Reforming primer pockets on South African 303 brass.

[samari46]

There was a u-tube video that showed depriming boxer primers on a centerfire case and using a tool to reform the primer pockets which had become loose. In essence once the old primer is out it's set on a mandrel locked in a vise. The tool has a hemispherical head and
that is placed on the opening of the primer pocket And hit with a hammer. Size of the altered primer pocket is checked with a pin gage. If not small enough another session with the tool and hammer is called for. Again primer pocket hole is checked with the same pin gage and the author was shooting for .309". You can see s circular ring all the way around the primer pocket hole
when this is done. Was wondering if anyone had done this. The original case was a boxer primed magnum case. However the South African case is berdan primed so you would have to deprime the case and flatten the berdan anvil and close off the two holes used with the berdan primer. And then drill a new hole for the boxer primer. Has anyone tried this?. The South African brass is good stuff and doesn't show the case bulge like U.S. Commercial 303 cases. I'm down to my last 600 rounds and it would be a shame to just throw it in the scrap bucket. The SA primer is .217 in diameter just in case someone asks. Frank

[Gewehr-Guy]

I did some Berdan 8 mm cases using a punch I made, to swage the primer pocket a bit smaller. The punch was about .300 dia., with a short section machined down to .200 dia. , to fit the primer pocket with a little clearance. after putting the case on the mandrel, start tapping the punch in a circular patern. You have to hold the punch at a small angle, so it drives the brass towards the center of the pocket, not straight , as that would tend to upset the brass in all directions, not to the center where you want it. After that I used a RCBS primer crimp remover to size it for a boxer primer.

I saw a video where someone used a ball bearing and a hyd. press to swage down the pockets, that looked like a fast way to do it if you had a press.

[EDG]

You could sell the brass to someone with a lot of Berdan primers and use the cash to buy boxer primed brass.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Or, maybe, search for and buy the appropriate size Berdan primers? The hard part has always been getting the Berdan brass de-primed.

Another route to go is to convert Berdan to Boxer using a liner (usually a short piece of tubing), covered extensively in other threads.

DG

[Larry Gibson]

some SA 303s converted to SR boxer primers. On 5th firing with cast bullet load. Method explained in this thread; http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ckets-to-Boxer

Attachment 263252

[samari46]

Read the first page of a rather extensive how to on converting from Berdan to Boxer but have to get up early in the morning. Rest assured that I will catch up. Was thinking of making up a split collar. With only one slit to use in the lathe like a small chuck. This would hold the case without marring the brass. Thanks for the info. Now I have to dig all the Berdan SA 303 cases out of my scrap bin. Frank