Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Primer pocket swager tool?

I'm asking this question here because I would imagine a lot of AR shooters reload military brass. I have accumulated enough crimped .223/5.56 brass that I want to do something with it. The few I have used, I used a cutting tool to clear up the crimp. Not sure this is the best way to go about it. I would appreciate to hear from the guys who deal with crimped primers and hear what they think is the best tool for this task. Only have a few hundred pieces to do now, but don't mind ponying up for a good tool that works well verses spending money progressively on a better mousetrap as I usually do. Appreciate any advice.

Thanks, Chuck.

Good luck Chuck. I'm curious as well. I got tired of breaking decapping pins. I use a RCBS swaging tool for 7.62x51 and some 556. Don't do it much anymore because I like keeping my decapping pins in one piece. Commercial brass is much easier to deal with and can be found for nothing, just laying there at most gravel pits and ranges around here..

I ve used a RCBS set up forever on 30-06, 308, and 223 it works but the pocket will still need a light chamfered to clean up the edge of it. Allways thought someday I'd buy the Dillion tool, still might. BSA YOU LUCKY DOG THE CHEAP BASTARDS AROUND HERE won't buy commercial ammo to discard the brass just gi stuff. MB

I tried cutting or chamfering first. Didn't like the fact that at the time I had no control over the size of the chamfer. Bought the RCBS & not crazy about it, but it seems to work. Carefull attention needs to paid to not set the depth too deep so as to not push the primer pocket forward.

Tinkering or fiddling with it seems important.

I used to use the RCBS swaging set up, but now use a powered case prep tool that cuts the primer pocket to uniform it. It's time consuming but works well enough. I just thought stressing the case head to displace the crimp might be worse in the long run than cutting the crimp out.

I use the RCBS cutter tool chucked in a drill. It stops cutting when the crimp is removed, so no worries about deepening the primer pocket.

I use a chamfer tool with a drill. The chamfer tool angle is large enough that only the crimp edge is removed -the primer pocket remains tight.

But I only do 200+ pieces at a time. If I was doing some real volume I would invest in the Dillon.

I use the Hornady pocket reamer chucked in a drill motor. I had the RCBS press swageing tool and it was a waste of time. I can ream each piece in about 1-1/2 seconds.

I have the RCBS tool that fits in the press and i also have a Dillion tool.

The Dillion makes the job faster and easier because it is mounted to the bench.

It is also easy to change over to large primer pockets.

I’ve only ever used the Dillon, can’t know if anything is better but the Dillon works good enough.

I use the rcbs. Haven’t tried the others. Maybe I shouldn’t it has worked very easily and flawless for me. If you set it up right hard to mess anything up

I’m thinking of buying the Lyman case trim express Any experience with this?

Have the Hornady case prep center. Got it free. Works good enough I don’t need to change it. Beats the heck out of doing it by a hand tool

Dillon here. Works well.

+1 on the Dillon. Fast to use and easy to set up. Have used the RCBS, but prefer the Dillon!

Recently researched as part of my apocalypse prep and found the Dillon would be the tool with the RCBS a close second. Price and availability ruled out and I got the RCBS. Some prefer it's horizontal action as better for couch work. Most knowledgeable folks thought swagging better than removing material and I concur in theory. Strong opposition to the press mounted options.

I use a 3/4” counter sink chucked into a cordless drill.

I also use the chamfer tool. I trim to size first with a Crow WFT and then use the chamfer tool chucked in my drill press to cut out the crimp and to chamfer the inside of the case mouth. It takes about 5 or 6 seconds per piece of brass to do both.

kwg

The Dillon tool works well.

I’ve chamfered a bunch and swaged a bunch. I bought the Dillon and there are videos online showing how to use rubber bands or bungees to make the brass fling off the post. I use a couple of elastic hair ties to make mine faster. A little imperial wax on the post and those babies fly.

I chased this question around a few times. I've cut, chamfered and swaged with multiple tools, and the fastest and most consistent has been the Dillon. I'm not sure of the RCBS offerings these days, but back then the RCBS press mounted swage was kind of a joke. Needed a few mods to make it passable and it was still not close to the Dillon.

My use was match grade ammo for Service Rifle competition and with the hand cutters of the day, the primers ended up seating with varying force which in my mind was not great for accuracy and not great for batch processing when I would toss lots of a thousand when a few showed loose pockets.

The next time I do another thousand it will be with the Dillon. Up until now I've always chamfered with a couple different tools but I'm tired of the messy brass filings everywhere. Not to mention the inconsistency of the beveled pockets.