Primer Crimp Removal

[bucktail]

I'm in the market for some once fired brass in .223. Much of it comes with a crimped primer that needs to be removed before you can remove the primer. A 5 minute goggle search shows an RCBS tool for $20, but it needs to be run by a $200 prep center that I don't have.

I haven't messed with the crimps before. Is there a hand tool that removes the crimp without causing carpel tunnel disorder or one that chucks into a drill that will remove the crimps or should I just buy un-crimped brass?

 

[skeets]

Just lube the case, run it through you decapping die, and the once the old primer is out, just use your deburring tool. I have done this to bunches of mill issue 3006, 7.62 and 5.56. One word of caution if you have a single stage press use it, and pick up a supply of de priming pins ,yes you will break some

 

[SidecarFlip]

First off, buy a dedicated de-priming die like a Lee or RCBS or Lyman and never break a pin again. Secondly de prime and then cut the pocket with the RCBS or Lyman or whatever case mouth tool. I chuck mine in a lathe (I have 4 in the shop and do them that way....) I use a Little Crow case trimmer to size the cases (223). Don't size anything else because I use bushing dies and bump the shoulders back instead....

RCBS makes a nice lever pocket swaging tool and so does Dillon but the RCBS tool is cheaper by about 10 bucks. Finally Frankfort Arsenal has just come out with a lever swager fr even less.

 

[bucktail]

I do have an RCBS depriming die. Was going to ask about that until I read your response. I think that my primer clean up tool is Lyman. I can upgrade from that if the case chamfer tool and primer clean up won't get it.

 

[twomany]

I've never heard of removing the stakes BEFORE removing the spent primer.

Maybe I read the original post text incorrectly.

 

[Ping]

No, I read it the same way. Crimp removed BEFORE deprime.
I just pop em out while resizing and run a pocket uniform afterwards.

 

[armylifer]

I have been doing it exactly the way that Skeets described for more than 45 years. I started doing it that way because of cost and just continued doing it the same way out of habit.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Not that I've looked lately but I believe I have a couple thousand FL resized and prepped and primed 223 cases in the armory that could be charged and loaded when I want to. Not that I do. Got a couple thousand loaded in ammo cans. I usually buy Hornady 55 grain Spire Points in bulk (2000 at a time) and load them with H322 or H335.

223's good for plinking and not much else.

 

[skeets]

You keep thinking that

 

[hagrid]

You keep thinking that

Now you've done it.

You've got a whopper of a post coming your way.

 

[Beaudeane]

Remove the primer first then swage the primer pocket. I have the Dillon swagger but like someone said if Frankfort Arsenal is making one now, I’d have one if I didn’t already have the Dillon. That’s based on other frankford items I’m very happy with ie: their brass tumbler with the stainless pins and their brass dryer. Swage or ream the primer pocket after primer removal is the way the books say do it. I use the Lee universal depriming die for military brass and also like stated above, get extra primer pins because u will break some and some u just can’t punch out at all is my experience. Maybe 1 in 500-800 that won’t press out of the ones I’ve done. Btw, military brass is way cheaper to start with if u have the tools to prep it, and don’t mind the little extra time it takes rather than buying new. Last few batches I bought came from CA shipped to GA for a small percentage of what I could buy new at my local shops. Once it’s swaged u don’t have to do it on your second reload either, just clean, resize, trim and reload