Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Depriming military 223/ 5.56

I’ve reloaded for years but never any military brass.
Can I deprime military brass with a standard 223 deprime/resize die?

Yes, at least I do.

Yes you can deprime/resize in one step.

I use a primer pocket swage to remove the primer crimp, facilitate smooth primer seating.

Yes, do it often with RCBS FLS die, ream pockets using a hand drill..

Thanks guys.
Police did some training at my range. I picked up about 300 5.56 and similar amount of 9 mm.

Once in a while you'll run into some that are hard to get out but most I've had didn't require a lot more effort than civvy brass. You can cut the crimps out with a chamfer tool or a counter sink if you don't want to purchase something special; I bought the $10 Hornady similar to this:

https://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Reloading-Primer-Pocket-Reamer/dp/B000NOOQY4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=2Z92OUROG73JX&keywords=primer+pocket+reamer&qid=1637375924&sprefix=primer+pocket+%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-4


Take it out of the handle and chuck it in a drill.

Yep, and if you don’t want to chance screwing up the threads go to the local hardware store and get a ready rod coupler. Screw it into the coupler then chuck in a drill.

I reload a lot of military brass. In addition to .223/5.56, I use once fired Lake City 7.62 NATO for my .308 and 7MM-08. It is super easy to turn 7.62 NATO into 7MM-08.

I have tried a bunch of different systems, including the little cutters you can put in a drill chuck. The problem I had with them is consistency. It is easy to take off too much brass and then the casing won't hold primers very well.

What I ended up with is a Dillon Super Swage . It doesn't remove metal, it presses it back from the edges of the primer pocket. It's fast and will last forever.

I bought a Lyman primer pocket debur tool and took the handle off and chucked it in my drill. The rirst half dozen cases it took way to much brass off. Tried it manually and that’s what I’ll be doing. I have 4-500 to do and it will be a one time thing. Good winter project.

No doubt a Dillon is the best of all possible worlds.

Dale, mine is the Hornady version, i haven't had that issue with it. I guess the Lyman is a bit larger.

due to breaking decapping pins on military brass, years ago, I started using Universal Decapping Dies. They were cheap enough and so I bought a second for back up, and later a third showed up.... I use Lee's... and had an RCBS that I gave to a campfire member long ago... can't even remember who now.. its been that long ago...

And like Two Eyed Jack, I picked up a Dillion Super Swage from Hanco in the classified. Most useful item on my reload bench.

When I pick up range brass at the local range, at times it can be in high volume when the State Police are using it.... and just leave it..
I bring it home, sort by head stamp... then tumble overnight....

I then just deprime it with the Universal Depriming Die.. and then use the Dillon to square away the primer pocket.... and then put it into zip lock bags for storage, with a piece of paper listing how many, and the date of the brass being acquired... .

I grabbed a bag of brass in 223 that I was loading for the first time.... the date on the bag of Lake City brass was 2007.....so I've had it 14 years... still good, but also nice to know it is 14 year old brass....

know that is anal retentive, but hey.. its only for my info anyway....

I use the standard die, cut out crimp with Wilson tool and adapter chucked in a drill. I put drill in a bench vise, use a tie wrap to keep drill running. I like that better than the Dillon Swager. It’s much faster.

RCBS has a little pocket reamer that takes out the crimp and nothing but the crimp. I think it mounts on the case prep center but I chuck it in the little drill and decrimp in front of the TV. They also make one for large pockets.

Easy Peasy

https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1064211733?pid=211733

I've deprimed a lot of military brass with a standard RCBS sizing die with no problems. I started using a Lee Universal Depriming die when I started wet tumbling. Just run the case into the die slow and steady.