deepening primer pockets

[loiner1965]

been asked which is the best way / tool to deepen a primer pocket as the rim thickness as been lessened.
obviously the primer will not properly.....any idea chaps

[Outpost75]

Thin rims from the FRONT in the lathe and this isn't an issue.

Otherwise you use one of these to cut them uniformly.

https://www.brownells.com/reloading/case-preparation/primer-pocket-tools/handles/ppc-br-primer-pocket-uniformer-sku749003713-34720-63191.aspx?cm_mmc=cse-_-Itwine-_-shopzilla-_-749-003-713&utm_medium=cse&utm_source=connexity&utm_campaign=itwine&utm_content=749-003-713

[loiner1965]

i told him to do it that way lol
many thanks

[FLINTNFIRE]

Midway used to sell a steel tool small on one end large on other primer pocket uniformer , love the one I have , and can not find one like it anymore . It is adjustable for depth , with set screws , have had to use it on LC brass for the ar as pockets were shallow.

[AggieEE]

Whitetail Engineering, I think, makes a carbide primer pocket uni-former in both LR and SR versions. It cuts the pocket to a square bottom and sides right at SAMMI max. Benchresters use them. Not super expensive but still a little expensive. Makes cleaning pockets easy.

[Omega]

One came with my Lyman Case Prep Station, well two L & S, I run all my mil brass through it after I remove the crimp, works great.
https://www.amazon.com/6702203-Lyman-Case-Xpress-7810220/dp/B004TABTWU
224961

A manual one is available as well:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000N8MWP0/
224959

Just the threaded piece (Hornady), this one is depth adjustable:
https://www.amazon.com/Hornady-041212-Primer-Pocket-Uniformer/dp/B00AU6C3TK/
224960

[Outpost75]

+1 on the Whitetail Engineering tool. Wasn't sure they were still in business, have used one for many years.

[loiner1965]

many thanks for all your replies gentlemen, to which i am truely grateful
alas i am in the uk so many items are hard to source and very expensive if found
.....i have put my feelers out to uk forums to see what turns up

[nicholst55]

many thanks for all your replies gentlemen, to which i am truely grateful
alas i am in the uk so many items are hard to source and very expensive if found
.....i have put my feelers out to uk forums to see what turns up

Brownells ships internationally. You may not be pleased by the shipping cost, though.

[country gent]

I have the Sinclair carbide adjustable tool here. I can sit it to just clean up primer pockets on a given batch of brass. It cuts very clean and sharp. The big problem with these cutters are they are end cutting and not a lot of room in the fluted for chips. You may need to clear chips a time or two to maintain consistant depth.

If there is a machine shop near you a suitable tool can be ground on an old end mill. A straight 3/8" 4 flute end mill with the end ground down to dia of primer pocket + 3/8" if you want a collar to adjust depth or to depth needed and sharp edges on the step rounded off will do the job for years even in High speed steel.

[Rcmaveric]

I got a set of primer pocket reamers when gander mountain went out of buisness for a couple bucks. Always be on the look out for sales.

Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk

[lightman]

I've got both the Whitetail tool and both sizes of the Sinclair. The Whitetail tool is machined beautifully. I use it for cleaning primer pockets mostly because its used by hand. I use the Sinclair tools for the initial uniforming job in a cordless drill. Country Gent makes a good point about chip clearance. You have to stop and clean the chips out of the cut the first time with a new case.

[mold maker]

Removing thickness from one point changes the next one in line. Hand holding the case or cutter while reaming the pocket will cause a thinner web and possibly a crooked primer seat. At best you will only square the edge of most of the primer seating surface.
Most of those tools mentioned are for cleaning residue, not actually machining brass.
Depending on how much head surface has been removed, the case web thickness will be reduced the same. At some point, the intregity of the case will become a safety issue.
My question is why was the head machined to start with? It's a problem I haven't encountered.

[Omega]

Removing thickness from one point changes the next one in line. Hand holding the case or cutter while reaming the pocket will cause a thinner web and possibly a crooked primer seat. At best you will only square the edge of most of the primer seating surface.
Most of those tools mentioned are for cleaning residue, not actually machining brass.
Depending on how much head surface has been removed, the case web thickness will be reduced the same. At some point, the intregity of the case will become a safety issue.
My question is why was the head machined to start with? It's a problem I haven't encountered.

Don't know about the machined head part, but the three items I posted are cutters, they face off the bottom of the primer pocket but only until the ledge is encounter at which time it stops cutting. It doesn't do anything to the pocket walls, except maybe a little by friction, only the bottom. I've not had an issue personally but heard tell some LC brass had shallow pockets, so I run mine through the extra step since it takes practically no time to do so.

[country gent]

I did it to get flat pockets so the primers anvil bears evenly. a few thousandths can make a big difference on how the 3 feet of the anvil bear and load the pellet. Another is on some BPCR loads I use a wad under the primer and have to allow for that. On press formed primer pockets its amazing how uneven they can be. Blacked a few and uniform making a couple turns and see how much ink is removed. punched pockets may also have a small radius in the corner that affects seating

[FLINTNFIRE]

I had lc brass that was shallow , not just a little on some . But I have had my primer pocket uniformer for a long time and it only deepens when its needed . Does what it is supposed to makes a uniform even hole where so many are not , primers seat better and are more consistent in feel when seated . Reaming is something else when it comes to primer pockets , I had to look up my uniformer it is called a possum hollow primer pocket uniformer .

[JeepHammer]

I was going with end mill with a stop, several from different companies.

Hornady,

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag58/JeepHammer1/HornadyPocket2_zpsp3jtbgag.jpg (http://s1298.photobucket.com/user/JeepHammer1/media/HornadyPocket2_zpsp3jtbgag.jpg.html)

RCBS

http://i1298.photobucket.com/albums/ag58/JeepHammer1/RCBSpocket_zpscs6vc9df.jpg (http://s1298.photobucket.com/user/JeepHammer1/media/RCBSpocket_zpscs6vc9df.jpg.html)

[pmer]

I have RCBS prime pocket uniformers and they work good for me. I've been having issues with 458 SOCOM in a AR. Specs call for large pistol primers but they seat .010 -.012 deep in the pocket. Lucky to get one out of twelve to fire.

[country gent]

pmer, You may need to modify the brass a little. A punch made upto cut a .006-.008 thick brass disk at the dia to press into the primer pockets and set the depth to the right depth for pistol primers.
For this I believe I would make a 2 step punch 1st punches the flash hole in the brass shim stock at .065-.068 ( a little big for some "wiggle room). Then the 2nd for the body dia this would be a piloted punch to alighn the flash hole centered in the disk and punch it to be a light to medium press fit in the primer pockets. These can be pressed in with the primer seater on your press tight and flat. Even better would be .010 thick brass and uniform after installation to flat and true. >010 should give .002 to remove for clean up.

Pistol primers are shorter than rifle primers so they seat deeper. The pressed in shim will compensated for the deep pockets and shorter primers.

For the punch a piece of 4140 pre hard 1/2" thick 1 1/2" wide and 3" long. For the top a piece of 1/2" lexan. ( 1/8 or 1/4 can be glued up to make 1/2") A piece of 1/4 drill rod for the 2 punches and 2 1/4" dowels 1 3/4-2" long. Clamp lexan and 4140 together drill and ream 2 1/4" - holes in each back corner. remove leaxan and ream polish to 1/4" + .0005 for light slop on punch. Assemble with dowel pins. drill and ream 1st punch hole .065 - .068 thru lexan and 4140 drill close and ream to size with finish drill. open lexan to .2505 for punch. Chamfer lexan but leave base a sharp edge. move over and repeat with the body size drills and punch hole. Turn punches up one with .064-.067 punch on end 1/4"-3/8" long chamfer shoulder but leave end square and sharp this is the flash hole punch. Next is a punch with a .063-.066 X1/8"- 3/16" stem and radiused end with the shoulder slightly under cut and sharp. This is the body punch. Last is to relieve the punch holes from the back of the base .005-.010 3/8" in to allow parts to drop thru easily. With a fine stone or fine sand paper on a flat surface sharpen edge of base holes by polishing the face of the base. A 10 ounce ball peen and brass shim stock you can now punch out the needed filler disks quick and easy.

In use slide brass shim stock between lexan and base, punch .065 hole thru with hammer. slide over and punch disk out with piloted punch and hammer. The pilot aloghs the flash hole centered here. The disks should press in with a nice snug fit.

[country gent]

pmer, You may need to modify the brass a little. A punch made upto cut a .006-.008 thick brass disk at the dia to press into the primer pockets and set the depth to the right depth for pistol primers.
For this I believe I would make a 2 step punch 1st punches the flash hole in the brass shim stock at .065-.068 ( a little big for some "wiggle room). Then the 2nd for the body dia this would be a piloted punch to alighn the flash hole centered in the disk and punch it to be a light to medium press fit in the primer pockets. These can be pressed in with the primer seater on your press tight and flat. Even better would be .010 thick brass and uniform after installation to flat and true. >010 should give .002 to remove for clean up.

Pistol primers are shorter than rifle primers so they seat deeper. The pressed in shim will compensated for the deep pockets and shorter primers.

For the punch a piece of 4140 pre hard 1/2" thick 1 1/2" wide and 3" long. For the top a piece of 1/2" lexan. ( 1/8 or 1/4 can be glued up to make 1/2") A piece of 1/4 drill rod for the 2 punches and 2 1/4" dowels 1 3/4-2" long. Clamp lexan and 4140 together drill and ream 2 1/4" - holes in each back corner. remove leaxan and ream polish to 1/4" + .0005 for light slop on punch. Assemble with dowel pins. drill and ream 1st punch hole .065 - .068 thru lexan and 4140 drill close and ream to size with finish drill. open lexan to .2505 for punch. Chamfer lexan but leave base a sharp edge. move over and repeat with the body size drills and punch hole. Turn punches up one with .064-.067 punch on end 1/4"-3/8" long chamfer shoulder but leave end square and sharp this is the flash hole punch. Next is a punch with a .063-.066 X1/8"- 3/16" stem and radiused end with the shoulder slightly under cut and sharp. This is the body punch. Last is to relieve the punch holes from the back of the base .005-.010 3/8" in to allow parts to drop thru easily. With a fine stone or fine sand paper on a flat surface sharpen edge of base holes by polishing the face of the base. A 10 ounce ball peen and brass shim stock you can now punch out the needed filler disks quick and easy.

In use slide brass shim stock between lexan and base, punch .065 hole thru with hammer. slide over and punch disk out with piloted punch and hammer. The pilot aloghs the flash hole centered here. The disks should press in with a nice snug fit.