Reloading 7.62x39 problems

[cheifnobody]

I have thousands of steel cases for 762x39, cast boolets, and gas checks but I face a small problem. Tula & Wolf both use Berdan primers. They are hard to get and are caliber specific. I have reloaded steel cases and they work just fine but have a shorter lifespan than brass. I can remove the old primers without much trouble but the primer pocket is slightly larger than a large rifle primer and I would have to drill out the built in anvil. I thought about opening up the primer pocket to fit shotgun primers but they're not made to withstand the pressure of a rifle. Getting brass for this caliber is next to impossible so I was wondering if there is a rifle cartridge that could possible be reconfigured to work in an AK or SKS. I was looking at a 308 Win., it would have to be trimmed down and renecked which is readly done but the rim is .003" smaller than the 7.62. Anybody have an answer?

[khmer6]

Remove the primer. User a large rifle primer and use some glue to hold it in. There's a post on it here. There is also a post of drilling and swaging the primer while still in the brass and using a small rifle primer. I face the same dilemma.

[MT Gianni]

7.62x39 by winchester or remington were not that hard to find pre-election and should not be when this mess irons out. I would get rid of them for scrap prices and get some boxer primed cases. I believe Graf & Sns get some berdan primers in annually but it would not be worth messing with them, imo, when the others are so easily available. There is a reason most folks leave those laying on the ground.

[DrCaveman]

Agree with MT gianni

My local gun store almost always had a few bags of 50 in the brass bin...up until january. Then at the latest gun show i found a bag of 50, snatched it quick even though it cost $22. Havent seen any other than that, recently, but when things settle down (???) it is not too tough to find boxer primed brass.

In the meantime...dunno what to say. Try scrounging the range brass or popular shooting spots in the woods. I stumbled upon 50 cases once fired 45 acp, 100 cases 9mm, and about 100 cases 223 just last weekend in the woods

[mpmarty]

Find some Norma or Lapua 223PPC or 6mm PPC which are a 7.62X39 necked to 22cal or 6mm with a small rifle primer.

[dmclark523]

About 3-4 weeks ago, I faced the same dilemma, but through deals and passing favors along, ended up with about 300 brass berdan, and 300 Winchester Boxer, never fired.

I'll fit the winchester with large rifle, just how they are built, and i'll fit the berdan with Tula 7.62x39 Berdan primers. Powder Valley still has these in stock, grab them fast. $22 per K.

Don't listen to the haters, buy the berdan primers from Power Valley. I don't know about you, but the day I have to start gluing primers in, I'll head on over to gunbroker and just spend the money on new ammo.

[runfiverun]

powder still had some of those berdan primers last night.

[Maven]

Chief, This may help: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?194472-The-Handloaders-manual-of-cartridge-conversions

[Ole]

You could always make some 7.62x39 out of 6mm PPC brass if you're really desperate. :mrgreen:

[cheifnobody]

Thanks I ordered the book this morning. I knew someone would lead me in the right direction and even if the book can't help me with this problem it probably will with others. Again Thanks

[cheifnobody]

I saw the video you are talking about a week ago and using that technique appears a mite tedious especially when loading hundreds of rounds. Gluing the primer in with super glue would I think, negate the possibility of reloading those cartridges again. Drilling the primer pocket and adding copper might be a better idea if it doesn't weaken the case. I still have several thousand rounds left that I purchased, it just disturbs me to throw out once fired cases.

[cheifnobody]

I know that you're probably right but I've been reloading for years and it bugs me to leave spent cartridges behind if there is any possibility of using them again.

[khmer6]

I hear ya. Nothing gets scrapped anymore. I always try to find a use. The guy that did the video says he was able to deprimed them again, also for those thought crimped primers, seat them with a primer Seater to break the seal and then deprimed using water or tool

[MT Gianni]

Cheif it bothers me as well if they are brass cased and boxer primed. Anything else can get recycled.

[Harter66]

If you get really desprite you can turn the rim off 30-30 cut a groove size and trim. This works for the Remingtons and 6.8 too

[mdi]

I've read (wish I could remember where) that a feller removed the anvil from a boxer primer and inserted it into a Berdan case. The anvil in the case worked well to ignite the compound. I believe he "stake crimped" it in place and/or used an adhesive (Locktite for bearings/sleeves) to seal the primer in the pocket. Worked for him...

[JIMinPHX]

I posted a thread on converting Berdan brass to Boxer a few years ago. Larry Gibson posted another one more recently.

Some people swage the pockets. Some press in a piece of 1/4" copper tube. Some press in a piece of an old primer cup. I made my own bushings on a lathe. Some people just glue in poor fitting primers.

I think that Midway had boxer primed ammo in that caliber on the shelf a few weeks ago. You might want to look around a little more.

[JIMinPHX]

My method -
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?50789-Converting-Berdan-brass-to-Boxer

Larry's method -
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?143855-Converting-Berdan-primer-pockets-to-Boxer

Another guy's way of doing it -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkKJfvMyuDg

Ammo in stock now, boxer primed brass case -
http://www.jgsales.com/7.62x39-s-b-fmj,-20rd-box.-p-4229.html