Berdan to Boxer conversion video

[rojocorsa]

I was watching general reloading videos on YT and then this came up on the right side of the screen. I watched it and thought it was very cool.

Has anyone ever tried or is anyone willing to try this?



Noticed that he used cast boolits to reload which I understand are never as hot as jacketed rounds. This makes me wonder how this modification would stand up to a full power standard reload, ie, a 150 pill pushing +/- 2700fps at the muzzle or a 180something pill pushing 2600fps in the muzzle.

I have a bunch of saved up GP-11 and 7.62x54R Yugo M30 brass. I figured I was going to scrap it sooner or later, but if I can directly reuse it, well that would be awesome! Both the RUAG and PPU are both nice brass. It's too damn bad they were berdan in the first place.

[Vlad 11]

Ive converted hundreds of cases doing this. Ive reloaded Yugo, Russian, Bulgarian berdan brass in 7.62x54 and all types of berdan steel case. Anything with a .254 berdan primer pocket can be converted with that method.

I mostly use them for 110gr plinking loads but have loaded many up to 180gr standard loadings too. Never had a bushing move at all

Some cases I have 5-6 reloads with. Once converted they reload just as any boxer case

It is a project, probably not for most people, but its do able

[AmoAgave]

Very cool, but damn that's a lot of work.

[rojocorsa]

Thanks man.

I have enough brass boxer 7.62x54R (which I'd rather reserve for my Finn and nicer mosins, but it's nice to know I can use my PPU berdan brass. I've hung on to it since day one.

Now, this really interests me for 7.5 Swiss. I've been saving all my 7.5 Swiss, and if I can do that an only neck size it, I can actually shoot the damn thing more often. After all, I can use .308"s and most any powder like H4895 or IMR 4064.

[AmoAgave]

Thanks man.

I have enough brass boxer 7.62x54R (which I'd rather reserve for my Finn and nicer mosins, but it's nice to know I can use my PPU berdan brass. I've hung on to it since day one.

Now, this really interests me for 7.5 Swiss. I've been saving all my 7.5 Swiss, and if I can do that an only neck size it, I can actually shoot the damn thing more often. After all, I can use .308"s and most any powder like H4895 or IMR 4064.

I've been saving my Yugo 8mm brass just in case I somehow posses the skills and patience in the future for this.

[bigbossman]

Very cool, but damn that's a lot of work.

No kidding. I got tired just watching the video.

[AmoAgave]

No kidding. I got tired just watching the video.

LOL. Yea, when he broke out the dremel and copper pipe I figured who am I kidding, I'm way to lazy for this.

Vlad 11 - you ever just consider reloading the berdan primers? I hear it's a b@#&h to get the correct size.

[rojocorsa]

I've been saving my Yugo 8mm brass just in case I somehow posses the skills and patience in the future for this.

I have enough 30/06 or .270 Win that I can anneal, resize and trim to shape. Of course, I do have 20-40 pieces of 8x57 proper.

That would probably be easier since the Mausers and American cartridges (30.06/270/243/260/308) share the same case head dimension.

Maybe you might want to start picking up 30/06 off the firing line just for that.

In my experience a lot of the Yugo brass, specifically that older stuff is ****.) I've had cracks, splits, blown primers, etc. On the other hand, you may be referring to much later 8x57 which checks out. But still, screw that noise when you can just resize and trim some 30/06. Less work.

[Yugo]

That is awesome, I knew there was a reason I should not throw out those old cases.

thanks.

[ckcadavona]

I've successfully loaded Berdan yugo 7.62x39 and x54 using a similar method. Fired loads up to 2200 FPS 6x with no problems. It's time consuming and I have a bunch of boxer primed stuff I can use instead so I hoard Berdan brass for later use. I prefer this method:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?143958-Converting-Berdan-primer-pockets-to-Boxer

[Vlad 11]

you ever just consider reloading the berdan primers? I hear it's a b@#&h to get the correct size.

Yea ive reloaded berdan 7.62x39. These are .217" berdan primers.
The Tulammo KV-24N are .217 and work in Yugo NNY cases and Wolf type cases.

Most 7.62x54r use berdan .254" primers. As far as i know there is no source for this size primer in the US.

[gunboat]

All methods of converting berdan cases, and there are several, are a bit of bother. --
Consider drilling the case for shotshell primers --even then the case requires a little countersinking to accept the primer flange.
I have used this method on some unobtainum cases.
One other bit of bother with berdans is the different primer heigths (sp) so the case may have to be modified to accept the different boxer primer depth.
The method common to 7.5x55 shooters of mashing the primer pocket with a ball bearing then using a pocket swage seems to be easiest yet to me is the least satisfactory - It only leaves a small bearing surface to hold the primer.
my tuppence

[pro-nra]

That is a lot of work just to reuse berdan cases. I have to give it to the guys that successfully done the conversion. I have several hundred of Swiss 7.5x55 brass that I'm not sure what to do with. I'm just going to order Lapua cases and be done with it.

Thanks for posting.

[Seaweed02]

It's been a while since last post

Since the time has passed, and it's been a little while, I just wanted to know if anyone has done this conversion with 8mm cases? I am thinking about buying some reloading equipment and getting started in that hobby. I bought a few thousand rounds or more of the surplus 8mm years ago when it was both cheap and plentiful. I still have at least a couple thousand rounds now that it is not so cheap and not so plentiful. So why not put in some work in a new hobby? I can have something to do and save money too.

I just wish I had saved all of those cases I threw away back in the day.

[gunboat]

For the 8x57 brass - You might consider the common method used by GP-11 shooters --
The berdan primer for 8x57 and gp-11 is .217 -- boxer LR is .210 -
They mash the anvil flat, this closes off the two berdan flash holes, then drill a new flash hole -- They then use a ball bearing pressed into the pocket swaging it down slighly -- run the crimp remover in -- and bob's your uncle --
It seems to work ok for them --
I only bother to convert cases that are no longer available such as 11mm mauser etc -- I generally replace the berdan with a shotshell battery cup .
my tuppence-