Primer pocket crimp removal tool input

[Jethro3898]

I have about 350 once-fired pieces of FC brass (.308) that I want to try and reload.
I want to reload the brass I have (even if I only get 3 or 4 reloads out of it) before stepping up to better brass.

The guy who is going to teach me to reload said he doesn't have a dedicated tool to take the crimp out of the primer pocket.
I'm not afraid to use a hand tool if that's a better option than something you put in a drill.

What tool should I buy? Please keep in mind care nothing about buying a $100 piece of equipment for something I will only use to process these pieces of brass.
From here on out I will use non-crimped brass.



I appreciate any responses/input you are willing to provide.

 

[rjacobs]

If just 350 pieces of brass get a hand reamer. I have the Forster unit simply because I have always had good luck with Forster products. I think it was $18.

While hand reaming sucks, its just a quick spin usually with a sharp tool and you are done, probably could knock out all 350 in 45 minutes or less once you get into a rhythm.

 

[Sniper Uncle]

I got an RCBS Swager Die for my press. It wasn't too expensive, and I have it for any time I can get military brass. It also doesn't remove brass from the casing. I have read that Dillon Super-swages are the way to go. I really would consider getting something decent, even though you only plan to do some now----you never know when you might find a deal on military brass that you can't pass up....

 

[kvwpwr]

I use a crimp remover on a hornady trio. 350pcs at once can get tedious by hand

 

[18Echo]

Do not f-ck around, get the dillon super swage. I tried the RCBS unit and it blew. Pay the $100 bucks for a dillon and don't look back, it simply can't get easier.

 

[Queequeg]

I have the Dillon super swager as well as the primer reamers made by RCBS for the prep station. The latter work well but they are slow. If you place the reamer on a section of rod and chuck it into a cordless drill, you can ream those crimps off pretty quick.

On another note,

Why do people think they will only get 3-4 loads out of FC cases?

I have FC cases that have up to 9 loads on them and they aren't dropping primers, cracking at the neck or anything that would suggest that they aren't at least as good as Winchester, REmington, Hornady or other non-Lapua brass! And I have only 9 loads on these because I haven't gotten around to loading them yet again!

 

[Creature]

I use the Dillon super swager. I like it because you can barely remove the crimp and have a very snug primer pocket that will hold up for a while.

 

[patrol120]

Why do people think they will only get 3-4 loads out of FC cases?

I have FC cases that have up to 9 loads on them and they aren't dropping primers, cracking at the neck or anything that would suggest that they aren't at least as good as Winchester, REmington, Hornady or other non-Lapua brass! And I have only 9 loads on these because I haven't gotten around to loading them yet again!

I have Federal GMM brass that was junk after the first reload. Very few make it past the second.

 

[Rprecision]

I have a Dillon. Its nice and gets the job done, but don't think its perfect. If your swedging different lots of brass it takes some time to get it all adjusted.

I wish I could find a fast accurate powered reamer that was fast and located off the case head (uniform)

 

[scudzuki]

I put a little chamfer on the edge of the pocket with a single flute 82 degree countersink.

Joe

 

[4cyl2v8]

Hornady Primer pocket reamer. Works great, is inexpensive, and does a good job. Can chuck it in a drill and be done in 30 minutes. I use mine for 223 (small unit) and large for taking crimps out of 308.

Hornady Primer Pocket Reamer Cutter Head Large

 

[targaflorio]

Try using the same tool you use for chamfering the case mouth. Might be all you need.
I have several hundred of BHA brass with crimps and ended up buying a reamer and chucked it into a cordless drill.
I think it is a Wilson.

 

[Name Enough]

Try using the same tool you use for chamfering the case mouth. Might be all you need.

^ That's what I use. I have a lyman case prep center which is a powered chamfering tool with five tool mounts. Works great for case prep and primer pocket truing. I just use the chamfering tool to ream out the primer crimp on military brass. After a few goes you get a feel for how much to ream it out.

 

[Pinecone]

Do not f-ck around, get the dillon super swage. I tried the RCBS unit and it blew. Pay the $100 bucks for a dillon and don't look back, it simply can't get easier.

This ^^^^^^

But I have processed many hundreds of cases with a set of Lyman primer pocket reamers (large and small). Not the nicest way of doing it, but it works. But be careful, I have managed to over ream some primer pockets and had loose primers.

 

[Jodykid]

I used a Lyman reamer for a while, but it doesn't appear to be hardened and wore quickly. Also left the pocket a little ragged. Went with a Dillon Super Swager and it was very quick once you got it setup but was very slow to change to different sizes and calibers. Also left the swaged material bumped up into a crater surrounding the pocket that changed headspace.

Finally went to the Hornady large and small units and they work great as long as you hand turn the cases. If you use a drill for power they have a tendancy to enlarge the pockets. The next best thing is a deburring tool as others have posted.

Joe

 

[Twoboxer]

If your going to advise the OP to spend $100 for crimp removal on 350 pieces of brass - thus taking the cost of that brass from "FREE" to $0.29 each - you might at least advise him that he'll probably be using it for the rest of his reloading life. Not just for the 350 pieces of brass he has now.

Having said that, here's a decent comparison of a few of the tools and results. The benefit here is he shows you what each tool does, and the "why" - he doesn't just say "this is the best".

 

[BobinNC]

I've got the Ch4D Swage Kit. Best $23.25 you can spend. Priming & Swage Kit : CH4D

 

[MarinePMI]

I have the hand reamer, the RCBS die swager and the Dillon Super Swager. (Yeah, I worked my way up to the SS; should just started there.)

The hand reamer blows wad. Period. IT'll get the job done, if you've got excess time on your hands.

The RCBS Dies work, but again, it is only marginally fast than the hand reamer, it just does not stress your hands...as much.

The Dillon Super Swager is the cadillac IMHO. Yes, its expensive, but with the cost of brass these days, and an ability to pick up brass from a local military range when out hunting...a couple hundred pieces of brass, and the thing pays for it's self. The one thing I will caution about the Dillon SS; if the brass has a lot of odd ball internal burrs about the flash hole, the swage is not always uniform. I debur the flash holes now as a matter of course (why not, you only have to do it once?).

JMTCW...

 

[broylz]

buddy is looking for something to do 3K of military 9mm brass. good stuff to look for, thanks.

 

[280nosler]

I have Federal GMM brass that was junk after the first reload. Very few make it past the second.

I have found that 4 reloads at very moderate levels of varget using FC head stamped brass does not bode well. As a test I started withh 100 pieces of 168 GMM, and had 4 split/cracked necks/body's after factory firing. So I had a 4% failure on factory loading. First reloading (walnut media) yielded 6 pieces of brass with cracks or splits (6.25% failure rate) 7 during the second reload, (7.78% failure), 9 after the third, (10.83% failure rate) and 16 after the 4th, or 21.6% failure. These were all reloaded with varget, CCI large primers, 168 SMK'S and Redding custom Competion dies. I typically get failures from other brass as well, but nothing close to the failure rate of Fed brass.

 

[mtrmn]

I've got the Ch4D Swage Kit. Best $23.25 you can spend. Priming & Swage Kit : CH4D

THIS + 1000!!!
I can swage hundreds of rounds in an hour. It requires only about an inch or 2 of movement on your press handle, all the action takes place ON TOP of the press where there's unlimited access. Once properly adjusted it's the fastest way to process those crimped primer pockets. I have tried several others, gave them away once I got the CH4D. Made in USA, built like a tank, far cheaper than the closest competition. If you get the combo kit that also primes, order an extra priming ram so you won't have to fumble around with those tiny parts when you change primer sizes.

 

[427Cobra]

I use a Dillon SS 600, it's kinda a PIA to get adjusted, but totally worth it, quick simple tool that does exactly what it's supposed to do, and does it very well, the only thing better IMHO is a Dillon 1050.

 

[broylz]

after using a reamer, would it be a good idea to use a primer pocket uniformer as well? or is that unnecessary?

 

[Cacciatore]

Do not f-ck around, get the dillon super swage. I tried the RCBS unit and it blew. Pay the $100 bucks for a dillon and don't look back, it simply can't get easier.

x2 My feelings exactly after screwing around with the RCBS unit for a year and a half. I then bought the super swage and wished I had when I started reloading crimped pockets.

 

[Pinecone]

I did find that the reamer, some pieces of brass ended up with loose primers. With the Dillon swager, that does not happen.

So if you ream, you MAY lose some brass.

 

[SWThomas]

buddy is looking for something to do 3K of military 9mm brass. good stuff to look for, thanks.

I've reloaded a whole bunch of WCC NATO 9MM cases and haven't had to de-crimp one yet. I just punch out the old primer and seat a new one. I've read that the crimp on 9MM military brass is pretty light and depriming usually removes it enough.

 

[thrusty]

Tag for a morning read. Looking for a tool to remove the crimp from a couple k 5.56 brass

 

[broylz]

I've reloaded a whole bunch of WCC NATO 9MM cases and haven't had to de-crimp one yet. I just punch out the old primer and seat a new one. I've read that the crimp on 9MM military brass is pretty light and depriming usually removes it enough.

My experience has been much different. Ive had a few in some range brass buckets that would prime ok and some that wouldn't. I started junking the few I would get occasionally.
My buddy just bought 3K of them and the first and only 2 we tried deprimed with a noticeable "ping" and wouldn't take a new primer. ended up forcing one primer into the second case and it might have got a quarter of the way in before stopping hard enough I thought I might pop it. that was fun to pull out of the progressive...