Primer crimp removal in .223/.556

KCB · March 22, 2008, 01:08 AM

I have a bunch of LC brass that I acquired for cheap and as many know, a lot of this brass has the crimped primers which make it a pain in the butt to reload. I picked up a RCBS military crimp remover to help me get these reloaded and this is what I found. This POS dulled after about 50 brass and since I have about a thousand I was a little annoyed. I have read on here that some people use a drill bit for the removal of the crimp with good results, so I tried this. I have concluded that all you need to remove the primer crimp form .556 brass is a 13/64 drill bit on high speed (with a decent amount of centered pressure) to remove the primer crimp. This method was faster, easier, cheaper, and very close to as uniform as the RCBS tool. For reloading practice and plinking ammo, I just wanted to give my ideas to anybody who is interested.

Grandpa Shooter · March 22, 2008, 01:27 AM

If you have extraordinary control you can do it that way. However, one slip and you are out that piece of brass. For most large volume work the swagers work best. No brass removed, just stretched out to accomodate the primers.

KCB · March 22, 2008, 02:13 AM

Admittedly, I did not try the swaging die. this just worked well for me and I think is much faster. Now these are plinking rounds and I would try a differnet route for match grade ammo, but then again I don't use military brass for match grade reloading.

tom234 · March 22, 2008, 02:22 AM

Get a Lyman small primer pocket reamer [<$10]. Remove the metal reamer from the wooden handle and chuck it up in a 3/8" drill motor. The setup has worked great for me for several decades. Very little metal is removed. Use a large primer poclet reamer for .30-06 or 7.62 NATO [.308]

totalloser · March 22, 2008, 06:22 PM

That's what I thought when I found that the RCBS tool slipped right into the pocket, but it ain't so! What is going on is that on most mil brass, the crimp is cosmetic in that it doesn't need to be swaged. That's why it slips right in. I have almost all kinds of brass and it seems all are like that. No one always needs a decrimp, and no one (mil) never needs a decrimp.

To prove this theory, just take say, 30 shells that are deprimed, and slip the swager into them. One or MAYBE two will actually need to be decrimped. The ones that need it, you won't be able to get the crimper into them without the press.

AND CHECK THIS OUT; If you set the decap pin to JUST BARELY push out the primers, the ones that have a "real" crimp will stay in, and you can set them aside to swage them. You then only need to swage like about 1 in 30 or more!

fourrobert13 · March 22, 2008, 08:49 PM

Drill bit method works for me. I have been using it for years now.

Bullet94 · March 23, 2008, 01:37 AM

I bought a Dillon Super Swage 600 the other day. Seems to work good.

Link to one in action -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKVc3m2D5YA

Sevens · March 23, 2008, 07:21 AM

I agree with totalloser in that not all need to be removed... either that or I've been using smaller than spec small rifle primers to reload them all these years. (I 've used Fed, Win and CCI)

I give each a quick twist with the ultra-cheap Lee chamfer and debur tool and that's the last time I even think about them.

Sevens · March 23, 2008, 07:27 AM

Just for the sake of discussion-- I wonder if there is a variation in U.S. Government Issue 5.56 ammo that is the reason for this? The brass I've been using is LC, non-match, and it's all absolutely U.S. Govt Issue-- and was taken directly off the Viale range at Camp Perry, shot through GI M16-A2 rifles.

Perhaps they use a different lot or specifically marked separate ammo for the M249 SAW? Is there another weapon that the U.S. Military uses 5.56 ammo in?

Or did the military quit bothering with crimped primers in this caliber and what we know is simply old information that's been grandfathered in?

thallub · March 23, 2008, 08:27 AM

For many years I have chucked my case neck chamfering tool in the drill press and used it to remove the crimps from primer pockets. Takes less than five seconds to remove the crimp.

UGH · March 23, 2008, 06:44 PM

By far the easiest way to remove the crimp is with a Dillon Super Swager. It has to be one of the best tools I own.

Dave R · March 23, 2008, 07:42 PM

I've done hundreds by hand with a chamfering tool.

rrp · March 23, 2008, 07:57 PM

I use the chamfering end of my RCBS deburring tool in an electric drill.Very fast and effective.

farnorthdan · March 24, 2008, 04:15 PM

+1 on the lyman tool. I have purchased the entire swaging kit which comes with the rechargable drill, small and large primer swage brushes and such.

jmorris · March 25, 2008, 08:20 AM

Quote:

By far the easiest way to remove the crimp is with a Dillon Super Swager. It has to be one of the best tools I own.

Close, but the 1050 swages as part of the loading process at station 3.

March 22, 2008, 01:08 AM	#1
KCB Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2007 Posts: 101	Primer crimp removal in .223/.556 I have a bunch of LC brass that I acquired for cheap and as many know, a lot of this brass has the crimped primers which make it a pain in the butt to reload. I picked up a RCBS military crimp remover to help me get these reloaded and this is what I found. This POS dulled after about 50 brass and since I have about a thousand I was a little annoyed. I have read on here that some people use a drill bit for the removal of the crimp with good results, so I tried this. I have concluded that all you need to remove the primer crimp form .556 brass is a 13/64 drill bit on high speed (with a decent amount of centered pressure) to remove the primer crimp. This method was faster, easier, cheaper, and very close to as uniform as the RCBS tool. For reloading practice and plinking ammo, I just wanted to give my ideas to anybody who is interested.

March 22, 2008, 01:27 AM	#2
Grandpa Shooter Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2007 Posts: 140	If you have extraordinary control you can do it that way. However, one slip and you are out that piece of brass. For most large volume work the swagers work best. No brass removed, just stretched out to accomodate the primers. __________________ Old enough to know better and way too old to care!

March 22, 2008, 08:49 PM	#6
fourrobert13 Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: South West Ohio Posts: 336	Drill bit method works for me. I have been using it for years now. __________________ Be aware of yourself and everything around you.

March 23, 2008, 01:37 AM	#7
Bullet94 Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2004 Location: Kansas Posts: 723	I bought a Dillon Super Swage 600 the other day. Seems to work good. Link to one in action - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKVc3m2D5YA __________________ PRO-SECOND AMENDMENT - Live Free or Die

March 23, 2008, 07:21 AM	#8
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	I agree with totalloser in that not all need to be removed... either that or I've been using smaller than spec small rifle primers to reload them all these years. (I 've used Fed, Win and CCI) I give each a quick twist with the ultra-cheap Lee chamfer and debur tool and that's the last time I even think about them. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

March 22, 2008, 02:13 AM	#3
KCB Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2007 Posts: 101	Admittedly, I did not try the swaging die. this just worked well for me and I think is much faster. Now these are plinking rounds and I would try a differnet route for match grade ammo, but then again I don't use military brass for match grade reloading.

March 22, 2008, 02:22 AM	#4
tom234 Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 2008 Location: Kansas Posts: 753	Get a Lyman small primer pocket reamer [<$10]. Remove the metal reamer from the wooden handle and chuck it up in a 3/8" drill motor. The setup has worked great for me for several decades. Very little metal is removed. Use a large primer poclet reamer for .30-06 or 7.62 NATO [.308]

March 22, 2008, 06:22 PM	#5
totalloser Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2007 Location: Fort Bragg, CA Posts: 679	That's what I thought when I found that the RCBS tool slipped right into the pocket, but it ain't so! What is going on is that on most mil brass, the crimp is cosmetic in that it doesn't need to be swaged. That's why it slips right in. I have almost all kinds of brass and it seems all are like that. No one always needs a decrimp, and no one (mil) never needs a decrimp. To prove this theory, just take say, 30 shells that are deprimed, and slip the swager into them. One or MAYBE two will actually need to be decrimped. The ones that need it, you won't be able to get the crimper into them without the press. AND CHECK THIS OUT; If you set the decap pin to JUST BARELY push out the primers, the ones that have a "real" crimp will stay in, and you can set them aside to swage them. You then only need to swage like about 1 in 30 or more!

March 23, 2008, 07:27 AM	#9
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	Just for the sake of discussion-- I wonder if there is a variation in U.S. Government Issue 5.56 ammo that is the reason for this? The brass I've been using is LC, non-match, and it's all absolutely U.S. Govt Issue-- and was taken directly off the Viale range at Camp Perry, shot through GI M16-A2 rifles. Perhaps they use a different lot or specifically marked separate ammo for the M249 SAW? Is there another weapon that the U.S. Military uses 5.56 ammo in? Or did the military quit bothering with crimped primers in this caliber and what we know is simply old information that's been grandfathered in? __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

March 23, 2008, 08:27 AM	#10
thallub Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: South Western OK Posts: 3,112	For many years I have chucked my case neck chamfering tool in the drill press and used it to remove the crimps from primer pockets. Takes less than five seconds to remove the crimp.

March 23, 2008, 06:44 PM	#11
UGH Senior Member Join Date: October 3, 2007 Posts: 156	By far the easiest way to remove the crimp is with a Dillon Super Swager. It has to be one of the best tools I own. __________________ If you liberals keep gettin' your way - we're all gonna hear one big loud flush. The sound of the U.S. of A. goin' straight down the toilet.- Archie Bunker............. Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth. George Washington

March 23, 2008, 07:42 PM	#12
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2000 Location: Idaho Posts: 6,073	I've done hundreds by hand with a chamfering tool. __________________ I am Pro-Rights (on gun issues).

March 23, 2008, 07:57 PM	#13
rrp Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2006 Location: west central Wi Posts: 300	Primer crimp removal I use the chamfering end of my RCBS deburring tool in an electric drill.Very fast and effective.

March 24, 2008, 04:15 PM	#14
farnorthdan Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2007 Posts: 371	+1 on the lyman tool. I have purchased the entire swaging kit which comes with the rechargable drill, small and large primer swage brushes and such.