My Complicated Berdan Decapper

[thehouseproduct]

I turned a brass slide with a diameter of 308. I drilled a 1/4" hole in aluminum plate and then drilled a partial 1/2" hole. I have a bucket hanging under the bench to catch primers and water. I simply fill a case with water, place it in the recess and smack it with a hammer. I might turn down the punch a little to make it easier to remove the punch from the case. I have decapped a bunch of Berdan brass now and I'm ready to reload.
http://www.thehousebmx.com/arfcom/IMG_1227.JPGhttp://www.thehousebmx.com/arfcom/IMG_1225.JPG

[rtracy2001]

Where are you finding the primers?

[thehouseproduct]

Where are you finding the primers?
Haven't got that far yet.... :-)

[Ziptar]

Haven't got that far yet.... :-)


"KV762N Large Rifle Berdan Primers Pre-Order for October Delivery"
http://www.dagammo.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=47

[thehouseproduct]

"KV762N Large Rifle Berdan Primers Pre-Order for October Delivery"
http://www.dagammo.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=47
Yeah, I wish they came in bricks smaller than 5000. The berdan thing is more just to prove I can.

[MtGun44]

$156 per thousand it about 50% more than I paid for normal Lg Rifle about 2 gun shows
back - and they were CCI. If they were the same as Boxer or less, I'd go for it, but given
the high price and large quantity, and the fact that I have 2000 that won't light the fire
in a 7.62 Russian case, I think I'll wait until the price gets better or someone at least
proves that these will actually WORK. Oh, yeah - add the hazmat fee to that already high
price and it gets to around twice as much as a Boxer primer.

I'd love to buy about 200 to try.

Bill

[thehouseproduct]

Me too. Maybe 500.

[bumpo628]

Maybe someone will buy the 5000 and part them out on the S&S forum. [smilie=1:

[n.h.schmidt]

Hi
MTGun44 , I looked at the add. You may have it wrong.It looks to me to be $156 per case. A case is supposed to be 5000 not 1000. Someone should call them to find out for sure. They don't make it plain at all. When Graff's had them a year ago it went for about $35 per 1000.
n.h.schmidt

[n.h.schmidt]

Hi
I took my own advice and called them. It is $156 per case of 5000. Thats $31.20 per 1000. Not too bad. They aren't in yet. Will be soon. Some are spoken for but not all. He expects to sell out quickly.
n.h.schmidt

[beex215]

its more expensive than boxer primed. the only thing i would need this for is for an ak practically.

[rtracy2001]

I have an RCBS berdan decapping tool and it works well. I picked it up used and intended to use it for reloading 7.62x54R. Rumor has it they take an even larger primer than the .217, but I have not verified this. Kind of gave up on the project when I couldn't find any berdan primers (about 6-8 months ago), but I still pick up the brass cased 7.62 nato and 7.62x54R when I find them. Someone on here mentioned converting the 54Rs to a 209 shotshel primer for cast loads, never did hear how it turned out.

[Twmaster]

I contacted DAG. The price for 5000 primers does not include the $45 worth of shipping and Hazmat charges. :(

I wanted to reload a bunch of Yugo 8x57 cases. Too spendy. So I've been converting the Berdan cases to Boxer or making my 8x57 out of .30-06 cases.

[Bwana]

delete

[3006guns]

Bwana.....PM sent regarding your primers.

[longbow]

You are not the only one!

There are a couple of links below showing a less wet method of removing Berdan primers.

I made the deprimimg "spike" out of an old flat blade screwdriver, dropped .308 or .303 brass over a piece of 5/16" rod in a vice, tap the spike in and pry the primer out. Works quick and easy.

I tried the wet method and got... well, wet! I had found a site that showed the water ram method (link now dead) so decided to try it with military Berdan primed brass. I did not get one primer out! Maybe because they are crimped? Or maybe I just didn't do it right.

Anyway, the pry out method does work well.

There were another couple of links with some slight differences in method but they are now dead as well. One of the guys used a ball bearing to swage the primer pocket to boxer size.

Also, in one post the fellow machined the Berdan anvil out leaving a flat bottom to the primer pocket. I tried that and it works well so I though maybe I would leave the Berdan holes but swage the pocket to Boxer dimensions then reprime with boxer primers and use my depriming spike to deprime then load as usual. Less work to convert brass but more work to reload.

Another fellow said he used his depriming pin to punch a new hole and left the Berdan holes. I did not want to break a pin so didn't try that one plus the 3 holes would change ignition.

So far I have deprimed a bunch of .308 and .303 brass and machined the anvil out of some to try but have gotten no further.

Anyway, here's the links:

http://milsurpshooter.net/topic/25275/t/Berdan-to-Boxer-Conversion-Method.html#.TqQiK4QZnSg

http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=657746

Longbow

[Pavogrande]

rtracy --
Regarding some 7.62x54, you are correct, they use a 6.45mm/.254" diameter primer.
I forget how tall and the exact rws number - It may be #1775 -
Older 303 and other brit cases use a 6.34mm/.250" primer -
Some carcano cases use a 5mm/.199 primer -

This is one of the problems with berdans, there are a multitude of diameters, at least 5, Lord knows how many different heigths, wall thickness', and horsepowers.

IMHO if boxer brass is "available" it is the cheapest and definitly the easiest way to go.
Unless, of course, you just like to messabout -- I do a lot of that :-)

In the past I have had some success with converting some cases to use shotshell primers, especially black powder loads. An easy enough drill out to size. It does require making a clearance cut for the flange on the primer. I see no reason this would not work with other cases using lighter cast bullet loads.

my tuppence

[thehouseproduct]

Update, my punch worked great on 308. It's too loose a fit on 7.62x39 to work. Wish I still had a lathe at work.

[jcwit]

Regarding Primers, check this out

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=621471

[Twmaster]

Regarding Primers, check this out

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=621471

Oooh! Look! I'm getting famous! ;)

[jcwit]

Nothing wrong with spreading the word.

[MtGun44]

I udnerstood it to be 5000. I normally pay $100-110 per 5000, very recently at local gun
shows, multiple times. As I said, paying more than 50% higher for Berdan of unknown
quality is not something that attacts me.

Bill

[Twmaster]

Nothing wrong with spreading the word.

Agreed. One of the links Longbow posted is where I got most of the inspiration for my efforts.

I just picked up some Berdan primers today. I'll still be shooting the cases I converted.