Primer Pocket size issue... .308

[NYY]

I have some Hornady match brass that I am using Federal large primers with. i tried the first one and the primer is slightly too big/the primer pocket is slightly too small for my large rifle primer. Should I: 1) enlarge the primer pocket? or 2) use a small rifle primer? How would i enlarge a primer pocket...? thanks

[ptmn]

Flash hole or primer pocket?

[NYY]

primer pocket*

[smalltime]

Is this fired brass? Does it have a crimped primer pocket?

[emptybottle151]

Swagger or trim to size. Is it really so small that a SRP would fit right? Pics would help.

[Bastard]

sound to me like it is crimped - pictures?

[bsumoba]

sounds like a crimp on the primer pocket. ream out or swage with Super Swage

[damndave]

Use a reamer to make it to spec.

[Spyder]

I come across this occasionally with my once fired nickel plated Federal brass.

I usually toss 'em in the "freebies" bin, since I don't like bothering to swage.

[ptmn]

For primer pockets, I use either the Lyman hand reamer,it comes with large and small primer pocket heads or my Dillon Stager if I am doing large quantities.

Either device will remove the crimp if there is one and uniform the pocket if there is no crimp

[NYY]

seems to be an "inner circle" inside the primer pocket. this is a crimp as I have discovered...? Ugh. Now this makes me worried if I swage it i might do too MUCH and not have it fit snug as if i didnt even need to swage some brass. or not swage enough. this annoys me. its Hornady Match Brass. Pretty good stuff.. dangit... 18 pieces. i dont want to swage it...

[NYY]

using a hand reamer scares me exactly like what this person has said about them before: "Force on the cutter must be just right or the cutter can force too deeply into the pocket, and bind.It's difficult to keep the centerline of the case aligned with the centerline of the tool. If they are misaligned, the tool will bind, and cut an elliptical pocket." only way i see it is buying a machine (something not by hand) to fix these crimps. and to me, unfortunately, doesnt seem worth it.

[MR_X]

That looks like a crimpped primer pocket to me. Swage them. Is reaming that I would be worried about.

[ptmn]

NNY, if you ream using a large drill bit or something similar, you may ruin the brass by removing too much material.

If you ream using a quality tool made specifically for reaming, you will not ruin the brass.

The Lyman tool has two sizes, LG primer and SM primer. Both tools have a center piece that bottoms out on the primer pocket, preventing the reamer portion from going too deep into the crimp ring. By controlling the depth by bottoming out, the Lyman tool doesn't ruin you brass.

Spend the extra money on a quality reaming tool or if you have the funds, get a swager. Using improvised tools such as a large drill bit us penny wise and pound foolish. Especially considering the Lyman hand tool is only a few dollars

[23's Dad]

Use your chamfer & deburring tool. Just don't chuck it into a power drill. If you do it by hand, you won't remove enough material to ruin the pocket.