Berdan Primer conversion to Boxer

[6.5 CM]

Thanks to Larry Gibson and others I bought the drill kit that goes in a sizing die (Lee in my case) and tried this out on DWM 7.61x51 cases I have a lot of. The Berdan in them is .217".

I did it 2 ways. 10 cases each way.

1. Drill the new flash hole with the drill kit. Pry out the old primer. Deepen the pocket enough to accept a .210 Large rifle primer. Stick that in with your thumb. Put red locktite over it.
No problem with 220 gr cast @ 1500 fps.

2. Drill the new flash hole with the drill kit. Drill w/5/64th drill through the hole in the primer, from the outside, deep enough to seat a small rifle primer. Swage a new pocket from the remains of the Berdan using a SR pocket swager. I used RCBS. Put a SR primer in using your press. No problem with 220 gr cast @ 1500 fps.

On an earlier thread I noted problems with the drill kit. The kit comes w/no instructions. The kit has a moveable sleeve the drill rides. Once I figured out the sleeve had to be adjusted to its lowest setting, the drill centered up fine and worked perfectly.

As much as I like this beautiful DWM brass, I just bought 500 fully prepped 7.62x51 LCNM cases soo -----

This is a useful process if you have brass that is unavailable in Boxer primed.

[EDG]

Use of cases modified in this manner will probably result in leaking primers with SAAMI standard loads.

[6.5 CM]

Gibson had no problem with the SR conversions.
Since we here shoot cast boolits, "standard SAAMI loads" are not germane.
When you complete your tests, pls share your findings with us.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yeah; this is something you do if you have no other choice. There is plenty of normal brass laying around to pick up and if you don't have any to pick up goto any of the brass recyclers on the internet and buy from them.

The amount you pay for recycled brass will surely offset the cost and problems associated with converting Berdan Brass.

Just reloading Berdan Brass or even Steel cases is something you do if you live in Afghanistan, but even then we've left so much good brass laying on the ground there they should be supplied for decades and no one should have to use the stuff the Ruskies left 20+ years ago.

I wonder where they are getting their primers from?

It is my Opinion that converting Berdan Brass is something you do only if you have no other option..

my .02

Randy

[cwlongshot]

I agree 100% WR!

I did some with my Mighty Might deprimer...(Before I realized they where berdan GRRRR



CW

[tankgunner59]

Yeah, conversion is a last resort, but it's good to know it can be done. That is another reason I like the Lee FL sizing and decapping dies. If a Berdan gets through the cull and I hit it with the decapper the mandrel slides up, and all I have to do is reset it.

[EDG]

I decap everything with a hand punch so berdans do not cause me any trouble. I have not broken a die decapping pin in nearly 50 years by using the hand punch.
i don't really mind using good berdan cases as long as my primers are a good fit. I have plenty of .217 berdan large rifle primers so I do not have to resort to shade tree techniques to use berdan brass.

I do wish a US company would make a .217 Boxer primer. Just drill a central flash hole and install the oversize boxers would be too easy.