Reaming Military Brass Primer Pockets

roc1 · September 8, 2008, 09:38 PM

What do anyone of you think is the best and fastest way to ream military primer pockets.Mostly 223 brass.I have a lot of it and am thinking about loading this caliber.I did load one box already with a set of dies I got in a lot of equipment I bought .I know from experience that reaming primer pockets can be a chore.I have heard the Dillon is ok but was wondering if there is a better and faster method?I might be better off just getting good new brass for my AR.I would like a few thoughts.
Thanks
roc1

Sport45 · September 8, 2008, 10:05 PM

Anymore, I chuck the cutter from my Hornady primer pocket reamer in a drill that's clamped in my bench vise. I set the drill at 100 or so rpm and can ream .223 pockets about as fast as I can pick them up and drop them in a bucket.

Stagger Lee · September 8, 2008, 11:33 PM

RCBS makes a swager that fits a single-stage press and works great on .223 and other cases. Cost: $20-$30 or so.

roc1 · September 9, 2008, 06:30 AM

How is the case held without crushing it?Is the RCBS a hand held unit?
Thanks
roc1

tbtrout · September 9, 2008, 06:34 AM

I just use the chamfer tool. Quick twist and the pocket is ready.

UGH · September 9, 2008, 06:50 AM

Go with the Dillon super swager. Check out the link below. It is what I use. It is by far the best thing I have found.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1VQoPDik04

wogpotter · September 9, 2008, 08:43 AM

I vote for the Dillon as well.
More expensive, you bet, best by far, & easiest/fastest to use.
YEP.

Scorch · September 9, 2008, 11:00 AM

I just use my case chamfering tool. One quick twist and away we go!

AlaskaMike · September 9, 2008, 11:47 AM

I've got blisters from using my Lee chamfering tool to remove primer crimps, and I've got a ton of military .30-06 brass I still need to process. I decided to get the RCBS primer pocket swaging combo, and am pretty happy with it. It's much cheaper than the Dillon, and it doesn't give me blisters. Sport45's method looks pretty slick though.

Mike

FrankenMauser · September 9, 2008, 10:59 PM

The RCBS camfer/deburring tool is my choice. It won't uniform the pocket for insanely-tight crimp jobs, but I throw those cases away anyway. If the case was crimped hard enough to deform the primer pocket; it was crimped hard enough to deform other parts of the case head. ... scrab bucket ...

For the typical crimp, I just give it a few twists of the camfer end of the tool. Good to go.

totalloser · September 11, 2008, 07:39 PM

I really don't care for reaming, as it takes material off and loosens the pocket where the end of the primer sits. I got the RCBS unit and was sort of disappointed at first as it is a little clumsy to use 'till you figure it out. It leaves the pocket just slightly tight for long case life and reliability, but on cases that don't need a crimp (most 5.56 do not) it will appear to do nothing.

The trick to get speed out of the RCBS is to feed the case up into the die THEN pull on the handle. It has an insert that goes into the press where the shell holder goes, and a cap that goes over it. A die goes into the head of the press. A shaft goes into the shell to push the case head down on the swager, and then when you pull it down, the cap pops the shell off the nipple on the swager. Once I figured it out, I think it may be almost as quick or maybe just as quick as the Dillon. But I do think the Dillon swager is slightly superior. Actually I think the RCBS may be quicker as you eliminate the step of flipping the shell into position. Dunno, though.

The really goofy thing I have seen with reaming is the commercial reloads that when you fire them, the primer flows out into the ream and gets so large it looks like someone used large rifle primers. Freaks me out, personally.

crowbeaner · September 11, 2008, 09:36 PM

Aw gee, totalloser; you gave out the secret. I just swaged 1050 223 cases with the RCBS unit because the low life theives stole my Dillon. It's easy once you get the hang of it. I take the Lyman crimp remover and give it a twist or two as I prime them. Good for the life of the case. Some foreign military ammo has a real tight primer crimp, and it takes some cussing to get the reamer to turn, but it usually gets it done. I prefer to uniform the flash holes before swaging to make sure the cases all get the same swage amount; I did this with the Dillon also.

totalloser · September 16, 2008, 08:50 PM

Dang I guess my attempt at humor fell flat. But since you had both, and liked the Dillon more, let me ask; Since you HAVE the RCBS, would you consider buying the Dillon again? Is it that much better/faster?

**Unclenick** · September 16, 2008, 09:15 PM

The Dillon is good, and I own one. Very fast. If you are shooting general purpose ammo, swaging is the way to go. Also fine for military pistol brass. If you are shooting benchrest or working on long range slow fire loads, though, I am less sanguine about the process. The problem is that the excess brass in the primer pocket has to go somewhere. It gets pushed out sideways turning the primer pocket into a kind of low wall crater. Take a swaged case and draw the head lightly over some sandpaper and you will see it is going to touchdown on the bolt face immediately around the primer but not out at the periphery of the head. Now, once you've fired it, it fireforms back flat again. That can even push a bit of brass back where it was, so don't be surprised if you have to put some of the cases through the swager twice before it settles down. By the time the second swage is fireformed flat, you've reloaded it least twice before the casehead offers even purchase on the boltface. That cuts into your case accuracy life a bit. So, I still use my Wilson to profile ream the primer pockets of brass that is for 300 yards and out.

crowbeaner · September 16, 2008, 09:30 PM

Yup. I'd buy another Dillon if I had a bunch of brass to do; it's faster and easier. The RCBS unit will do the job OK, but the Dillon puts just a bit of radius on the edge of the pocket so the next primer goes in easier. If you use the RCBS unit, you'll still have to give the pocket a radius; this is where the Lyman reamer comes in. A twist or 3 and you're good to go. It sure slowed me down, but I consider reloading a labor of love (I LOVE reloading). Problem is the rock is hard to come by with the wife doing the economics.

September 8, 2008, 09:38 PM	#1
roc1 Senior Member Join Date: July 31, 2005 Location: Lubbock Texas Posts: 560	Reaming Military Brass Primer Pockets What do anyone of you think is the best and fastest way to ream military primer pockets.Mostly 223 brass.I have a lot of it and am thinking about loading this caliber.I did load one box already with a set of dies I got in a lot of equipment I bought .I know from experience that reaming primer pockets can be a chore.I have heard the Dillon is ok but was wondering if there is a better and faster method?I might be better off just getting good new brass for my AR.I would like a few thoughts. Thanks roc1

September 8, 2008, 10:05 PM	#2
Sport45 Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 1999 Location: Too close to Houston Posts: 4,196	Anymore, I chuck the cutter from my Hornady primer pocket reamer in a drill that's clamped in my bench vise. I set the drill at 100 or so rpm and can ream .223 pockets about as fast as I can pick them up and drop them in a bucket. __________________ Proud member of the NRA and Texas State Rifle Association. Registered and active voter.

September 9, 2008, 06:50 AM	#6
UGH Senior Member Join Date: October 3, 2007 Posts: 156	Go with the Dillon super swager. Check out the link below. It is what I use. It is by far the best thing I have found. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1VQoPDik04 __________________ 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

September 9, 2008, 11:00 AM	#8
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	I just use my case chamfering tool. One quick twist and away we go! __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

September 11, 2008, 09:36 PM	#12
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,943	Aw gee, totalloser; you gave out the secret. I just swaged 1050 223 cases with the RCBS unit because the low life theives stole my Dillon. It's easy once you get the hang of it. I take the Lyman crimp remover and give it a twist or two as I prime them. Good for the life of the case. Some foreign military ammo has a real tight primer crimp, and it takes some cussing to get the reamer to turn, but it usually gets it done. I prefer to uniform the flash holes before swaging to make sure the cases all get the same swage amount; I did this with the Dillon also. __________________ If you want your children to follow in your footsteps, be careful where you walk. Beware the man that only owns one gun; he probably knows how to use it. I just hope my ship comes in before my dock rots.

September 8, 2008, 11:33 PM	#3
Stagger Lee Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2007 Posts: 342	RCBS makes a swager that fits a single-stage press and works great on .223 and other cases. Cost: $20-$30 or so.

September 9, 2008, 06:30 AM	#4
roc1 Senior Member Join Date: July 31, 2005 Location: Lubbock Texas Posts: 560	How is the case held without crushing it?Is the RCBS a hand held unit? Thanks roc1

September 9, 2008, 06:34 AM	#5
tbtrout Senior Member Join Date: April 27, 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 234	I just use the chamfer tool. Quick twist and the pocket is ready.

September 9, 2008, 08:43 AM	#7
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	I vote for the Dillon as well. More expensive, you bet, best by far, & easiest/fastest to use. YEP.

September 9, 2008, 11:47 AM	#9
AlaskaMike Senior Member Join Date: September 26, 2005 Posts: 943	I've got blisters from using my Lee chamfering tool to remove primer crimps, and I've got a ton of military .30-06 brass I still need to process. I decided to get the RCBS primer pocket swaging combo, and am pretty happy with it. It's much cheaper than the Dillon, and it doesn't give me blisters. Sport45's method looks pretty slick though. Mike

September 9, 2008, 10:59 PM	#10
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	The RCBS camfer/deburring tool is my choice. It won't uniform the pocket for insanely-tight crimp jobs, but I throw those cases away anyway. If the case was crimped hard enough to deform the primer pocket; it was crimped hard enough to deform other parts of the case head. ... scrab bucket ... For the typical crimp, I just give it a few twists of the camfer end of the tool. Good to go.

September 11, 2008, 07:39 PM	#11
totalloser Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2007 Location: Fort Bragg, CA Posts: 679	I really don't care for reaming, as it takes material off and loosens the pocket where the end of the primer sits. I got the RCBS unit and was sort of disappointed at first as it is a little clumsy to use 'till you figure it out. It leaves the pocket just slightly tight for long case life and reliability, but on cases that don't need a crimp (most 5.56 do not) it will appear to do nothing. The trick to get speed out of the RCBS is to feed the case up into the die THEN pull on the handle. It has an insert that goes into the press where the shell holder goes, and a cap that goes over it. A die goes into the head of the press. A shaft goes into the shell to push the case head down on the swager, and then when you pull it down, the cap pops the shell off the nipple on the swager. Once I figured it out, I think it may be almost as quick or maybe just as quick as the Dillon. But I do think the Dillon swager is slightly superior. Actually I think the RCBS may be quicker as you eliminate the step of flipping the shell into position. Dunno, though. The really goofy thing I have seen with reaming is the commercial reloads that when you fire them, the primer flows out into the ream and gets so large it looks like someone used large rifle primers. Freaks me out, personally.

September 16, 2008, 08:50 PM	#13
totalloser Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2007 Location: Fort Bragg, CA Posts: 679	Dang I guess my attempt at humor fell flat. But since you had both, and liked the Dillon more, let me ask; Since you HAVE the RCBS, would you consider buying the Dillon again? Is it that much better/faster?

September 16, 2008, 09:15 PM	#14
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	The Dillon is good, and I own one. Very fast. If you are shooting general purpose ammo, swaging is the way to go. Also fine for military pistol brass. If you are shooting benchrest or working on long range slow fire loads, though, I am less sanguine about the process. The problem is that the excess brass in the primer pocket has to go somewhere. It gets pushed out sideways turning the primer pocket into a kind of low wall crater. Take a swaged case and draw the head lightly over some sandpaper and you will see it is going to touchdown on the bolt face immediately around the primer but not out at the periphery of the head. Now, once you've fired it, it fireforms back flat again. That can even push a bit of brass back where it was, so don't be surprised if you have to put some of the cases through the swager twice before it settles down. By the time the second swage is fireformed flat, you've reloaded it least twice before the casehead offers even purchase on the boltface. That cuts into your case accuracy life a bit. So, I still use my Wilson to profile ream the primer pockets of brass that is for 300 yards and out. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

September 16, 2008, 09:30 PM	#15
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,943	Yup. I'd buy another Dillon if I had a bunch of brass to do; it's faster and easier. The RCBS unit will do the job OK, but the Dillon puts just a bit of radius on the edge of the pocket so the next primer goes in easier. If you use the RCBS unit, you'll still have to give the pocket a radius; this is where the Lyman reamer comes in. A twist or 3 and you're good to go. It sure slowed me down, but I consider reloading a labor of love (I LOVE reloading). Problem is the rock is hard to come by with the wife doing the economics. __________________ If you want your children to follow in your footsteps, be careful where you walk. Beware the man that only owns one gun; he probably knows how to use it. I just hope my ship comes in before my dock rots.