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Thread: Different way to remove berdan primers????

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Different way to remove berdan primers????

    I was thinking, sometimes not a good thing, about a different way to remove berdan primers the first time.
    After the first time being removed, they are much easier after that.
    Water sometimes doesn't work. They need to be pried out. What a pain.
    Could they be remover with a small explosion???
    Full length Lee die with the decapper removed.
    Rig up a chamber to screw into the threaded hole.
    The chamber would have something to make a spark and hold the solution.
    I was thinking alcohol.
    Put it in a press, hit the igniter and "POP" the primer would come out.
    Think it would work?????

  2. #2
    Boolit Mold
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    Have you tried it?

    Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

  3. #3
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    Maybe a diesel type tool...Like a fire starter only with a bit of diesel fuel that would ignite when hit with a hammer...But then why not use water...much easier. And Water will get5 them out. If the tool is made correct and you hit it hard enough it will knock out even a crimped military primer.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Actually ,water always works ....maybe not in a home made setup,but all the commercial Berdan reloaders used soapy water......for a number of reasons ......the only way a primer wouldnt come out is if it was pierced,and this was checked by a probe on the machine that threw it into the scrap bin.

  5. #5
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    There are a couple of videos on U-tube that show Berdan primers being removed very efficiently using water, a reloading press, and an M die. The cases are partially filled with water, run into the press, and the primers pop right out. It is kind of messy and a bucket is placed beneath the press to catch the water. The equipment needs a good drying off afterwards, so if you're going to do some do a lot of them!

    DG

  6. #6
    Boolit Master Garyshome's Avatar
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    Water worked for me! It was a mess though.

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy Stewbaby's Avatar
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    The squirrel daddy hardened pins in a Lee universal decapper will do it...but you then have three holes lol


  8. #8
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    How easy do you need it to be?

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    I tried the hydraulic way once. It worked on some, on others it was kind of like fire forming without a chamber. It actually blew the neck/shoulder several calibers larger. Enough pressure to expand the neck and shoulder but still not removing the primer. Not to mention the nasty spray of water everywhere. Did not try using my press and a FL die and hammering a punch through the top of the die as I'm not subjecting my loading equipment to water on purpose.

    I decided modifying berdan brass to shotgun primers, although labor intensive, means I only have to do it once per case.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Haven't tried it yet.
    I just thought that if I had thought of it, someone else smarter than me, must have.
    Never thought of trying soapy water.
    It just might make a better seal.
    I will try it.
    Some berdan just will not come out with the water.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    In a reloading process,soapy water has a number of desirable properties...... soap is a good HP sizing lubricant,soapy water washes out the cases in the next stage of the reloading,and soapy water doesnt rust the machines......After depriming and washing,the cases were passed by a visual check for damaged anvils ,and still primed cases ,then on to the neck annealing stage,which dries the cases.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by rbuck351 View Post
    I tried the hydraulic way once. It worked on some, on others it was kind of like fire forming without a chamber. It actually blew the neck/shoulder several calibers larger. Enough pressure to expand the neck and shoulder but still not removing the primer. Not to mention the nasty spray of water everywhere. Did not try using my press and a FL die and hammering a punch through the top of the die as I'm not subjecting my loading equipment to water on purpose.

    I decided modifying berdan brass to shotgun primers, although labor intensive, means I only have to do it once per case.
    There are two different ways to do hydraulic depriming....One is to put water in the case and then hit a plug into the mouth of the case...THAT WILL deform the case. But the kind of hydraulic depriming on the video uses a tube to place the case into....That causes the pressure on the outside of the case to be the same as on the inside...therefore NO DEFORMATION OCCURS.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    I use the rcbs berdan decapper to decap berdan cases. Once adjusted works just about
    as fast as decaping boxer cases with my press. Only ones I've had trouble with are the
    french lebel cases with the crimped in primers.

  14. #14
    Boolit Mold jcduchock's Avatar
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    If you can find one of these, it make decapping berdan primers so much easier. Fill it with water and one or two good hits with a hammer. Unfortunately, I can't find another one or the other attachments.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  15. #15
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Traffer View Post
    How easy do you need it to be?
    Man I was wondering what was wrong with me; I couldn’t make out what was written!!!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by jcduchock View Post
    If you can find one of these, it make decapping berdan primers so much easier. Fill it with water and one or two good hits with a hammer. Unfortunately, I can't find another one or the other attachments.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    What is it????
    Looking kind of a zerk fitting unclogger.

  17. #17
    Boolit Bub
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  18. #18
    Boolit Mold jcduchock's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by abunaitoo View Post
    What is it????
    Looking kind of a zerk fitting unclogger.
    I'll if I can get a video of it. Fill the big end with water and screw the cap back on. Little end goes inside the case. A few whacks with a hammer and it forces water down to pop out the primer. I have some 7.62x38mm I need to deprime. I'll video it and post it later this weekend.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    As Traffer says,a hydraulic deprimer should not be a sizing die.....it only needs a tight fit on the case in the base zone.....this can be either at the sides ,or using the base to seal against a flat surface.....The tapered side is usually more effective.Pressure is then equalized everywhere but the base ,and primer pocket....Using water in a press,the plunger /cylinder must be a very close fit ....and IMHO ,some lube is needed in the water to avoid seizure.Not much ,and not oily ,which willl require case washing to remove......if hit with a hammer ,more clearance can be tolerated,as the leakage is pressure/time related.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    I made one of these years ago after watching the video. Super easy. if you broke a pin I just soft soldered them in so it was a quick replacement. I used needle bearings for pins. I wish I could find it now lol.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz3_GcsUB4I
    NRA High Master XTC
    DR# 2125

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check