Berdan primer size for Magtech 12ga brass berdan shells?

[trooperdan]

I have some Berdan 12ga brass shells made by CBC, can anyone tell me what size Berdan primer these take? I have some smaller gauges as well, 36ga, 24Ga etc. I haven't checked to see if their pockets look to be the same size, but maybe I am lucky in that!

[victorfox]

I have some Berdan 12ga brass shells made by CBC, can anyone tell me what size Berdan primer these take? I have some smaller gauges as well, 36ga, 24Ga etc. I haven't checked to see if their pockets look to be the same size, but maybe I am lucky in that!

Yup all the same. They are the only brass shells available in brazil they export the boxer ones due to gun control here and sell the berdan ones in brazil. They use a so calles n. 56 primer. Make any sense in América?

[trmungle]

They take a 6.45 size primer. Tom

[GoodOlBoy]

my 20 gauge are boxer primed and take large pistol primers. Don't know about berdan primed ones.

GoodOlBoy

[trooperdan]

Well, I located a guy that has nearly 10,000 #56 Berdan primers but he is in Chino CA! Of course he isn't a haz mat packer and they have to packed by a haz mat certified person! RATS!

[Duckiller]

Time for a car trip Dan. You can avoid Hurricanes. It is a hot dry time out here and we will probably have an impressive wild fire for you, earthquakes are not predictable.

[trooperdan]

Thanks Duckiller! CA sounds like more fun than I can stand, thank you!

[MT Chambers]

My Magtech 12 ga. brass all took Boxer LR primers.

[Buckshot]

.............Trooperdan,

You can easily convert the Magtech (CBC) hulls to use 209 shotshell primers. When CBC began producing the LP primed cases Graf & Son were blowing out their supply of the Berdan primed cases. I use the 24ga for my 577 Sniders and the 32ga for a Comblain that takes a 11x42mm case. So I bought a bunch of both sizes. They were like $14/box.

I say easy to convert, but that assumes you have a lathe or access to one. I suppose a drill press would also work if you could figure a way to hold the case. Using a lathe, the 1ST STEP is to hold the case. You can use a 3 jaw chuck, with the rim up against the jaws (as a stop) with only light pressure required to hold the case. My lathe is blessed with a 5C collet closer. Closest collet was a 5/8" but it was slightly too large.



LEFT: So I made an intermediate collet RIGHT: As it turned out the intermediate collet simplified things as it made it easy to pluck it and the case out of the 5C while the lathe ran. Pull the collet off the case, slide a new case into the little collet then stick it back into the 5C and close the collet. As mentioned, a 3 jaw chuck would work, just slower and you'd have to shut the lathe off.

2ND STEP: Drill through the primer pocket with a 5/32" 4 flute endmill (held in the tailstock). This easily eliminates the anvil in the primer pocket.

3rd STEP: Drill through with a 6mm drill bit.

FINAL STEP: Use a 5/16" 4 flute endmill to 'spot' the base .020"/.021" deep to contain the flange of the 209 primer.

After the cases are modified you'll need a means to de- and re-prime.........................



The tools are simple. Left are the 2 de-prime pieces. I used a piece of 7/8-14 allthread, drilled though and then turned a rebate for the rim to sit on. The only reason it's threaded is I screw it into the top of my press so it's at a nice height while standing. The de-primer is a piece of 7/16" steel drilled through 1/4" with a chamfer on the bottom end to center it on the walls of the primer pocket. Obviously a piece of 1/4" steel rod goes through it to punch the primer out.

The 2 re-primer pieces are even simpler. The base piece was faced off, a rebate was cut to just allow a case to fit. In the center a stud was left which is just the OD of the 209 primer flange. The center of the stud was relieved so as to not touch the battery cup. The rod on the right is once again a piece of 7/16" steel. The primer end is drilled to clear the protruding nose of the primer. As you can see the opening is again beveled.

In this instance, you hand place a primer on the center stud of the base. Then set the case over it with the seater rod in the case. You then tap the rod down which drives the case down over the primer. The beveled end will also cause the residual walls of the primer pocket to close tightly to the nose of the primer. All it takes is 3 taps with an 8 oz ball peen hammer to seat the case over the primer. I used W-1 steel which is a simple inexpensive high carbon (1095) type. I hardened the base and the head of both the rods. Basically done for longevity, but it's also simple to do and can't hurt.

................Buckshot

[trooperdan]

Buckshot, good to hear from you! Thanks for this detailed post, just might try to duplicate these tools in a lathe class I'll take at the local community college!

[Buckshot]

Buckshot, good to hear from you! Thanks for this detailed post, just might try to duplicate these tools in a lathe class I'll take at the local community college!

...............They're very simple to make with the only finicky piece being the intermediate collet, as it has to be slit in 3 places. But it's a plus in removing and replacing cases while the lathe runs. All you have to do is to open and close the 5C collet lever on the lathe. Run your cases though in batches doing each of the 3 ops seperately.



LEFT: These are some of the 8x56R Berdan primed cases modified before Boxer primed brass became available. RIGHT: These are a couple of the 32 Ga cases modified to 209 primers I use in the Comblain. The tape around them adds to their OD as they're a trifle small in the OD for the chamber, and the paper labels allow them to expand equally. Otherwise all the expansion on one side causes raised eyebrows! After the first firing they go into the tumbler with a bit of paint thinner, and the labels easily come off after a couple hours. The cases last! I have some 25 round batches of the 24 ga cases I use in the .577 Snider that have over 6 firings apiece without a problem.

...............Buckshot

[cpileri]

I sure wish I had a lathe. i have been using the "drill bit" method for changeing berdan to 209 primers and its a real pain by hand.

Maybe you could make money offering this as a service?

I have some I woudl pay you to do: depending on how much you'd charge per hull, and what hull sizes you can accomodate, of course!

C-

[kywoodwrkr]

They take a 6.45 size primer. Tom

Old Russian primer size.
Found a fellow with a table cluttered up with a small group of berdan primers, .254 berdan was among them.
Just realized, that was over 7 years ago.
Guess Kermit was right:
Times fun when you're having flies!
Bought some of the berdan Magtech brass closeouts at Grafs to make shot shells for revolvers and etc.