Is it really essential to remove this when reloading military brass, specifiallly Lake City M2 ball? Can they still be primed safely? If not, should I use a swager or can I shave the crimp off with something like a case neck deburr tool? I'm going to be loading for M1, so I want to be sure there are no high primers.
Military primer crimp
- Thread starter Khornet
- Start date
Ream or swage, just get it out!
Crimps are a real PITA to deal with, fortunately its only once. A standard deburr tool will work for small numbers, the only problem is knowing how much. Develop a "feel" and look under magnification to determine when the crimp is gone. You will see a small edge where the spent primer pushed the brass away. Remove all of it and you will be fine.
Lyman makes a good reamer but its still possible to do too much with this tool. Only run it in until it spins freely, not until it bottoms. If you do it too much, it will make for loose pockets. This tool is also good for finding loose pockets. If it "rattles" in the pocket, that brass should be DX'ed.
Crimps will damage primers and you could have one go off in seating. They also fill the priming system with brass shavings which will leave imprints on seated primers and make seating difficult.
Crimps are a real PITA to deal with, fortunately its only once. A standard deburr tool will work for small numbers, the only problem is knowing how much. Develop a "feel" and look under magnification to determine when the crimp is gone. You will see a small edge where the spent primer pushed the brass away. Remove all of it and you will be fine.
Lyman makes a good reamer but its still possible to do too much with this tool. Only run it in until it spins freely, not until it bottoms. If you do it too much, it will make for loose pockets. This tool is also good for finding loose pockets. If it "rattles" in the pocket, that brass should be DX'ed.
Crimps will damage primers and you could have one go off in seating. They also fill the priming system with brass shavings which will leave imprints on seated primers and make seating difficult.
yankytrash
New member
I made a jig out of a 2x4 for my drill press to hold each casing upside-down and used a champhering bit to champher the crimp off. I set the stop on the drill press and I can pound out hundreds and hundreds of rounds per hour.
A very large (3/4"+) drill bit might be suitable to replace the champhering bit.
Make sure to have all casings trimmed to the same length before attempting this. Otherwise, some will drill into the primer hole too deep.
A very large (3/4"+) drill bit might be suitable to replace the champhering bit.
Make sure to have all casings trimmed to the same length before attempting this. Otherwise, some will drill into the primer hole too deep.
dick w. holliday
New member
Dillon or RCBS??????
to me the only question is whether you should get the Dillon or RCBS swager---their method is the only one that will make your primer pocket look factory---both of them push the case down on a tool which is shaped like a primer pocket should be..........i personaly use the RCBS (Too cheap to buy the Dillon).....i'd be pulling your leg if i told you i don't use the deburring tool occasionally if i find one i missed......i've tried different tools for cutting them out but i still think the RCBS swager is as fast as any and most importantly they are uniform.......Dick
to me the only question is whether you should get the Dillon or RCBS swager---their method is the only one that will make your primer pocket look factory---both of them push the case down on a tool which is shaped like a primer pocket should be..........i personaly use the RCBS (Too cheap to buy the Dillon).....i'd be pulling your leg if i told you i don't use the deburring tool occasionally if i find one i missed......i've tried different tools for cutting them out but i still think the RCBS swager is as fast as any and most importantly they are uniform.......Dick
yankytrash
New member
I'm not sure why, but I have a heck of a time with the swager. I've got a RCBS set, and she just don't do right for me.
Having to roll the casing off the swager pin causes me headaches with wallowed primer holes.
Having to roll the casing off the swager pin causes me headaches with wallowed primer holes.
dick w. holliday
New member
Hey Yankee--are you using the case stripper that comes with it????--i'm thinking of a way to describe it---ah---it looks like a piece of pipe with one end welded up and a small hole in it to strip the casing off when it contacts the press--does that make sense????? the only time i've had the problem you describe is when i forgot to put the stripper over the swager and did a 308.....Dick
Must agree with "cheap, slow, $3 tool/Weshoot2's" to date.
I've one of those RCBS, "trick 'n nifty" $100 jobbers that "does everything you'd ever want" & tried its chamfering tool on the primer pockets. I know, it's only supposed to be used for doing necks, but, WTH? Checked under 7X magnification & proceeded to still lose, maybe, 5% to the swag.
Dillon sells a swagger for mucho-dinero, & I'll pass, for now.
Best I've used is Lee's cheap-o tool that actually does the trick for cheap - although, at the expense of some goodly manual labor.
Could be that I'm a complete fool & just haven't pulled the tool "head" from the handle, chucked it in to a drill motor of some kind - yet ....
That Lee tool doesn't cut anything on the primer pocket except the swag - a plus when drill-chucking.
Don't use all that much militry brass, but I'll agree that that darned crimp is a pain.
Quick (rhetorical) question to the "militry ..." = I know everything's gotta be "just right" & "too too," but, how many primers y'all see backing out w/o that damnable crimp?
I know I'm no "militry" expert, have only shot "so many" game animals & targets loads from various several firearms, but, I've yet to have a primer-crimp curtail a failure. Kinda figure if the load is "right there" in the first place, all else follows.
I'm I stupid here (BTW, no quote marks around stupid) - serious question. Why is that crimpe even ever "needed?"
I've one of those RCBS, "trick 'n nifty" $100 jobbers that "does everything you'd ever want" & tried its chamfering tool on the primer pockets. I know, it's only supposed to be used for doing necks, but, WTH? Checked under 7X magnification & proceeded to still lose, maybe, 5% to the swag.
Dillon sells a swagger for mucho-dinero, & I'll pass, for now.
Best I've used is Lee's cheap-o tool that actually does the trick for cheap - although, at the expense of some goodly manual labor.
Could be that I'm a complete fool & just haven't pulled the tool "head" from the handle, chucked it in to a drill motor of some kind - yet ....
That Lee tool doesn't cut anything on the primer pocket except the swag - a plus when drill-chucking.
Don't use all that much militry brass, but I'll agree that that darned crimp is a pain.
Quick (rhetorical) question to the "militry ..." = I know everything's gotta be "just right" & "too too," but, how many primers y'all see backing out w/o that damnable crimp?
I know I'm no "militry" expert, have only shot "so many" game animals & targets loads from various several firearms, but, I've yet to have a primer-crimp curtail a failure. Kinda figure if the load is "right there" in the first place, all else follows.
I'm I stupid here (BTW, no quote marks around stupid) - serious question. Why is that crimpe even ever "needed?"
yankytrash
New member
Does anybody really use that thing?
Actually, I've used it, but I tend to set it to the side when doing a 400-1000rd batch.I'll also third the vote for the Lee tool. Works great when your favorite TV shows are on.
dick w. holliday
New member
Here's how i do it
i use the stripper all the time--i think i've got the best method for using the RCBS tool--what i do is use the die with the die body up as high as possible--that will let the stem inside the die protrude from the bottom of the die a good amount--(to use my method it needs to protrude as far as possible)---then when i get ready to swage a casing--i go ahead and put the casing on the stem rather than on the swager head.....using it like this i can swage them as fast as i can pick them up......not all cases require the stripper however--if they don't then i don't use it....Dick
i use the stripper all the time--i think i've got the best method for using the RCBS tool--what i do is use the die with the die body up as high as possible--that will let the stem inside the die protrude from the bottom of the die a good amount--(to use my method it needs to protrude as far as possible)---then when i get ready to swage a casing--i go ahead and put the casing on the stem rather than on the swager head.....using it like this i can swage them as fast as i can pick them up......not all cases require the stripper however--if they don't then i don't use it....Dick