Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Primer Pocket Crimp Removal - Help!

Last weekend I bought a bag of 223 cases that were supposedly ready to load. They aren't. They are cleaned-up nice and resized, and the guy claimed the primer pockets had been swaged, but primers don't wanna seat. I seated a couple but the amount of force required caused deformation of the primer. One sheared a ring of brass (assuming from the primer). My RCBS primer pocket swager fits in the pockets loosely leading me to wonder if it is the wrong size for the job.

I'm asking you to measure the diameter of the tip of your swager buttons that work well for you, and report back. I'm also asking for opinions on the best tool for the job. I understand some swage the pocket and others cut. Thanks in advance.

This is a VLD chamfer head that I unscrewed from the handle and chucked it in a drill. I would never consider using an RCBS, this method is fast. There are also drill 'bits' designed for this out there someplace, but the VLD works well.

I fill my hand with about 10-15 cases, butt out, and hit each pocket with the drill. The example below only shows 1 case but as I said I fill my fist with cases when running a batch

I do what Steelhead does. I use a Lyman tool instead because it has a six sided 1/4 inch shank. I tried a couple of swedge tools in a press, but they are too slow and too inconsistent.

I quit swaging them and now cut them with a Hornady primer pocket uniformer, but a +1 on the chamfer tool. It always works!

I have a Dillon swaging tool, it works!

If you've swaged them and primers are still too tight, the first thing I'd do is try another brand of primer. They do vary a bit. Even from batch to batch.

Rocky, I did try two different brands of small rifle primer, CCI and Federal. Neither was easier than the other.

I agree the RCBS tool is slow and cumbersome. I have to search blindly for the end of the pin inside the die, and cases have to be forced to fit the pin in the neck. Major PITA!

I tried my chamfer tool but stopped short of removing the amount of brass required for smooth primer seating. It left quite a large chamfer with quite a bit of the primer unsupported. But if you guys have done it successfully, I will try it again.

Thanks for all replies. Even Steelhead's.

Who said you can't teach an old Yankee new things.

Watchit Billy-Bob. Go curl the brim of your baseball cap.

Chamfer tool for me too.

I use the standard (non-VLD) chamfer tool, give it a few good twists so that the "edge" is broken, then seat the primers no matter how tight they feel.

Never had a problem yet. Primers don't fall out either!

Forty-plus years ago, some gunwriter (Nonte?) noted that the crimping ridge could be removed with a pocket knife blade deftly wielded. I've done a couple hundred 30-06 military cases over a several year period with the technique. It works. I'd not want to tackle a whole bag of brass at one sitting, however.
--Bob

Ya'll aren't still hanging on to that 0-1 thing from the 1860's are ya??!! lol

Nope, we are happy to see this country reap the rewards. Look at what a great place it has become.

You all keep voting in the Obama's and we'll have the last laugh.

Still use the RCBS press mounted primer pocket swager myself and then remove the little crecent shaped burr with a VLD chamfer tool by Lyman chucked up in a drill. Seen to many mil cases ruined by someone using a reg chamfer tool in a drill, they over do it and leave to much of the primer unsupported. Magnum Man

I use a swager from Dillon. I have used it on 10's of thousands of 223 308 and 3006 cases. I have never had to chamfer after that.

the new RCBS swag tool ( dillon copy) works well IF you are doing the same lot of brass..so the swag is uniform.

often thought of making a swaging insert to replace the priming arm on my old dillon 450 which I use for my dillon electric trimmer. just thought it would speed things up


just need some lathe time

Already available

http://www.ebay.com/itm/G-S-Custom-..._DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4acd8f2639

What? Type harder.