Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Seating primers-Large Primers Lapua 6.5x55 brass, too tight?

I am seating large CCI primers using the RCBS hand tool.

1) there is some pressure when seating (leave marks on the primer)
note i do not get the pressure when seating Hornady.
2) the tool is seating them flush without closing the tool all of the way (still about a half inch of travel in the tool
note this is the case with Hornady as well


Any ideas? Is it simply a different size primer pocket due to European Brass?

I use Lapua 6.5x55 brass and CCI 200 primers. I use the Lee priming tool. They are pretty tight but they don't deform when priming. Winchester primers aren't as tight. Nosler brass also has tight primer pockets.

My lapua swede brass still has tight pockets after 10 reloads...

SwedeEmotion,

I've found it really helps with a lot of European brass to chamfer the edge of the primer pocket. The primer pockets are the same size, but the edge of the pocket isn't tapered as much as on American brass.

The common hand-tool for chamfering case mouths works fine, and makes inserting primers much easier.

JP Lucas,

The same solution works on Nosler brass--most of which is made by Norma, so also tends to have "tight-lipped" primer pockets.

CCI's have been a tight fit for me in a number of cases. Try the Fed 210's. Have you measured the OD on the CCI's

MuskegMan,

I've measured the OD's on a bunch of CCI LR and F210 LR primers, and while the general trend is SLIGHTLY smaller diameters in Federals, there is some overlap.

Sinclair hand priming tool, and done

Thanks Mule I'll have to give it a try.

Same here. Thanks M.D.

My 6XC (Norma) brass was always a pain to seat primers. Bought the RCBS table mounted priming tool and problem solved.