Lapua Brass -- Primer Pockets?

45-70 · December 22, 2007, 05:46 PM

I ordered some Lapua brass in 7.62x39 for a CZ 527 from Midway. Great uniform length and weight! Then after sizing 20, I was ready to prime. Loading manual calls for CCI 200. Whoa, Lee Autoprime hand priming tool won't seat the primer! Switched to Winchester Large Rifle, same problem. (It is definitely a large primer pocket, I checked.)

I suppose I can swage the primer pockets, but don't want to have to do that. Has anyone else run into this? Is there anything short of swaging the pockets that can be done about it?

Help, please!

Wildalaska · December 22, 2007, 05:48 PM

I use the RCBS tool and have never had a problem with Lapua cases which I use exclusively in my 308 and 6.5s

Wildtoolproblems?Alaska ™

45-70 · December 22, 2007, 06:03 PM

Wild, Thanks. Do you mean RCBS priming tool, or RCBS pocket swaging tool? I've primed several thousand rifle & revolver cases in probably 11 or 12 calibers without this kind of trouble, except for crimped primer pockets. Of course, one can never have enough reloading equipment, so that would be an excuse to get another priming too.

I have an RCBS swaging tool, which is what I'll haul out later if nobody has any other ideas.

Wildalaska · December 22, 2007, 06:27 PM

RCBS priming tool.

Lapua primer pockets do not ever need to be swaged

WildthebestbrassAlaska ™

45-70 · December 29, 2007, 11:19 AM

Wild, Thanks for the advice, both parts. I resisted trying to swage the Lapua brass since you said not to (and because it didn't help much with the once-fired S&B 7.62x39 brass I tried it on). Finally got the RCBS hand priming tool yesterday and it loads primers into that new Lapua slick as anything. Primers are seated perfectly.

After 10 years and thousands of rounds, the Lee must be worn just enough to have a problem with this Euro brass. It's still fine for everything else. I'll leave it at the hunting camp with the Lee hand press and pound of powder, etc, I keep there for emergencies.

45-70

45Marlin carbine · December 29, 2007, 07:36 PM

I load that same brass using a Lee hand primer and it does take a firm squeeze. K-P and IMI are like that too.

45-70 · December 29, 2007, 07:52 PM

Thanks, 45Marlin, I tried that with the S&B brass and smashed one primer around the edges of the open end. That's when I swaged the S&B brass with an RCBS primer pocket swager. Then with a hard squeeze, I could seat primers, but about half of them were either creased or distorted. I mean, they aren't flat, but slope down a bit from one edge to the other. I didn't think I would have that problem with the Lapua brass, which is why I ordered it.

45Marlin carbine · December 30, 2007, 11:35 AM

I forgot to add that I use CCI primers in my 7.62X39 loads. I haven't loaded any S&B brass but have read that it's good stuff, I haven't bought any loaded ammo from that maker. Winchester and PMC brass both prime easily at least they do for me in this round but accuracy isn't the best, not on par with Lapua, K-P, or IMI anyway. with Lapua and K-P (no diff that I can tell)being some better than IMI. your mileage may vary.

45-70 · December 30, 2007, 01:37 PM

45Marlin, That's good information. I was using CCI primers, but tried Winchester and Federal on the S&B brass without solving the problem. The reason I'm reloading the S&B and ordering Lapua is to solve another problem. That is, my CZ 527 won't reliably fire Winchester, Remington, Federal or Blackhills commercial ammo. European or Eastern Bloc stuff goes bang every time, but not US ammo. I usually get 3 out of 4 misfires -- dented primer, no bang. On this board (TFL) and other sites, I've seen where this is a fairly common problem with the CZ 527 and the CZ will send a stronger firing pin spring.

It's such a dandy walking around rifle for deer and hogs, I want to use it for that. However, the European ammo is not what I call a known quantity for hunting bullets. That's why I have a shelf full of expensive US ammo for it. Of course, most boxes have only four or five rounds fired or even primers dented. The factory S&B brass loads look pretty good for hunting, but I have yet to shoot a hog or deer with one. (Accuracy I get with them out of this 527 is not quite as good as Wolf steel-case ammo, by the way.)

So I want to load my own Hornady or Sierra hunting bullets. I think the failure to fire is really a question of SAAMI vs European specs for the ammo and possibly headspace-related. So now I've loaded 20 rounds of S&B and 20 rounds of Lapua and will try to get to the range in the next week or so to check it out. I'm hoping the RCBS die didn't resize it completely to SAAMI spec. Since I'm just using it for hunting, handloading 40-50 rounds a year is no big deal. That's my thought process, anyway. If these don't go bang, I'll order the firing pin spring.

December 22, 2007, 05:46 PM	#1
45-70 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2005 Location: Dallas TX area Posts: 310	Lapua Brass -- Primer Pockets? I ordered some Lapua brass in 7.62x39 for a CZ 527 from Midway. Great uniform length and weight! Then after sizing 20, I was ready to prime. Loading manual calls for CCI 200. Whoa, Lee Autoprime hand priming tool won't seat the primer! Switched to Winchester Large Rifle, same problem. (It is definitely a large primer pocket, I checked.) I suppose I can swage the primer pockets, but don't want to have to do that. Has anyone else run into this? Is there anything short of swaging the pockets that can be done about it? Help, please!

December 22, 2007, 06:03 PM	#3
45-70 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2005 Location: Dallas TX area Posts: 310	Priming Tool? Wild, Thanks. Do you mean RCBS priming tool, or RCBS pocket swaging tool? I've primed several thousand rifle & revolver cases in probably 11 or 12 calibers without this kind of trouble, except for crimped primer pockets. Of course, one can never have enough reloading equipment, so that would be an excuse to get another priming too. I have an RCBS swaging tool, which is what I'll haul out later if nobody has any other ideas.

December 29, 2007, 11:19 AM	#5
45-70 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2005 Location: Dallas TX area Posts: 310	Thanks, it worked! Wild, Thanks for the advice, both parts. I resisted trying to swage the Lapua brass since you said not to (and because it didn't help much with the once-fired S&B 7.62x39 brass I tried it on). Finally got the RCBS hand priming tool yesterday and it loads primers into that new Lapua slick as anything. Primers are seated perfectly. After 10 years and thousands of rounds, the Lee must be worn just enough to have a problem with this Euro brass. It's still fine for everything else. I'll leave it at the hunting camp with the Lee hand press and pound of powder, etc, I keep there for emergencies. 45-70

December 29, 2007, 07:52 PM	#7
45-70 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2005 Location: Dallas TX area Posts: 310	Tried that, too Thanks, 45Marlin, I tried that with the S&B brass and smashed one primer around the edges of the open end. That's when I swaged the S&B brass with an RCBS primer pocket swager. Then with a hard squeeze, I could seat primers, but about half of them were either creased or distorted. I mean, they aren't flat, but slope down a bit from one edge to the other. I didn't think I would have that problem with the Lapua brass, which is why I ordered it.

December 30, 2007, 01:37 PM	#9
45-70 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2005 Location: Dallas TX area Posts: 310	Reason for Trying Lapua, S&B brass 45Marlin, That's good information. I was using CCI primers, but tried Winchester and Federal on the S&B brass without solving the problem. The reason I'm reloading the S&B and ordering Lapua is to solve another problem. That is, my CZ 527 won't reliably fire Winchester, Remington, Federal or Blackhills commercial ammo. European or Eastern Bloc stuff goes bang every time, but not US ammo. I usually get 3 out of 4 misfires -- dented primer, no bang. On this board (TFL) and other sites, I've seen where this is a fairly common problem with the CZ 527 and the CZ will send a stronger firing pin spring. It's such a dandy walking around rifle for deer and hogs, I want to use it for that. However, the European ammo is not what I call a known quantity for hunting bullets. That's why I have a shelf full of expensive US ammo for it. Of course, most boxes have only four or five rounds fired or even primers dented. The factory S&B brass loads look pretty good for hunting, but I have yet to shoot a hog or deer with one. (Accuracy I get with them out of this 527 is not quite as good as Wolf steel-case ammo, by the way.) So I want to load my own Hornady or Sierra hunting bullets. I think the failure to fire is really a question of SAAMI vs European specs for the ammo and possibly headspace-related. So now I've loaded 20 rounds of S&B and 20 rounds of Lapua and will try to get to the range in the next week or so to check it out. I'm hoping the RCBS die didn't resize it completely to SAAMI spec. Since I'm just using it for hunting, handloading 40-50 rounds a year is no big deal. That's my thought process, anyway. If these don't go bang, I'll order the firing pin spring.

December 22, 2007, 05:48 PM	#2
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,172	I use the RCBS tool and have never had a problem with Lapua cases which I use exclusively in my 308 and 6.5s Wildtoolproblems?Alaska ™

December 22, 2007, 06:27 PM	#4
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,172	RCBS priming tool. Lapua primer pockets do not ever need to be swaged WildthebestbrassAlaska ™

December 29, 2007, 07:36 PM	#6
45Marlin carbine Junior member Join Date: January 26, 2007 Location: South-Western North Carolina Posts: 1,124	I load that same brass using a Lee hand primer and it does take a firm squeeze. K-P and IMI are like that too.

December 30, 2007, 11:35 AM	#8
45Marlin carbine Junior member Join Date: January 26, 2007 Location: South-Western North Carolina Posts: 1,124	I forgot to add that I use CCI primers in my 7.62X39 loads. I haven't loaded any S&B brass but have read that it's good stuff, I haven't bought any loaded ammo from that maker. Winchester and PMC brass both prime easily at least they do for me in this round but accuracy isn't the best, not on par with Lapua, K-P, or IMI anyway. with Lapua and K-P (no diff that I can tell)being some better than IMI. your mileage may vary.