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Thread: Anyone have trouble with military crimped FC .223 brass???

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Anyone have trouble with military crimped FC .223 brass???

    I checked the archives and no one apparently had my problem. I removed the primer from a lot of FC .223 brass that has a military crimp.
    Removing the crimp is NOT the problem. I'm finding that the primer pocket is still to small to accept the primer in about 1/2 of the brass, and that the primers are hard to seat in about 1/4 of the rest of the brass.
    I'm using CCI SRP (these are several years old), and WSRP that I bought last week. The results are the same using either primer.
    I'm using a RCBS HAND PRIMER SEATING TOOL.
    So, far I've USED: a counter sink; a RCBS primer pocket swagger, the bench mounted tool not the one used with the SS press; a Hornady primer pocket uniformer the one with the cutter blades; and today I bought an 11/64 drill bit for my drill press and used it to remove the crimp from some brass, same results.

    Has anyone encountered the problem of small primer pockets using .223 brass ?? And how did you fix it???
    Thanks
    JAMESGR

  2. #2
    Boolit Master

    BigAlofPa.'s Avatar
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    I use a torx bit to remove crimps. I don't recall the size. But it does a nice job on 223/556 brass. I put it in a cordless drill.
    One round at a time.
    Member of the NRA,GOA and FAOC. Gun clubs Zerby rod and gun club. Keystone Fish and Game Association.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master AnthonyB's Avatar
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    The Dillon Primer Pocket Swager works well for me.
    Tony

  4. #4
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    high standard 40's Avatar
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    The only military crimp I've had issues with is the "4 point" crimp on some Lake City brass.

  5. #5
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    Another thumbs up for the Dillon Super Swage 600. It makes quick work of removing the crimp and uniforming the primer pockets.

  6. #6
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    Not 5.56, but I've got a bucket full of WCC-64 or 67 7.62 NATO that has very tight primer pockets, even after using a Dillon Super Swage on them.

    Robert

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    I use a sharp utility knife to take a thin sliver of brass off the rim of the ones I have a problem with. Mostly 7.62 but some 5.56 as well. They then accept the primer easier.
    Steve,

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  8. #8
    Boolit Master Dapaki's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by high standard 40 View Post
    The only military crimp I've had issues with is the "4 point" crimp on some Lake City brass.
    I was just going to ask that as well. It's the only crimp I have issues with.

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    MK42gunner,
    Robert, how are you expanding the tight primer pockets or removing enough brass to accept the primer easier??
    James

  10. #10
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    Omega's Avatar
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    I convert 5.56 brass to 300BLK or 277WLV, and have run against these new crimps. I ended up using the lyman prep center with the VLD chamfer bit first (just a touch), it knocks enough of the brass off the edge prior to using the reaming bit or swage tool to finish removing the crimp.
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    "Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it."
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  11. #11
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    the Dillon Super Swage 600 does a great job and is simple to use.

    attach a spring to the swaging rod and when you get done swaging the spring will fling the brass off of the rod into a towel you have set up on the end of the tool while you grab and set up the next cassing

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by JAMESGR View Post
    MK42gunner,
    Robert, how are you expanding the tight primer pockets or removing enough brass to accept the primer easier??
    James
    Its been a few years since I loaded any of that lot, but I remember buying one of the Lyman hand operated primer pocket reamers. It didn't do a very good job in my opinion, pockets were still awful tight.

    I never really found a suitable answer. Maybe one of the electric tools would do a decent job, but at the time I was seriously broke and couldn't afford one to try.

    Thinking back, some were merely tight, but some had me wondering if I was going to break the lever on the RCBS hand primer that I was using.

    Robert

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

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    No issues w/ any crimps and a Dillon 600. I know I have a large amount of FC brass laying around. Will run it through an APP and see how it does. Did not have good results w/ LC brass. The swage was perfect, the press was the issue.

  14. #14
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    RCBS primer swager has always worked for me in both small and large primer configurations.
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

    Men who don't understand women fall into two categories: bachelors and husbands!

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
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    Thanks for the replies;; Mk42 gunner ALL of my FC brass fits you last sentence,thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one.
    This is how I ended up doing the primer pockets seems to work so far. I've primed about 500 cases so far. I'll know more today when I load and shoot some and check the primers.
    1st I used an 11/64 drill bit in a drill press to remove most of the crimp
    2nd I used a 3/16 drill bit in the drill press to remove any remaining crimp and bevel the mouth of the pocket
    3rd I used a primer pocket uniformer for each brass
    4th I used a counter sink bit to finish the mouth bevel
    SEVERAL brass had to go through 2&4 twice
    Most of the primers seated good or with very little effort.
    The initial problem with ALL of my brass is as Mk42gunner stated:: had me wondering if I was going to break the lever on the RCBS hand primer that I was using.
    If this works out ok, thankfully I'll only have to do this process once. It's very time consuming even using a drill press and hand drills.
    Thank you all for your advise, very much appreciated.
    JAMES
    JAMESGR

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
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    James, I had another thought on how to fix tight primer pockets last night. I don't know that it would work or really be cost effective, but here goes.

    Buy a couple of chucking reamers for each size of primer, 0.174 and 0.175" for small and .209 & .210" for large. I'm not sure if the smaller one is needed but as tight as mine were going in, I think there was more than one thousandth or an inch interference.

    Robert

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    I've used the RCBS primer pocket swaging tool to remove the crimp. It works well. I think most of the complaints regarding the tool come from improper adjustment. It's a trial-and-error process to get it just right, but once set, it never needs to be done again.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    My simple answer.
    I sent accumulated 2500rounds of fired brass to River Valley Ord.
    Came back FLS, clean, PPs reamed and GOOD, trimmed Ready to prime and load.
    Sent the next 2500 to Wisconsin Cartridge who did the same and Good
    Now that I have been retired from Service Rifle competition, I have a life time supply
    beltfed/arnie

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy
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    Mk42gunner, I checked on the chucking reamers and the cheapest one I found was $35.00. I think that is re di cu lous for a piece of rod .175" diameter and 3" long.
    Thank you,
    JAMES
    JAMESGR

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master
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    $35.00? Yikes. I agree on the ridiculous price, I'm not paying that for my few gallons of 5.56 or 7.62 brass, especially since I don't shoot that much 7.62 anymore.

    Maybe run them through the swager again the next time you have to load them?

    Robert

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