primer problems with .223

sks · September 4, 2009, 11:57 PM

I picked up some brass at the range last Saturday and began working on some of the .223 last night. After punching out the primers, trimming the cases and getting them ready I began to seat new primers.

Lo and behold about 30 of them won't seat a new primer. Almost looks like a little metal band inside the primer hole. Anyone know what this is? Can I remove it?

Thanks for your input.

kwells6 · September 5, 2009, 12:04 AM

its a crimp inside there... i bet most of the brass you got had a "LC" or a "RP" stamped on the back? its mil spec. RCBS (i think) makes a tool that will remove that crimp. i've never actually had a problem with them. maybe 2 out of 100, but i use a lee auto-prime.

NWPilgrim · September 5, 2009, 12:45 AM

Military spec brass have a crimp to hold the primer in more tightly. You have to remove it, or swage the pocket to resize it for a proper primer fit. Do not try to seat a primer without reaming or swaging the pocket.

All military brass has crimped primers, as well as many commercial headstamps such as PMC.

My favorite tool for doing hundreds or thousands of cases is the Dillon Super Swage 600. Cost about $98 and is super heavy duty and makes quick work of crimps. Comes with swage head for both .223 and .308/.30-06. This is a bench mount tool.

RCBS makes a pocket swaging die for mounting in a reloading press. I have no experience with this but have heard it may not do as good a job as the Dillon.

The other technique is to use a pocket reamer, not a pocket uniformer. I use a reamer attachment for my L.E. Wilson case trimmer. I think most case trimmers such as Redding, RCBS, Lyman, Hornady have a pocket reamer attachment.

RCBS also makes a pocket reamer attachment for their case trim center. This is an adjustable tool head that indexes off the case head for very uniform pocket reaming, but I have heard good and bad experiences with it. The Dillon swager and the case trimmer attachments usually index off the case web or case length so it is best to have all the brass trimmed to the same length before reaming.

My number one choice if you have a lot of brass would be the Dillon Swager. If you only have occasional crimped pocket brass then get an attachment for your case trimmer. These are usually about $30.

sks · September 5, 2009, 07:36 AM

Thanks guys for the input.

Kwells6: Most of the brass has F C stamped on the head while some has a series of numbers. I have about 50 pieces set aside from a while back that I couldn't even get the primers out.

NWPilgrim: Guess I will just have to invest on one more reloading tool.

Depending on how many pieces I have I'll either get the tool or send the brass to someone who already has it.

Thanks again,

jepp2 · September 5, 2009, 10:10 AM

Some people have problems depriming crimped primers with normal resizing dies. Universal decapping dies have more robust decapping assemblies and don't bend or break as easily.

I have both the RCBS swage tool and the Dillon tool. I personally like the job the RCBS tool does better than the Dillon, but that isn't the norm. The RCBS runs about $25.

PCJim · September 5, 2009, 10:14 AM

For the quantity you currently have, get a primer pocket reamer (small for SP and SR primer pockets). Hornady makes a very good one that can be chucked into a drill if you want to speed up the process. They cost appx five dollars MidwayUSA. I probably processed a couple thousand in this manner before purchasing a Super Swage.

buckwoods · September 6, 2009, 07:16 AM

Like jepp2, have the RCBS primer pocket swage tool. Works great.

Blue Grass · September 6, 2009, 08:32 AM

I've known people who used a pocket knife to cut the crimp out of primer pockets. I've got so much Rem and Win .223 brass that I don't even bother to pick up crimped brass any more.However, my reloading buddies tell me the swager does a better job than the trimmer but I have no personal experience with either. Good luck.

medalguy · September 6, 2009, 03:42 PM

Here's a suggestion if you don't want to invest in the tooling or do the work yourself-- there is a gentleman in Abilene Texas who will full length resize, trim to your length, remove primer crimp, and tumble bright for 3 center per round. Not bad. Check out

http://pages.suddenlink.net/brassprocessing

ballardw · September 8, 2009, 12:28 AM

And some brass without visible crimps needs this treatment also. I've run into PMC and PMP headstamped brass that needed swaging.

September 4, 2009, 11:57 PM	#1
sks Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2000 Location: Williamsburg, MO Posts: 944	primer problems with .223 I picked up some brass at the range last Saturday and began working on some of the .223 last night. After punching out the primers, trimming the cases and getting them ready I began to seat new primers. Lo and behold about 30 of them won't seat a new primer. Almost looks like a little metal band inside the primer hole. Anyone know what this is? Can I remove it? Thanks for your input. __________________ Guns don't kill people; bullets kill people!

September 5, 2009, 12:04 AM	#2
kwells6 Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Central Arkansas Posts: 437	its a crimp inside there... i bet most of the brass you got had a "LC" or a "RP" stamped on the back? its mil spec. RCBS (i think) makes a tool that will remove that crimp. i've never actually had a problem with them. maybe 2 out of 100, but i use a lee auto-prime. __________________ "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."

September 5, 2009, 12:45 AM	#3
NWPilgrim Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,346	Military spec brass have a crimp to hold the primer in more tightly. You have to remove it, or swage the pocket to resize it for a proper primer fit. Do not try to seat a primer without reaming or swaging the pocket. All military brass has crimped primers, as well as many commercial headstamps such as PMC. My favorite tool for doing hundreds or thousands of cases is the Dillon Super Swage 600. Cost about $98 and is super heavy duty and makes quick work of crimps. Comes with swage head for both .223 and .308/.30-06. This is a bench mount tool. RCBS makes a pocket swaging die for mounting in a reloading press. I have no experience with this but have heard it may not do as good a job as the Dillon. The other technique is to use a pocket reamer, not a pocket uniformer. I use a reamer attachment for my L.E. Wilson case trimmer. I think most case trimmers such as Redding, RCBS, Lyman, Hornady have a pocket reamer attachment. RCBS also makes a pocket reamer attachment for their case trim center. This is an adjustable tool head that indexes off the case head for very uniform pocket reaming, but I have heard good and bad experiences with it. The Dillon swager and the case trimmer attachments usually index off the case web or case length so it is best to have all the brass trimmed to the same length before reaming. My number one choice if you have a lot of brass would be the Dillon Swager. If you only have occasional crimped pocket brass then get an attachment for your case trimmer. These are usually about $30. __________________ "The ultimate authority ... resides in the people alone. ... The advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation ... forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition." - James Madison

September 5, 2009, 07:36 AM	#4
sks Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2000 Location: Williamsburg, MO Posts: 944	Thanks guys for the input. Kwells6: Most of the brass has F C stamped on the head while some has a series of numbers. I have about 50 pieces set aside from a while back that I couldn't even get the primers out. NWPilgrim: Guess I will just have to invest on one more reloading tool. Depending on how many pieces I have I'll either get the tool or send the brass to someone who already has it. Thanks again, __________________ Guns don't kill people; bullets kill people!

September 6, 2009, 03:42 PM	#9
medalguy Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2009 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,033	Here's a suggestion if you don't want to invest in the tooling or do the work yourself-- there is a gentleman in Abilene Texas who will full length resize, trim to your length, remove primer crimp, and tumble bright for 3 center per round. Not bad. Check out http://pages.suddenlink.net/brassprocessing Last edited by medalguy; September 8, 2009 at 12:51 AM.

September 5, 2009, 10:10 AM	#5
jepp2 Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2008 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 1,476	Some people have problems depriming crimped primers with normal resizing dies. Universal decapping dies have more robust decapping assemblies and don't bend or break as easily. I have both the RCBS swage tool and the Dillon tool. I personally like the job the RCBS tool does better than the Dillon, but that isn't the norm. The RCBS runs about $25.

September 5, 2009, 10:14 AM	#6
PCJim Senior Member Join Date: July 11, 2008 Location: FL Posts: 570	For the quantity you currently have, get a primer pocket reamer (small for SP and SR primer pockets). Hornady makes a very good one that can be chucked into a drill if you want to speed up the process. They cost appx five dollars MidwayUSA. I probably processed a couple thousand in this manner before purchasing a Super Swage.

September 6, 2009, 07:16 AM	#7
buckwoods Member Join Date: November 1, 2008 Posts: 17	Like jepp2, have the RCBS primer pocket swage tool. Works great.

September 6, 2009, 08:32 AM	#8
Blue Grass Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2009 Posts: 398	I've known people who used a pocket knife to cut the crimp out of primer pockets. I've got so much Rem and Win .223 brass that I don't even bother to pick up crimped brass any more.However, my reloading buddies tell me the swager does a better job than the trimmer but I have no personal experience with either. Good luck.

September 8, 2009, 12:28 AM	#10
ballardw Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 1,411	And some brass without visible crimps needs this treatment also. I've run into PMC and PMP headstamped brass that needed swaging.