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View Full Version : primer pocket crimp?



tmsand338
12-20-2012, 09:01
I had asked a question about headstamps in another thread and it was mentioned that sorting could be useful for determining brass with crimped primers. So, can someone tell me how to tell if its crimped? I looked over a whole bunch of this brass I was given and it all looks the same, other than some have a green coloring around the primer. If the primer is crimped, do I have to somehow remove the crimp? Will my decapper pin bend if I try to remove the primer during resizing?

Thanks!

rondog
12-20-2012, 10:08
Only military brass will be crimped, no commercial stuff. Some, like Greek HXP surplus .30-06, is staked with three little punch marks. Most crimped brass will have a "ring" around the primer. This is from being struck with the crimper, which is like a punch used for cutting holes in leather. It just punches a ring around the primer, which upsets the brass enough to "crimp" the primer in place, so they can't back out during the rigors of military activity or the firing of full-auto weapons.

Decapping "shouldn't" break a pin, but I've punched a pin through quite a few tough primers before. If that happens, toss it in the scrap bucket. What's more important is to use a penlight or bore light and look inside each case to make sure it's not Berdan primed, those are useless, scrap them if brass. Also look for small rocks or pebbles in the cases, those will break decapping pins too.

But yes, the crimps need to be removed before you try to put in new primers. You can use a special cutter in a drill, or a swaging tool in your press. Only has to be done once though.

newracer
12-20-2012, 10:23
http://i52.tinypic.com/1087igg.jpg

Hoser
12-20-2012, 11:05
There is some civilian brass that is crimped.

Decapping most of them is no big deal. PMC has the most agressive crimp I have found. Getting a primer back in if you did not swage out or trim away the crimp is 50/50 at best.

The easiest fix is to find someone around you with a Dillon 1050 that can process it for you. Or buy a Dillon swage tool and have at it.

Trigger Time 23
12-20-2012, 11:45
I had some Hornady Match in .308 that was crimped.

rondog
12-20-2012, 12:40
Huh, I've never ran across any commercial brass that was crimped, at least never noticed any. I personally use these Hornady cutters in a cordless drill, one for small primers and one for large. It stops at the botton of the pocket, and only bevels the mouth of the pocket just enough to cut the crimp off. Also gets a lot of crud and carbon out as well. Works good for me, but I hear the swaging works good too.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/rinselman/guns/ammo%20and%20reloading/Hornadycutter.jpg

newracer
12-20-2012, 13:57
I have a bunch of LC brass to de-crimp, I guess about 3000 pieces, so I bought a Dillon swager.

Hoser
01-01-2013, 13:29
Huh, I've never ran across any commercial brass that was crimped, at least never noticed any.

Here is an example of some commercial. There is more out there, but reaching into a 5 gallon bucket found these will little effort.

Hornady, PMC and Federal.

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac105/puebloshooter/Reloading%20Stuff/DSC03397_zps5ef6b3e8.jpg

sabot_round
01-03-2013, 19:16
There is some civilian brass that is crimped.

Decapping most of them is no big deal. PMC has the most agressive crimp I have found. Getting a primer back in if you did not swage out or trim away the crimp is 50/50 at best.

But with this tool..

I personally use these Hornady cutters in a cordless drill, one for small primers and one for large. It stops at the botton of the pocket, and only bevels the mouth of the pocket just enough to cut the crimp off. Also gets a lot of crud and carbon out as well. Works good for me, but I hear the swaging works good too.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/rinselman/guns/ammo%20and%20reloading/Hornadycutter.jpg

...you can do anything!!

Hoser
01-03-2013, 19:58
But with this tool..


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/rinselman/guns/ammo%20and%20reloading/Hornadycutter.jpg

...you can do anything!!



Yeah but with these tools, I can do anything, faster. Much faster.

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac105/puebloshooter/Reloading%20Stuff/DSC02569.jpg

ray1970
01-03-2013, 20:18
Every time I see pictures of your reloading stuff I keep looking to see if any of those little Chinese kids can be seen. Haven't seen one yet. You must have those kids well trained to stay out of photos. At least I assume you run these things with sweat shop labor.

[Coffee]



http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac105/puebloshooter/Reloading%20Stuff/DSC02569.jpg

Hoser
01-03-2013, 22:33
Every time I see pictures of your reloading stuff I keep looking to see if any of those little Chinese kids can be seen. Haven't seen one yet. You must have those kids well trained to stay out of photos. At least I assume you run these things with sweat shop labor.


They tend bar on their off hours.

ChadAmberg
01-04-2013, 12:52
Every time I see pictures of your reloading stuff I keep looking to see if any of those little Chinese kids can be seen. Haven't seen one yet. You must have those kids well trained to stay out of photos. At least I assume you run these things with sweat shop labor.

[Coffee]

I'd just like to see all three handles connected so 3 rounds get loaded every handle pull.

sabot_round
01-04-2013, 14:06
But with this tool..


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/rinselman/guns/ammo%20and%20reloading/Hornadycutter.jpg

...you can do anything!!



Yeah but with these tools, I can do anything, faster. Much faster.

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac105/puebloshooter/Reloading%20Stuff/DSC02569.jpg

I'm tracking!! It's just that not everyone here is a millionaire. [Coffee]

cstone
01-04-2013, 17:13
I'm tracking!! It's just that not everyone here is a millionaire. [Coffee]

Are you suggesting that our Hoser was the real life finder of Saddam Hussein's golden treasures ?[ROFL3]

sabot_round
01-04-2013, 18:59
Are you suggesting that our Hoser was the real life finder of Saddam Hussein's golden treasures ?[ROFL3]

He probably has Saddam's other Glock 18 too!! [dig]

Lurch
01-04-2013, 19:57
http://youtu.be/aiZk2wkY4KA

Actually this is Hoser when he gets on a roll.

DSB OUTDOORS
01-04-2013, 20:50
But with this tool..


http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b150/rinselman/guns/ammo%20and%20reloading/Hornadycutter.jpg

...you can do anything!!



Yeah but with these tools, I can do anything, faster. Much faster.

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac105/puebloshooter/Reloading%20Stuff/DSC02569.jpg
Damn! That's an awesome and sexy set up right there!! Is there a drool smiley. [not-worthy]