How many of you fuss with crimped primer brass?

[F. Guffey]

With some exceptions, I prefer crimped primer brass. If the primer is crimped, I can be reasonably sure the brass is actually "once-fired". Removing the crimp is an additional step in the reloading process; but not an onerous one.

And then there was Hatcher; he wrote removing the crimp was a matter of using his pocket knife. I understand that was then and this is now; I do not know how many cases Hatcher required on a daily, weakly and of monthly bases.

And then there is me. Rather than spend more time talking about 'it' than doing it and I do not have separation anxiety when being away from the key board there is no shortage of cases around here.

hdwit, I agree, if I had any plans of purchasing for resale I would leave the crimp in the case. I purchased 30/06 military once fired cases in buckets at a flea market in North Carolina. They were cheap because most of the reloaders that had the opportunity to purchase them refused because of the time required to clean them. I paid 1 cent each for them; that was 100 cases for one dollar, again, the cases filled buckets.

The cases were clean enough to fire in less than 3 hours because I used 5% vinegar for 15 minutes and then tumbled for an hour.

And then there were the dirty ones, each case had a dirt dauber planted in it. I took them home and placed them in the garage wondering it the cases were worth the effort.

It became one of those 'and then' moments; the wife opened the garage door and a black cloud appeared to drift out like I was making a horror movie. The wife was not happy; the up side? Each dirt dobber captures a black widow spiders and places it in a 30 cal. hole to feed the next generation.

I was told by a Japanese gunsmith in Hawaii there was only one thing that is worst than a 30 Cal. dirt dobber; he said the Hawaiian 20 cal. dirt dobber was the worst. He said if you choose not to clean all the holes in everything you have to plug then. He said it was not a part time job, it was a full time job.

F. Guffey

[rebs]

I use a VLD chamfer tool, it self centers in the pocket and bottoms out removing the crimp perfectly

[llowe53]

I know the 5.56 NATO military brass needs to have the crimp removed, but is there a crimp in .223 brass? If so, I guess it needs to be removed also. I have hundreds of rounds each and l don't want to waste time on .223 if not needed.

Great forum BTW.

[jpx2rk]

Some 223 brass is crimped, it's usually overruns from a military contract. All crimps need to be dealt with in some form or fashion if you plan to reload it.