primer pocket swaging surprise 9mm

[oley55]

Not sure why I have not seen this problem before with other brass (45acp, 556, 308) but I have found that the excess jagged punched out material is being flatten back into the primer hole in 9mm brass. This is mixed range pick-up brass with quantities of crimped MIL brass, so I swage everything.

I use a Dillon Super Swage with auto-eject so that I can process large numbers pretty quickly. As can be seen in the pics, I am finding a number of cases where the primer holes are now partially obstructed with brass. It's only 9mm blasting ammo, but I have to imagine some of the more severely blocked primer pockets would generate wild deviations. I do wonder if I should deburr all cases showing any obstruction or just the more severely obstructed(?).

The attached pics left to right or top to bottom if the pics load 1/4 turned (no material, 2 center with some and far right significant). For those wondering what brands, again left to right, (Blazer, R-P, WIN). Pretty surprised the cheapo Blazer brass has no dangling material, wonder if they are drilled rather than punched(?).

For those that wonder if I am over-swaging, I follow Dillon's trial and adjust method until primers will seat with some felt resistance.

[Hossfly]

If its just blasting ammo I wouldn’t worry about it. If it concerns you just set them aside and deal with later.

I have similar set up for .223 and is actually fun flinging those across the table, and into the box.

[AlHunt]

Not sure why I have not seen this problem before with other brass (45acp, 556, 308) but I have found that the excess jagged punched out material is being flatten back into the primer hole in 9mm brass. This is mixed range pick-up brass with quantities of crimped MIL brass, so I swage everything.

I use a Dillon Super Swage with auto-eject so that I can process large numbers pretty quickly. As can be seen in the pics, I am finding a number of cases where the primer holes are now partially obstructed with brass. It's only 9mm blasting ammo, but I have to imagine some of the more severely blocked primer pockets would generate wild deviations. I do wonder if I should deburr all cases showing any obstruction or just the more severely obstructed(?).

The attached pics left to right or top to bottom if the pics load 1/4 turned (no material, 2 center with some and far right significant). For those wondering what brands, again left to right, (Blazer, R-P, WIN). Pretty surprised the cheapo Blazer brass has no dangling material, wonder if they are drilled rather than punched(?).

For those that wonder if I am over-swaging, I follow Dillon's trial and adjust method until primers will seat with some felt resistance.

Well, why not stop swaging the commercial brass? I run into very, very few commercial cases that require unusual primer pocket attention.

[WinchesterM1]

Well, why not stop swaging the commercial brass? I run into very, very few commercial cases that require unusual primer pocket attention.

And I bet those are all SB brand brass

[Burnt Fingers]

For me life is too short to swage 9mm brass. I just dump it into the recycle bucket.

I don't have a lot of 9mm brass....about 12 gallons worth. But the stuff used to be free to pick up at my club.

[30calflash]

Prolly a non issue for practice ammo.

I like the auto eject set up!

[oley55]

until this latest shortage of shortages, I pretty much never planned to reload 9mm, but then here we are.....

As for "well don't swage the commercial" and "life being too short", yes my life is too short and/or my attention span is too short to be head-stamp sorting through a few thousand dirty 9mm cases looking for MIL crimps. Not to mention my old eyes/eye strain. It is simply more efficient to swage them all vs sorting by appearance/head-stamp, then missing some and experiencing the inevitable primer seating jam-ups.

I may be all wet on this and won't know until I load and shoot a few hundred rounds of unsorted 9mm brass. If they cycle reliably, I'll keep going. If they don't I will need to rethink the whole "life is too short".

As a couple have mentioned, for blasting ammo I will likely ignore all except the significantly obstructed primer holes.

[mdi]

FWIW; swaging doesn't remove metal, it just moves it. One reason I use a plain old 60 degreex1/2" countersink. I have easily and quickly removed thousands of military primer crimps on handgun, rifle, foreign and domestic brass. And I don't mind inspecting my brass (my very first step for reloading every cartridge, handgun or
rifle). I like reloading so most/many of the "more, faster" gadgets or "speed up" methods don't appeal to me...

[Winger Ed.]

If it didn't have a crimped primer like GI stuff does, I wouldn't bother with swaging it.

I spot it when sorting the .380s out of a batch.

[Blindshooter]

I saw this a lot when I was prepping a lot of .223 for High Power. At first I used a tool to clean it up and later realized it didn't affect the chrono numbers or my scores so I just let it go.
Good luck

[tomj44]

Oley 55, I do exactly the same as you with 9mm mixed headstamp brass. I use the Dillon super swage and get the same thing with some flash holes. When I load the brass, the size/deprime die, clears the flash hole. I have had no problems yet.

[oley55]

Oley 55, I do exactly the same as you with 9mm mixed headstamp brass. I use the Dillon super swage and get the same thing with some flash holes. When I load the brass, the size/deprime die, clears the flash hole. I have had no problems yet.

well, duh!!! as obvious as the noise on my face and why didn’t I think of that? sheesh. thanks

[GregLaROCHE]

You should clean them up. There are hand tools made for that purpose.

[gifbohane]

Brass is still available on the deck of the range. I have so much now and with more still available I will not waste my time swaging the military crimp out of 9mm. I just toss them all.

I also toss strange headstamps.

[onelight]

If you have a Dillon and a case feeder it might not be that big a deal to swage them all .
But life is to short for me to do it with my rcbs or the reamer I have . I might think differently if I did not have so much 9mm brass. So mine also go in the recycle bucket :)

[ioon44]

Not sure why I have not seen this problem before with other brass (45acp, 556, 308) but I have found that the excess jagged punched out material is being flatten back into the primer hole in 9mm brass. This is mixed range pick-up brass with quantities of crimped MIL brass, so I swage everything.

I use a Dillon Super Swage with auto-eject so that I can process large numbers pretty quickly. As can be seen in the pics, I am finding a number of cases where the primer holes are now partially obstructed with brass. It's only 9mm blasting ammo, but I have to imagine some of the more severely blocked primer pockets would generate wild deviations. I do wonder if I should deburr all cases showing any obstruction or just the more severely obstructed(?).

The attached pics left to right or top to bottom if the pics load 1/4 turned (no material, 2 center with some and far right significant). For those wondering what brands, again left to right, (Blazer, R-P, WIN). Pretty surprised the cheapo Blazer brass has no dangling material, wonder if they are drilled rather than punched(?).

For those that wonder if I am over-swaging, I follow Dillon's trial and adjust method until primers will seat with some felt resistance.

When you run the brass through the sizer die the decapper pin will make the flash hole the same size.

I got rid of my Dillon Super Swage and use my RCBS Swage tool.

[Soundguy]

i'd use a flash hole cleaner onthe ones with metal in the flash hole.. and as others said.. I'd only swage the military/crimped/staked primer pockets.. not the commercial ones.

[Bmi48219]

And I bet those are all SB brand brass

Agree with that, I donate any S&B brass I find to the needy.

[sigep1764]

I would really appreciate a write up in this thread about the auto eject mod! Pics and parts please!

[tomme boy]

I also don't sort them. All get seated in the APP. They then sized in the first station on the progressive press. I have a electric bullet and case feeder set up on the APP so all i have to do is pull the handle.

[Garyshome]

I pitch crimped 9mm brass.