Primer holes different on different brass?

clayking · October 6, 2007, 05:54 PM

I was loading up a bunch of 45ACP's using mixed brass this afternoon with a Dillon 650 and noticed that some of the primers (Winchesters) did not easily slide in, they went in with a "crunch", so to speak. I started pulling the ones that were tight and found most of them were CCI and Independence brass (I think that is the brand). The Winchester, Remington, Federal and others all seemed to work fine. I even took a few of the questionable casing, cleaned the primer hole spotless and they still went in hard.

Are the sizing of the primers different brand to brand? However, I've only notice this on 45acp brass, and not mixed brass from 38's, .357's, or 9mm's.........................ck

UGH · October 6, 2007, 06:39 PM

Some brass has a crimp that has to be removed. Is there a slight indent or a ring around the primer pocket ? if so you have to remove it. RCBS makes a tool for this but the easiest and fastest is the one made by dillon

http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0018791210946a.shtml

crowbeaner · October 6, 2007, 06:43 PM

The primer cup diameter and depth vary by brand; some are a little tight, some a little loose. Whenever I load mixed brass I sort by headstamp and run 1 brand at a time through. This lets me "feel" the primer seat better by eliminating some of the variance out. The WW primers have the anvil sticking out of the cup compared to say CCI or RP so a little crunch is normal. It's just the primer mixture compressing, and is familiar to me. I like a little compression anyway to keep the sensitivity high when shooting double action, and I like to know the primer is bottomed out in the pocket. Hope this helps. Enjoy. CB.

swmike · October 6, 2007, 09:07 PM

I have found also that different brands finish the mouth of the primer pocket differently. Some have a noticable chamfer and some appear squared off. The chamfer allows for a certain amount of misalignment of the primer when beginning the seating process. The chamfer guides the primer in place. On the squared off mouths, the primer has to be more precisely aligned or you get that "crunching" feeling.

Since I load a lot of mixed brass, both in 9mm and .223, I run all the brass I newly aquire through a primer pocket chamfer process. I de-cap the brass and then, using a Lyman Primer Pocket Reamer chucked in a cheapie Harbor Freight Drill Press ($39 on Sale) ream the mouth of the pockets just enough to prevent hangups of the new primers. On the second and subsequent reloads I don't have to go through this again.

BTW, This works great for Military Crimps too.

October 6, 2007, 05:54 PM	#1
clayking Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 796	Primer holes different on different brass? I was loading up a bunch of 45ACP's using mixed brass this afternoon with a Dillon 650 and noticed that some of the primers (Winchesters) did not easily slide in, they went in with a "crunch", so to speak. I started pulling the ones that were tight and found most of them were CCI and Independence brass (I think that is the brand). The Winchester, Remington, Federal and others all seemed to work fine. I even took a few of the questionable casing, cleaned the primer hole spotless and they still went in hard. Are the sizing of the primers different brand to brand? However, I've only notice this on 45acp brass, and not mixed brass from 38's, .357's, or 9mm's.........................ck __________________ Never argue with an idiot, they will just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

October 6, 2007, 06:43 PM	#3
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,943	The primer cup diameter and depth vary by brand; some are a little tight, some a little loose. Whenever I load mixed brass I sort by headstamp and run 1 brand at a time through. This lets me "feel" the primer seat better by eliminating some of the variance out. The WW primers have the anvil sticking out of the cup compared to say CCI or RP so a little crunch is normal. It's just the primer mixture compressing, and is familiar to me. I like a little compression anyway to keep the sensitivity high when shooting double action, and I like to know the primer is bottomed out in the pocket. Hope this helps. Enjoy. CB. __________________ 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.

October 6, 2007, 09:07 PM	#4
swmike Senior Member Join Date: June 25, 2005 Location: Marysville, WA Posts: 670	I have found also that different brands finish the mouth of the primer pocket differently. Some have a noticable chamfer and some appear squared off. The chamfer allows for a certain amount of misalignment of the primer when beginning the seating process. The chamfer guides the primer in place. On the squared off mouths, the primer has to be more precisely aligned or you get that "crunching" feeling. Since I load a lot of mixed brass, both in 9mm and .223, I run all the brass I newly aquire through a primer pocket chamfer process. I de-cap the brass and then, using a Lyman Primer Pocket Reamer chucked in a cheapie Harbor Freight Drill Press ($39 on Sale) ream the mouth of the pockets just enough to prevent hangups of the new primers. On the second and subsequent reloads I don't have to go through this again. BTW, This works great for Military Crimps too. __________________ My definition of Gun Control--- A steady grip and hitting your target. "In God we trust, all others are suspects." "If I shoot all the ammo I am carrying, either I won't need any more, or more won't be of any help". ____________________________________________

October 6, 2007, 06:39 PM	#2
UGH Senior Member Join Date: October 3, 2007 Posts: 156	Some brass has a crimp that has to be removed. Is there a slight indent or a ring around the primer pocket ? if so you have to remove it. RCBS makes a tool for this but the easiest and fastest is the one made by dillon http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0018791210946a.shtml