Military brass coming out my ears

NukeCop · March 18, 2007, 08:10 PM

Just like the title says. I have access to militar brass that aches to be reloaded. I'm going to buy a RCBS Rock chucker kit just for this purpose. I;ve heard the 5.56mm and 7.62mm NATO primers are or some part of them are crimped in.... Is there an extra step to reload these, or do I just do as I normally would for new store bought brass? thanks to whoever helped!

**Unclenick** · March 18, 2007, 08:26 PM

If you examine the primer on a military case, before or after firing, you will see a slightly recessed ring in the brass around the primer pocket perimeter. That is the crimp. It helps keep the primer from backing out. The practice was started in the 1920's, though how much help it is beyond what sealant accomplishes, I don't know? Military ammo can be put into hot chambers and through full-auto weapons with fast opening actions, so it is likely addressing those sorts of issues; preventing machine gun jams and the like.

You will find the crimped primer is more difficult to knock out than a commercial primer. Once out, you will find it has squeezed past the crimp, that the crimp is still intact, and therefore a new primer cannot be pushed in. You need to remove the crimp. There are a number of different tools for the purpose. Primer pocket reamers are the original hand tool for this, and are not expensive, but are slow going. Lyman and others make them. The Wilson case trimmer sold by Sinclair International has a dandy one for use in that tool. Dillon makes a separate swaging press to force the pocket open. I believe RCBS (or one of the other major die makers) has a die with a swaging ram that allows you to do this in your press. Swaging is much faster than cutting, but it raises the brass around the primer pocket. This is then pressed flat again on firing (though not as tight as it was originally), and you likely will have to swage it a second time. The raised area would present an unacceptable distortion for benchrest shooting, but is not a problem for more normal accuracy loads.

rwilson452 · March 18, 2007, 09:35 PM

Been there done that on lots of brass. I reamed them. Like the poster before me said swagging sometimes needs to be done twice. With the ream it's a one time deal. Note that military brass is thicker than civilian brass so you don't have the same capacity as civilian brass. Follow the golden rule. Start with a lighter charge and work up watching for signs of pressure. I have noted the most accurate ammo is rarely at max pressure.

NukeCop · March 19, 2007, 06:21 PM

Thank you for the good info! It may be slow going, but if they make a hand tool to do it, could I maybe watch T.V. while I knock out the old primers,and ream the primer pocket for a new primer? It;s just a time intensive thing, right?

30Cal · March 19, 2007, 06:45 PM

Sizing and decapping is usually done in one step. You can get a separate decapping die though.

Make sure your brass is boxer primed. A lot of foreign stuff is berdan primed (and essentially worthless for reloading).

Ty

rwilson452 · March 19, 2007, 09:21 PM

I bought a hand tool to ream the primer pockets. I then unscrewed it from the handle and put it in my cordless drill. Makes a much faster job of it.

Edward429451 · March 19, 2007, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Note that military brass is thicker than civilian brass so you don't have the same capacity as civilian brass. Follow the golden rule. Start with a lighter charge and work up watching for signs of pressure.

While this is certainly true for 7.62 Nato brass, I have not found it to be true with 5.56 Nato brass. I've weighed buku cases and as a rule commercial .223 cases run (slightly) heavier than the Nato counterpart. Weigh some yourself and see. Be sure to trim cases before weighing for uniform results. I chatted about it with a HP shooter and he confirmed my findings as well about the 5.56, and that he uses book data for .223 REM for loading milsurp brass. Of course, accuracy will be found below max as stated so it is a moot point, but technically speaking, staying two full grains below book max because of weight/capacity really only applies to 7.62 NATO.

YMMV so best to check a sampling from each lot of brass and adjust accordingly to be sure. I tell ya, some of that commercial brass is significantly heavier than 5.56 and makes me concerned about loading it routinely or maybe even quit using commercial brass altogether.

littlmak · March 19, 2007, 10:03 PM

WOW, 7 replys an as yet no one is offering to help you dig out from under that pile of brass. What's this nation coming to!

Edward429451 · March 19, 2007, 10:09 PM

I have at least a few thousand mostly 1F commercial brass that I'll trade off to anyone for their 5.56 milsurp brass. You wont have to mess with the pesky crimps...

March 18, 2007, 08:10 PM	#1
NukeCop Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2007 Location: North Dakota Posts: 151	Military brass coming out my ears Just like the title says. I have access to militar brass that aches to be reloaded. I'm going to buy a RCBS Rock chucker kit just for this purpose. I;ve heard the 5.56mm and 7.62mm NATO primers are or some part of them are crimped in.... Is there an extra step to reload these, or do I just do as I normally would for new store bought brass? thanks to whoever helped! __________________ The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave... --Patrick Henry--

March 18, 2007, 08:26 PM	#2
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	If you examine the primer on a military case, before or after firing, you will see a slightly recessed ring in the brass around the primer pocket perimeter. That is the crimp. It helps keep the primer from backing out. The practice was started in the 1920's, though how much help it is beyond what sealant accomplishes, I don't know? Military ammo can be put into hot chambers and through full-auto weapons with fast opening actions, so it is likely addressing those sorts of issues; preventing machine gun jams and the like. You will find the crimped primer is more difficult to knock out than a commercial primer. Once out, you will find it has squeezed past the crimp, that the crimp is still intact, and therefore a new primer cannot be pushed in. You need to remove the crimp. There are a number of different tools for the purpose. Primer pocket reamers are the original hand tool for this, and are not expensive, but are slow going. Lyman and others make them. The Wilson case trimmer sold by Sinclair International has a dandy one for use in that tool. Dillon makes a separate swaging press to force the pocket open. I believe RCBS (or one of the other major die makers) has a die with a swaging ram that allows you to do this in your press. Swaging is much faster than cutting, but it raises the brass around the primer pocket. This is then pressed flat again on firing (though not as tight as it was originally), and you likely will have to swage it a second time. The raised area would present an unacceptable distortion for benchrest shooting, but is not a problem for more normal accuracy loads. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

March 18, 2007, 09:35 PM	#3
rwilson452 Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2004 Location: Tioga co. PA Posts: 2,647	Crimped primer pocket Been there done that on lots of brass. I reamed them. Like the poster before me said swagging sometimes needs to be done twice. With the ream it's a one time deal. Note that military brass is thicker than civilian brass so you don't have the same capacity as civilian brass. Follow the golden rule. Start with a lighter charge and work up watching for signs of pressure. I have noted the most accurate ammo is rarely at max pressure.

March 19, 2007, 06:21 PM	#4
NukeCop Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2007 Location: North Dakota Posts: 151	Thank you for the good info! It may be slow going, but if they make a hand tool to do it, could I maybe watch T.V. while I knock out the old primers,and ream the primer pocket for a new primer? It;s just a time intensive thing, right? __________________ The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave... --Patrick Henry--

March 19, 2007, 06:45 PM	#5
30Cal Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 2002 Posts: 1,264	Sizing and decapping is usually done in one step. You can get a separate decapping die though. Make sure your brass is boxer primed. A lot of foreign stuff is berdan primed (and essentially worthless for reloading). Ty

March 19, 2007, 09:21 PM	#6
rwilson452 Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2004 Location: Tioga co. PA Posts: 2,647	I bought a hand tool to ream the primer pockets. I then unscrewed it from the handle and put it in my cordless drill. Makes a much faster job of it.

March 19, 2007, 10:03 PM	#8
littlmak Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2005 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 308	WOW, 7 replys an as yet no one is offering to help you dig out from under that pile of brass. What's this nation coming to!

March 19, 2007, 10:09 PM	#9
Edward429451 Junior member Join Date: November 12, 2000 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 9,494	I have at least a few thousand mostly 1F commercial brass that I'll trade off to anyone for their 5.56 milsurp brass. You wont have to mess with the pesky crimps...