Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Crimped primers

I’ve loaded 223 for 30 years or so, but always commercial brass.

What is the process for loading once fired military brass that Has a crimped primer?

Deprime like normal, then swage or ream the crimp out. It can be a PITA.

I just size as normal and run a VLD deburring tool in the primer pocket for a twist or two. Easy peasy one and done.

Chamfer tool has worked fine for me.

I handle them by throwing them in a separate box for my children to pitch when I die.

Actually haven't futzed withh .223, but .308 was a bit tedious by hand. Great brass though, once done.

I have done 30-06, .308, and .223, I chuck my chamfer tool in the drill press and turn the drill pres on slow. Hold the primer pocket up against the chamfer tool a second or two while rotating the brass. Takes little practice but is easy to get it right.

About 50 years ago,I started out cutting the crimp out with an exacto knife

I chuck my chamfer tool up into my drill press and it only takes about 5 seconds per case to cut out the crimp. Easy peasy.

kwg

Chuck one of these in a drill, pretty much impossible to remove too much and takes seconds for each case.

https://www.amazon.com/Hornady-3907...000NOORPW/ref=psdc_4200921_t1_B000NOORPM

You can also find it with a handle for a few dollars more.

Thanks guys!

Yeah, but why spend $8 when you can spend $115 on the Dillon and spend at least twice as much time on the procedure?

When you’re staring at a 30 gal drum full of crimped brass the light will come on.

Hig, a 30 gal drum of brass would be a whole different story, but the OP didn't indicate how many he had to decrimp.

So he might have meant he had a 50 gal drum full of brass?

I'd spend the money on the Dillon even if it were only 1,000 rounds.

Trying to hold .223 into spinning cutters is no fun on anything I'd consider bulk and my fingers and hands agree.

This makes a lot of sense.

I've used the RCBS swager, but it sucks, and I still had to shave some brass. I've also done several hundred cases at a time using the hornady cutter and a drill, and using chamfering tools. It gets tiring on the hands and the fingers, and only makes my arthritis flare badly.

I'll be investing in a Dillon one of these days, as I have several thousand Lake City and Federal crimped 223 brass to prep, eventually.

Thanks for posting that video Higgs...That helped me a lot.

YEP

Here's a tip for anyone handling brass and spinning power tools.
Wear a pair of tight fitting nitrile (blue) gloves. it really helps and you don't have to have an iron grip with your fingers. Latex will work too but I prefer the nitriles.
You can usually find small packs in the paint department at the Home Depot or anywhere paint is sold.

They also work well when picking up bullets from a box or tray when reloading.

Good advice. Thanks.