Should you swage primer pockets on range brass?

[Racingsnake]

Since moving to the Dillon 550 from hand priming / single stage setup, I've noticed the variances in primer pockets when using range brass. I'm loading 9mm.

Most seat smoothly but on some case types the primer pocket deforms the primer and a lot of effort is required to seat the primers.

In addition to the worry of primers detonating it slows the whole process.

So....do you guys swage primer pockets or just sort cases according to head stamp?

[too many things]

many of the 9mm has a light to heavy crimp from range it is cheap stuff so best to remove the crimp

[dragonrider]

You should swage the pockets on any brass that has been crimped.

[Racingsnake]

Do any of you guys have experience with the primer / swage kit from CH4D?

[dragon813gt]

Do any of you guys have experience with the primer / swage kit from CH4D?

Yep, it can and will rip the case head off before removing the crimp. I used one for years but got fed up w/ it. The Dillon while a lot more money is worth every penny. I wish I would have bought it from the start.

[Racingsnake]

Some makes of commercial brass, the old Hertenbergs come to mind - have very tight primer pockets even though they are not military crimp. Will the Dillon swage help with this as well?

[FISH4BUGS]

I swage each and every round I shoot regardless of caliber. Shooting machine guns, that is a lot of brass. It will remove any crimps, even out the primer pockets, and give you a chance to clean the primer pockets. It also gives you a chance to inspect every case you are reloading.
I use the Dillon Swage - I bought it probably 25 years ago and use it all the time. The key is to pick up the brass when you shoot and keep it segregated so you don't have to swage them again.
Learn to love brass prep. It is all part of the deal.

[too many things]

although I don't swage anything now, it works. I have the lyman power trimmer and I use it as it cuts the crimp out and uniforms the pocket too. The swage is faster but the power deal is a complete one time job. but at about 10times the cost .
but also can do much more than the pocket

[troyboy]

Exactly why all brass is inspected and sorted by headstamp. It is obvious which is crimped. The crimped goes in a seperate pile for processing at a later date. When running brass by the headstamp the feel and rhythm will be much smoother.

[Bzcraig]

I reamed for a couple of years using several different kinds of reamers. Others swear by them, I guess it was me, but it was too inconsistent for me. I finally broke down and bought the Dillon Super Swage and haven't looked back.

[Safeshot]

I like the RCBS Primer Pocket Swage set, it is fast, easy & accurate. It also does not remove any material, just reforms the primer pocket to a uniform proper shaped primer pocket. Just my opinion, Safeshot

[rbt50]

hornady is coming out with one for their lock and load press that looks good. I have one on order so I will see if it is better then the Dillon.

[wv109323]

I don't swag primer pockets on 9MM. I just cull some head stamps that cause trouble. I cull military crimp,CBC, TulaAmmo, S&B and a couple others. I have found these to have inconsistent primer pockets. At my range I can pick up all the 9MM I need without fooling with primer pockets.

[OBIII]

I use the CH4D swage tool, and have had no problems after several thousand rounds of .223. I would like a Dillon, but not until I can get a deal on one. There is a youtube video about using a rubber band to make the Dillon very quick to use.

OB

[dragonrider]

RCBS makes a good tool for swaging pockets. Or Dillion.

[CGT80]

There is only one great way to deal with 9mm range brass. Load it all on a Dillon 1050 with the swage station set properly. I hate swaging brass by hand with the dillon super swage. It is sooooo boring.

Before the 1050, I used my 550 for 9mm. I just ran the brass and didn't force any of the primers. It got to a point that reloading wasn't going all that smooth with all of the crimped pockets. I wasn't aware of which particular brass had swaged pockets and I don't like sorting by headstamp, but that is what I would do if I still used the 550 for 9mm.

For 223 brass, I swage all of it on the dillon super swage, but I load far less 223 than 9mm.

Reloading is a love hate relationship for me and single stage is no longer an option after using the 550 and then the 1050 presses. If you like brass prep, the swage every piece. It is faster to run each piece of 223 through the trimmer and swager than it is to measure the length and check for a crimp. I shoot 3 gun and keep a lot of brass on hand, so even though I mark the 223, I don't keep it separated. As I do the other steps of reloading, I keep an eye out for bad brass, but I don't look close enough to read headstamps on each piece.

[Racingsnake]

If a primer detonates in station one of the Dillon 550 can it cause the rest of the tube / magazine of primers to blow or is it too far removed?

[gunoil]

I learned alot when l got the dillon 1050, Swaging is on it built in and swaging is the way to go.

[FISH4BUGS]

If a primer detonates in station one of the Dillon 550 can it cause the rest of the tube / magazine of primers to blow or is it too far removed?

The primer is away a good 3 or 4 inches from the stack of primers in the primer tube I don't see any way that it could set off the others.
I'll bet you have to change your undies afterwards, though.

[Down South]

Only if the primers are crimped in here.