Help with primer pockets on Alpha brass

[Bravo6niner]

I have some of the new Alpha dasher brass and I’m having a hard time seating primers with my Dillon 650. Primers go in crooked and/or seat hard. Didn’t have that problem with my lapua dasher brass. I’m using federal match primers.

My question is what primer pocket tool would you guys use to clean them up without taking to much material?

 

[briscoetab]

I’m assuming these are SRP. I have 22cm and 6.5 cm alpha brass in SRP as well as some with LRP. When I first started seating primers had issue with the SRP being pretty tight. I use hand primer and if brass was not aligned perfectly I would have the issues you are talking about.

I can feel now when it is not seating correctly and all I have to do is let off of the primer handle and twist or move the case a little and it will seat the primer perfectly. Not sure why it does this other than primer pockets being tight, was a little annoying at first but now it does not slow me down at all and have not had an issue since I figured it out. The LRP brass does not have this issue for me.

Don’t know if that helps you any but that is my experience.

 

[Bravo6niner]

I’m assuming these are SRP. I have 22cm and 6.5 cm alpha brass in SRP as well as some with LRP. When I first started seating primers had issue with the SRP being pretty tight. I use hand primer and if brass was not aligned perfectly I would have the issues you are talking about.

I can feel now when it is not seating correctly and all I have to do is let off of the primer handle and twist or move the case a little and it will seat the primer perfectly. Not sure why it does this other than primer pockets being tight, was a little annoying at first but now it does not slow me down at all and have not had an issue since I figured it out. The LRP brass does not have this issue for me.

Don’t know if that helps you any but that is my experience.

Ya I tried the “twist” method and no luck.

Thanks for the info ??

 

[briscoetab]

Ohh and to kind of answer your question, I wouldn’t want to remove any material if possible.

I have used a primer pocket uniformer but that is to take off material at the bottom of the pocket and not the sides and I don’t think that would help your issue. I would think you would need to take material off the sides to help and I am unsure if they make a tool to do this and me personally, I would not want to take any material off the side because I would be afraid to ruin the brass completely doing that.

I would suggest doing what I said above, if you start to seat a primer and it feels hard, stop and move the brass in the holder slightly and see if that helps. Not sure with your set up if it would be possible but that is the only suggestion I have.

 

[briscoetab]

Ya I tried the “twist” method and no luck.

Thanks for the info ??

Was posting at same time you were, just saw this response.

 

[Steel head]

Maybe a bit more bevel to ease starting.

 

[Terry of illinois]

I put a small bevel on mouth of pocket with a drill by hand . You only need to turn it about once one turn it will help . After 2nd fireing it should be very easy.

 

[Raufoss]

I’m having that issue with 6 and 6.5 creed .
I tried my Dillon 550 priming system and also my Frankfort arsenal platinum hand primer.

they go in slightly crooked and it’s piss me off bad. So bad I’ve bent the case head rim and those primer where still crooked..

 

[jsthntn247]

I had the same problem with my 308 Alpha. I’ll just stick to Lapua from now on

 

[Ranger188]

When using Alpha brass, always had to clean the pockets up. ( 6 creed and 22 creed, sounds like it's a problem with all their brass)
One of the few things I've found with there brass.
Have a Sinclair pocket uniformer, both large and small one.
Just push it in a twist, till it doesn't take any more brass off, will square the pocket right up.
Never had to do it with Lapua or Peterson brass.

 

[riverside jeep]

I had the same problem with my 308 Alpha. I’ll just stick to Lapua from now on

Here I thought I was the only one.

 

[tommygun13]

I have some of the new Alpha dasher brass and I’m having a hard time seating primers with my Dillon 650. Primers go in crooked and/or seat hard. Didn’t have that problem with my lapua dasher brass. I’m using federal match primers.

My question is what primer pocket tool would you guys use to clean them up without taking to much material?

My SRPs would seat just above flush no matter how hard I pressed with a Dillon 550. I also have a Redding

I have some of the new Alpha dasher brass and I’m having a hard time seating primers with my Dillon 650. Primers go in crooked and/or seat hard. Didn’t have that problem with my lapua dasher brass. I’m using federal match primers.

My question is what primer pocket tool would you guys use to clean them up without taking to much material?

I was using my Dillon 550 to seat small rifle CCIs in Alpha 6.5 creedmoors. Always above flush, even after reaming the pockets. I also have a Redding T-7, but used the Dillon because it was faster and easier. I then tried the Redding and bingo, flush or below. My conclusion is that the shell plate in the Dillon was the problem. Just that thousands of an inch. However, after a few firings the Alpha Brass needed to be reamed or would still be above flush even using the Redding. Reaming done with a Hornady case prep drill. That is also a whole new issue, if you ream too much the primers fall out, if not enough the above flush problems rears its ugly head. Just have to use sight and feel. Bottom line is I wish I had not bought the Alpha Brass. Also never had the problem with large rifle primers even using the Dillon.

 

[memilanuk]

I'd had some experience with SRP primers seating unrealistically hard in new Lapua .308 Palma brass, and all reaming the primer pocket seemed to do was get the damn tool stuck.

So when I got some Alpha OCD 308 Win SRP brass, I sprung for a PMA primer pocket tool - supposedly made very slightly undersize (diameter) for SRP pockets.

I've used that tool to ream/clean the pockets on that brass, up to 9 firings so far (small test batch). It's fixed depth, which is actually a tad on the deep side for my preference... but it works, so...?

As an aside, one 'tool' that I've found invaluable for doing operations like that is the K&M case holder. Basically a collet that screws into a handle, it grips the case body quite securely and gives your hands a much larger (and knurled) surface to hang onto. Way better than trying to grip a case by hand, even with grippy gloves. Especially when you've got (literally) hundreds to do. Not cheap, but worth it (to me).

 

[Hawk in WY]

Co-Ax works well with ADG brass.

No issue over multiple calibers.

 

[straightshooter1]

I have some of the new Alpha dasher brass and I’m having a hard time seating primers with my Dillon 650. Primers go in crooked and/or seat hard. Didn’t have that problem with my lapua dasher brass. I’m using federal match primers.

My question is what primer pocket tool would you guys use to clean them up without taking to much material?

I have two small rifle primer pocket tools that I use. One is a RCBS Primer Pocket Uniformer and it's diameter measures .1725". The other is a 21st Century uniformer and it measures .1710". I use the RCBS on most other brass (e.g. Lapua and Peterson). For my Alpha brass I use the 21st Century one.

The first time I used the 21st Century uniformer to clean some fired Alpha .308 brass, it was kinda tight. It would slip into the pocket of the Alpha brass about half way and after just a little turning, it seemed like it broke through a point there and would reached the rest of the way to the bottom just fine. It seemed odd . . . almost like there was a donut of some kind half way down the pocket.

When I seated the virgin Alpha brass with CC-400's there was just a couple that were difficult to get seated to the depth I intended (.003 below flush) and would only go to .001 below flush. I used a 21st Century hand seating tool that's adjustable for seating depths, which has plenty of leverage making it easy on my old hands.

For those who might be interested, here's a chart of measurements I took comparing .308 Lapua, Peterson and Alpha virgin brass:

 

[tommygun13]

My SRPs would seat just above flush no matter how hard I pressed with a Dillon 550. I also have a Redding

I was using my Dillon 550 to seat small rifle CCIs in Alpha 6.5 creedmoors. Always above flush, even after reaming the pockets. I also have a Redding T-7, but used the Dillon because it was faster and easier. I then tried the Redding and bingo, flush or below. My conclusion is that the shell plate in the Dillon was the problem. Just that thousands of an inch. However, after a few firings the Alpha Brass needed to be reamed or would still be above flush even using the Redding. Reaming done with a Hornady case prep drill. That is also a whole new issue, if you ream too much the primers fall out, if not enough the above flush problems rears its ugly head. Just have to use sight and feel. Bottom line is I wish I had not bought the Alpha Brass. Also never had the problem with large rifle primers even using the Dillon.

Got some thoughtful replies. Thanks. My bottom line with SRPs and fired several times Alpha works out this way. I gauge the pocket with a Hornady pocket reamer. If it fits to the end, good to go. If not, run the drill easily and gently until it is automatically stopped from going any further and the shavings stop. Still use the Redding to seat the primer as no shell plate. I only load 40 at a time as that is what I shoot. We all know what happens when you get industrious and load a couple of hundred ahead and then that "Oh shit" moment arrives.