trying to remove that or is what I'm seeing just a rim of material that has been pulled up against the primer and I will always see a circle (or a portion of one) around the primer pocket?

EDIT: After digging around in the pocket with a dental probe it sure seems that the circle I'm seeing is where the brass was pressed to extrude a little brass and press it against the primer. The swager compresses the brass back to return the pocket to near-normal size. I'm going to experiment a bit. Since I do complete case prep on new brass I will try swaging and then pocket reaming and reaming alone. I'm betting that the Trim-mate will be faster and kill two processes with one procedure.
 
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i had the same problem. called rcbs and they told me to make sure that the rod inside the die is adjusted down as little a possible if that makes any sense. the more the rod protrudes from the die body the greater chance you have of bending it, it happens, they'll replace it free. you will still have the ring which you are describing but the pocket will be swaged to the proper dimensions. on some cases there will be a sharp edge left that will catch when you go to seat the primer, to fix this just give a quick twist with your deburring tool. the easiest way i found to do this fast is to actually put the case into the die and then run the ram up to case. its easier to align this way.
 
Adjust the push rod of the die up until the threads bottom out against the top of the die on the inside. Then tighten the lock nut on the stem so it can't move. Now, with the primer pocket anvil in your ram, and the sleeve over the anvil, adjust the die down until the press handle tops over with the brass case in place. That means the brass is against both the anvil and the push rod as tight as it can get.

After you eject the brass off the anvil with the sleeve, the edge of the primer pocket should be slightly rounded, but not much. If you have a magnifying glass, that will help to compare the before and after.

Once you've achieved this slight rollover of the mouth of the primer pocket, then lock the die in place. That should take care of it.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
Sorry, kelbro, it's a Rock Chucker II. I think that I have die adjusted as everyone has recommended. With a swagged case in the die I pulled the ram lever the whole way back so that the case was down on the nub. Then, I turned the die down until I saw the ram begin to move. Then, I backed off a half turn on the die and it seems good. Like I said, I think the Trim Mate will be the quicker answer. This is too much like work - LOL. I had better get a thiumb and finger cot (those little rubber tips you see the teller using at the bank) so that I can grip 1K cases without getting blisters and tendonitis.:D
 
Some heavily crimped pockets are difficult. A couple twists of your case mouth deburr tool to just remove a little of the crimp, before swaging, eases the effort. Not trying to remove the crimp with the cutter, just a little material. Next, a little case lube on the swager every now and then eases the effort too.
I adjust the swager so that the press handle is just past horizontal when the swager enters the pocket. Whether this is the correct way or not, I bang the press handle pretty hard and on heavy crimps I bang the handle down twice. I've yet to bend a rod and I've swaged a few thousand .223 and 30-06 cases.
 
RCBS presses work, sometimes others don't. My only problem (after I bent the first rod) was smashing my fingers when I popped the case off on the upstroke. Adding a ball to the handle and a little case lube on the button helped that :) I swaged a lot of brass with the RCBS before I found a good deal on the Dillon. The Dillon is a nice piece of machinery that works very well but the RCBS works almost as well for a lot less $$.
 
I bought the Dillon after struggling with the RCBS for years. I have also used a drill in the drill press and in a cordless drill, and I have reamed by hand. When I came across a 5 gal bucket of Lc 30-06 cases and a 5 gal bucket of FC 96,97,98 45 ACP brass I broke down and went to Dillon. Well worth the $95.00 or so.
 
Ironhat, there is a conflict with the instructions, as I have said, the web thickness is not the same on all cases, there is as much as .070 difference between commercial and military. I have the RCBS, somewhere. I use the RCBS case prep center, when it is not being use to remove military crimps it can make short work of preparing cases, a crimp is removed once, prepping case never ends.

I have seen some bevel the edge of the primer pocket, I would discourage this, the primer pocket has a small radius, a bevel reduces support of the primer.

F. Guffey
 
Kelbro said:
a little case lube on the button helped
Click to expand...
It helps a bunch!

They do work, but not with mixed brass, and not without some effort & careful adjustment.

I have done several thousand .223, .308, and 30-06 through the years, and they do work!

rc
 
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