Started reloading .223, need a little help.....

[Lucky Scott]

Quick background: Been loading for my precision 7mm rem mag for a year and also .38 special handgun. Took two of the OC Reloading clinics. At the clinics I remember hearing about the military primers, but don't remember what to do about them as I didn't reload .223 at the time.
Now, I decided to start the .223 and need to know how to handle the military "swaged" primer brass. Which tool to get, and how to do it.
Any advice would be helpful.....

[Victor Cachat]

I got one of these for my .223 brass:


And Hornady has just come out with a system for the LnL:

http://www.hornady.com/store/Lock-N-Load-AP-Primer-Pocket-Swage-Tool-223-5.56-Only

[Full Clip]

I used the RCBS tool. Wasn't great.
I'd get the Dillon Super Swager.

[CSACANNONEER]

I used the RCBS tool. Wasn't great.
I'd get the Dillon Super Swager.

I have the Dillon and I would suggest the CH4D instead. Or, just get a reamer and cut the crimp out.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/804809/hornady-primer-pocket-reamer-package?cm_vc=ProductFinding

[klewan]

For $4 and a drill motor you probably already own, a countersink from Home Depot. Just touch the primer pocket to the tool for about a second. You'll see 2 small chips wind out and you're done with that one. Don't be a DA like some of the peeps and cut half the pocket away, all you want to do is remove the crimp and bevel the pocket entrance. Look at what an uncrimped piece of brass looks like and produce that.

It's the easiest, fastest, no sorting headstamps, way to do it. The anal types will be rolling the eyes back in their head at the thought of removing ANY material. But there are no stresses back at the pocket entrance that are going to cause anything to fail....

[shoebox56]

I use to use a swager type tool, but found this to be just as good and faster:

RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center Crimp Remover

I use this along with primer pocket uniformer.

[Oceanbob]

My Dillon 1050 pops and swages the primer pocket automatically.

[Lucky Scott]

Wow, thanks for all the help. I am not using my Dillion on the 223 but using my single stage RCBS press.
Seems like there are so many different ways to go here with the brass.

[M1NM]

I always used the RCBS swager on my 30-06 & 5.56 military brass. Quick and easy and you only need to do it once.

[rsrocket1]

1.Expensive Fast
2.Cheaper Less expensive slower
3. Cheaper yet, not much slower than #2, doesn't need a press or additional power tool
4. Cheapest

You're only doing this once on the case and as long as you don't overdo it, you'll be fine.

[tujungatoes]

I'm one of those "anal" types I guess. I have both the RCBS and CH4D swagers. I'm liking the CH4D better. Nothing wrong with cutting/reaming though. It works just as well. Do whatever you like.

If you go with a hand tool for primer pocket reaming(or chamfer/debur) I'd recommend the lyman multi tool. Having a real human sized handle on the tool is soo much better than the little stubby chamfer/debur tool everybody else sells. Your hands will thank you.

[klewan]

I'm one of those "anal" types I guess. I have both the RCBS and CH4D swagers. I'm liking the CH4D better. Nothing wrong with cutting/reaming though. It works just as well. Do whatever you like.

If you go with a hand tool for primer pocket reaming(or chamfer/debur) I'd recommend the lyman multi tool. Having a real human sized handle on the tool is soo much better than the little stubby chamfer/debur tool everybody else sells. Your hands will thank you.

Power tools, power tools, power tools. Spin the reamer in a drill motor like it was designed for. I'm always looking for the fastest and easiest way to do things, and that's a power tool.

[Daydrmr999]

I use the inside neck reamer that came with my case prep center to cut out the crimp. It is the perfect size for .223 so that even if I over do it and the reamer bottoms out in the pocket it's still not too much.

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk

[totalloser]

I use RCBS swager but if I were to do it again, I'd get the Dillon swager. This is because the swager ties up the shell holder so you have to swap the whole process rendering the turret feature moot.

But IME very very few 5.56 military actually need a decrimp. Most will slip right over the nipple. The ones that do need a decrimp are pretty obvious when you go to decap. If you set the decap to just barely pop them out, the ones that need a decrimp will leave the primer in- I set those aside and decrimp, load the rest as is.

[huckberry668]

23 years of reloading taught me that anything other than a counter sink is just mall ninja waste of money and time.