To swage or ream .223 brass mil crimp

[devils4ever]

I bought some American Eagle .223 Remington ammo and found that it has a military crimp on the primer pocket. I thought only mil 5.56 ammo had the crimp?!? Now, I need to figure out which is the economical way to get this removed: swaged or reamed.

I've used my RCBS Trim Mate Prep Center in the past on .30-06 mil brass using their crimp remover and pocket uniformer attachments. It seemed to work fine, but I've read that it removes too much metal.

I don't have a lot of brass to do, about 200 cases, so I'd like to keep costs down. I see Dillon sells a Super Swager 600 for about $100, but I'm not sure how much I'll use it. RCBS sells the RCBS Primer Pocket Swager Combo 2 for use on a press for about $33. Or, I can get the small primer versions of the crimp remover and pocket uniformer for use on my Trim Mate Prep Center for $46 for both.

So, what's the best option for me? Do I still need a pocket uniformer if I used the swager option?

 

[rcmodel]

For 200 cases I'd go with the reamer.

I swage, and it is much faster & easier.

And it is worth it if you are doing 1,000 cases at a time.

Not so much for 200.

No need to ream & uniform if you swage.

rc

 

[FLIGHT762]

I'd ream. After many years of using various reamers to remove the primer crimp (Lyman, RCBS, Forster), I found the best and most economical is the Hornady primer pocket reamer.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1165253550/hornady-primer-pocket-reamer-cutter-head

I install the threaded cutter into an 8/32" bit adapter: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/314848/redding-primer-pocket-uniformer-tool-power-adapter

Chucked in a drill at low speed. Total cost for the reamer and the adapter is about $15.00. The reamer cuts perfectly with a light touch and doesn't ruin the primer pocket.

I use an AC corded 3/8" variable speed drill in a padded vice. My drill has a lock on the variable speed and can be set / locked at any any speed. A light touch on the primer pocket crimp crimp on 23 / 5.56 brass is all it takes. It's very fast.

 

[Hypnogator]

I use the RCBS swager on my press, but discovered that you need to adjust it carefully, because if you don't it will enlarge the pocket enough that you can almost thumb-set the primers and you'll have issues with the primers popping out in use!

 

[medalguy]

Careful and correct adjustment is the key in any reaming or swaging operation. I prefer to swage because I just don't like the idea of removing brass that should be there anyway. I believe this leads to shorter case life and faster loose primers.

 

[Reloadron]

Any reamer will remove some metal where a swage should not. That said I have reamed plenty of cases using a #2 phillips screwdriver without a problem.

You are absolutely sure these primers are crimped? I have a few 100 round boxes of American Eagle 223 (AR223) black box and they aren't crimped primers. They are 55 grain FMJ AE223BL.

Anyway, if you plan to see more (as in many) crimped cases you can think about a swager. For a few hundred I would just sit down with a #2 phillips screwdriver and clen them up.

Ron

 

[JamieC]

I just started using a 60* countersink in my drill press, a quick touch to the pocket, done! Definitely better than a 90*, gets further inside, just removes the crimp blocking the primer pocket. Fast too!

 

[dunno556]

I use the RCBS swager as well. Works fine.

 

[dprice3844444]

http://www.dillonprecision.com/content/p/9/pid/25263/catid/8/Super_Swage_600

dillon pocket swager

 

[Slamfire]

I used to cut swages out with hand held cutting tools. In fact, for 223, I used the spey blade of my stockman knife. Worked, time consuming, but it worked. But, since I bought the Dillion 660 Super swage, I much prefer that over any other tool I have used. I came up with a procedure where I use two hands, in feeding and removing the cases, and I can get a very rapid pace in swaging case pockets. The swaging is very uniform and it is easy to adjust the tool so can control the amount of swage.

 

[larryflew]

For 200 reaming is certainly more cost effective.

 

[Eb1]

I have used the Lee Chamfer tool for a while, but about 9 months ago I bought the Dillon Swage 600, and I haven't looked back. It worked so well that I did 700 cases in one hour, and it would have taken days to do that many with the Lee tool pressed into a socket mounted to a drill.
I also got a much more consistent seating of the primer using the Dillon tool.
Like everyone has said, for 200 I'd keep my $100 and use the reamer method, but if you were going to run into this over and over. I'd get the Dillon 600.

 

[gahunter12]

I agree with RC. I would ream if you only have 200 cases. I personally use the Dillon Super Swage 600 myself. I pick up a lot of .556 brass, and have a LE friend that brings me 5gal buckets of .556 brass about once a month. I usually prep 1k cases at a time, and the Dillon saves so much time.

 

[armarsh]

Buy a swage kit and be done with it. There are more options than the RCBS and Dillion. Here is a video showing the CH4D kit that costs about the same as the RCBS, maybe a little less.

http://youtu.be/oFD3jJ9AEXk

 

[rg1]

I prefer swaging because it's faster. Also, with quite a bit of experience, I haven't seen a cutter or reamer that wouldn't follow the path of least resistance. Primer pocket crimps are not applied perfectly with more crimp on one side or the other and a reamer may cut into the pocket wall when pushed away from the heavy crimp on the other side. Just me but I'd prefer a 45 degree countersink to cut the crimp out rather than reaming the entire pocket. Cut down with the countersink barely enough to remove the crimp ring. You'll need a swager of some type in the future so bite the bullet and buy one for your small project. I have the RCBS press combo swager and have swaged thousands of cases both 22 and 30 caliber. I also have the new RCBS bench mounted swager but I haven't used it much as I prefer swaging in my 2nd press.

 

[FROGO207]

^^ post #14 Yep the CH4D is the one that I settled on after trying to ream various ways and trying the RCBS tool. I see more crimped range brass in your future as well so invest in something that will work well and be fast.

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

Awful hard to beat a 60 degree countersink.

 

[Dudedog]

I use the Hornady reamer in there handle. seems to work for me not realy fast but cheap. Love my World's Finest trimmer (WFT) for trimming the case to length saves LOTS of time.

 

[devils4ever]

They look crimped to me. They are in a red and black box and are 50 grain hollowpoints.

The ch4d looks real interesting. I never heard of them before. The swage only kit is under $30, so it's worth considering it versus the reamer.

 

[FROGO207]

I purchased the combo kit as the ram prime will work as a backup if your regular primer ever stops working. All you need is the shell holder from your die set and you are in business. I do not have the Lee 500 S&W shell holder (not in the kit) and use mine for priming those. Just a thought.

 

[MR__X]

I used to swage and it was hard to tell if they were done once you went to reuse the case. I started reaming and it is a lot easier to tell which one has been done. You don't need to remove a lot of material. I also use it on my drill.

 

[GLOOB]

I just started using a 60* countersink in my drill press, a quick touch to the pocket, done! Definitely better than a 90*, gets further inside, just removes the crimp blocking the primer pocket. Fast too!

I think a 60 degree countersink would even work better than a 45 degree!

 

[dickttx]

CH doing its job:



CH ready to go:




How it does it:


$34.59 delivered direct from CH4D.
I have had the RCBS for 40 years but when I bought 2K of Federal NT small primer 45's I ordered this one immediately.

You only have to move the lever a few inches and you process them just as fast as you can take a finished case out and put a new one in.
May be the best money I have ever spent on reloading equipment.

 

[n6yga]

I am a big fan of the Dillon Super Swage 600. Can't live without it. Yes, it's more money, but soooo easy.


Mark.

 

[iShoot17]

How often are you going to be working with 1x fired brass? Is this from a bolt gun where you won't be losing pieces, or from a semi which slings brass?

If these 200 pieces of brass are going to last you some time, you don't plan on buying much more any time soon, and would prefer not to buy a tool, shoot me a PM.

If you size it then want to send it to me, I'll run it through my Super Swage 600 and through the Giraud trimmer for ya then send it back.