Case prep: crimped primer pockets

[cheese1566]

Processing some military 5.56 brass for 300BLK.

In the past I have used my press mount RCBS Primer Pocket Swager Combo to take out the crimp primer pockets.

I have also used the RCBS crimp removal cutter stationed in my RCBS CasePrep Center.

What’s the best way to go? Just curious the forum consensus is; along with your experiences of the good, bad, and ugly.

Cutter removes metal and the swager moves it out of the way. I know the swager is finicky and needs adjustments, and sometimes primers can still be hard to seat.

[BigAlofPa.]

Im in the same boat. I been doing with a hand tool. It's getting hard on me with arthritis. Im waiting for RCBS to get the swagger dies in. For now im setting the brass aside.

[Mk42gunner]

Had the RCBS press mounted type, didn't like it, but it did work. Bought a Dillon super swage a few decades ago.

Robert

[cheese1566]

I’d get a Dillon, but just don’t have enough to warrant the new price tag. Used ones go for top price and sell fast.
Maybe I could sell my two RCBS press units and put it towards a blue unit.

[Three44s]

I use the RCBS II swagger but now I plan on backing off the swagger and run it less aggressively and have added the primer crimp cutter by LE Wilson tool that operates in their case trimming tool.

I get a good bevel applied to the opening of the primer pocket by adding the Wilson cutter pass after the RCBS tool swages it. By softening the swagger pass I limit the tendency to over stage the primer pocket.

Three44s

[jessdigs]

Super swage 600 with Brock Burrell upgrade



https://youtu.be/rzpmUkRFihU

[Omega]

I posted this on another site some time ago when I found a different kind of military crimp:

By accident I found a faster way to decrimp these 4-way crimps. As I was prepping brass, I started decrimping, then chamfer/deburring, then I switched to first chamfer/deburring the case then decrimping, well I stuck the case upside down into the VLD chamfer bit by mistake and it knocked down the four "petals" enough so the decrimper didn't catch anymore. As I didn't want to process 3k cases just to mess up primers later, I ordered some primer pocket gauges from Ballistic Tools and this process passes both the go and no-go test. I'm fairly certain these will work just fine. As you can see, the VLD chamfer bit is taking more brass off than the outside chamfer bit, but not so much that the decrimper has nothing to do.

[robg]

standard chamfer tool gets rid of primer crimps easily.

[ioon44]

I sold my Dillon Super swage 600 years ago and use my RCBS Primer Pocket Swagger, works great and no problem seating primers.

[Lloyd Smale]

I’d get a Dillon, but just don’t have enough to warrant the new price tag. Used ones go for top price and sell fast.
Maybe I could sell my two RCBS press units and put it towards a blue unit.

first one i had i bought used on ebay. Had a couple thousands of rounds of brass to do. Did them and thought i wouldnt need it again so sold it for 5 bucks more then i paid for it. Found out how stupid i was and bought another one. Used again. So if money is a big consern and you dont have a ton of brass you could buy used and sell it when your done.

[Blindshooter]

I found the Dillon bench mount is great unless you try mixed brass. The web thickness varies enough to cause some issues. I set it for the thinnest and don't force the thicker ones.
I have lots more time now so I sorted the last batch. Worked much better. I just cut the ones with 3 or 4 punches, faster.
I do have a 1050 and have run .223 on it before but with sorted head stamp brass. Nowadays I shoot .45acp much more than anything else so the 1050 stays set up for that. The swage is still set up, great for catching small primer cases that slip in.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I have used the Lee chamfer tool, the 'standard' chamfer tool - Pacific, Herter's, RCBS. A herter's pocket swager - like the RCBS, and the RCBS power case prepper with their crimp reamer. Ordinary chamfer tools work fine, maybe a little advantage for progressive priming with that slight primer pocket chamfer. I do prefer to remove the crimp rather than swaging it. Mostly 45 ACP, 308 and 223, no small pistol experience.

[dale2242]

I guess I am the odd duck.
I use the the Wilson PP reamer to remove the crimp.
I have the RCBS swager and really hate that thing.
If I had the Wilson cutter for large PPs I would sell the thing.
I may just buy one.

[Soundguy]

I have a crimp reamer on my lyman multi station case prep center. all my cases get a pass on the appropriate stations. quick n easy.

[308Jeff]

For small primer pockets I use the Hornady reamer in my RCBS prep center. For large primers pockets I've used a utility knife in the past (and I've only cut myself once, knock on wood), but now that I'm on blood thinners I'm gonna switch to something else.

[gwpercle]

To get it done " right" I use a three step process :
1.) Swaging Tool - on press
2.) Hand Reamer - cut out anything the swage leaves
3.) Primer Pocket Uniformer - to insure all the pockets are consistent in depth and diameter .

It's three steps but when you're done the pockets are all consistent .
Gary

[1hole]

Processing some military 5.56 brass for 300BLK.

In the past I have used my press mount RCBS Primer Pocket Swager Combo to take out the crimp primer pockets.

I have also used the RCBS crimp removal cutter stationed in my RCBS CasePrep Center.

What’s the best way to go? Just curious the forum consensus is; along with your experiences of the good, bad, and ugly.

Cutter removes metal and the swager moves it out of the way. I know the swager is finicky and needs adjustments, and sometimes primers can still be hard to seat.

It's not that cut and dried, both work.

Pick the method you like best and, for you, that one will be the "best".

[Soundguy]

To get it done " right" I use a three step process :
1.) Swaging Tool - on press
2.) Hand Reamer - cut out anything the swage leaves
3.) Primer Pocket Uniformer - to insure all the pockets are consistent in depth and diameter .

It's three steps but when you're done the pockets are all consistent .
Gary

You'd be surprised how many picked I've found that actually needed uniforming.