What do I need to remove crimped primers from .223 brass?

[dennishoddy]

What markings will indicate military brass? I presume that looking at the headstamp and primmer area the ones with the extra piece between the primmer and the edge is the crimp? I have a hand pocket reamer, is this what is needed to ream the primer pocket to open it up? Sometimes it does not ream all the crimp out, is this correct? I am still having a little problem getting the primes to seat all the way down. More advise please?

Federal owns Lake City, they manufacture ammo for the military. The cheap, bulk Federal ammo that we used to get at walmart has crimped primers. Its pretty easy to spot crimped brass. Just look for an extra ring around the primer, vs the smooth transition between the primer and primer pocket that will come with name brand USA ammo.

 

[okietom]

I broke a pin on an RCBS .223 die and they sent me some for free. I stuck a case on a .222 die and messed up the rod for the decapping pin and inside neck sizing button and they sent a new one with even more decapping pins.

I wasn't decapping crimped primers. I did buy the Lee universal decapping die for the crimped primers and have had no problems with it. I now have the Dillon Primer Swager and like that.

 

[Shadowrider]

Lonnie here's my setup for processing .223. Let me tell you now that I learned this through experience, but get yourself a Dillon .223 sizing die. They have a carbide expander and it runs slicker than snot.
I was using a Hornady die and their expander button is bullet shaped and looks like it would be the best thing since sliced bread. But you still have to lube the inside of the neck or it will grab and pull the shoulder back out some (I have about 300 rounds of practice ammo to porve it). The Dillon does no such thing, it goes through both ways smooth as glass.

Also processing .223 is such a pain that I only do it in very large batches, like 3 to 5K at a time. I use a Dillon 650 with the Dillon trimmer setup on it's own tool head and can very easily do 800 an hour. 5K in a weekend and I'm good for at least a year. As others said when decapping if you get a tough one back off and "pop" it a couple of times, then go back at it. I have also seen some of the imported NATO brass that just doesn't want to deprime at all, but it's not high percentage at all. The NATO spec requires sealed and crimped primers. What some are using for sealer I don't know because it seems to be epoxy it's so good. Kind of makes the crimp not necessary and I've pushed the bottom out of the primer and left the sides still stuck in the case for eternity. I've also had better luck with Hornady decapping pins but they will eventually break. Just keep extras on hand.

My setup:

Station 1) RCBS decapping die (yes the Hornady pins work even though they have a different head size)
Station 2) Empty
Station 3) Empty
Station 4) Dillon trimmer
Station 5) Dillon FL sizing die to expand neck.

Tumble all lube off then swage primer pocket and load as normal with the FL die backed off a touch. Make sure you leave in the decapper to clear kernals from flash hole. I suppose you could just skip doing it at Station 5 in the trimmer tool head too. With the Dillon trimmer there is no need to deburr. What burr there is is too small to bother anything.

 

[dennishoddy]

I used to be concerned with the polishing material in the flash hole. I've shot rounds with and without, and have not seen a difference. The primers are so powerful that I think it just turns it into a powder. Whatever, it makes no difference in my tests.

 

[vooduchikn]

Since we are on the subject of depriming and swagging the primer pockets. I was wondering if there is a way to tell which shells have crimps and those that do not. And also which ones require swagging in advance. As I have been depriming most shells process well but some the primers hang up or do not seat all the way. Some advise would help please.

Military brass will have crimped primers, the vast majority of commercial brass does not. Crimped primers require swaging or removing using a cutting tool of some sort (reamer/chamfer) before you load them or you are asking for primers that don't seat, seat crooked, or get destroyed while seating.

Lake City (LC head stamp) brass in 5.56 and in 7.62 are pretty common offenders as there is tons of it out ther. There is usually a colored ring around the primer. I use the dillon super swager to remove these

Winchester 9MM (WCC head stamp)brass also has crimped in primers, some times you'll see the red ring, sometimes you wont. I use a chamfer tool chucked in a cordless drill to remove these, works like a champ. Ive got the adapter to use on my swager for the 9mm, but pistol brass is soft and it usually bells out pretty bad when you set the swager tip deep enough to really do any good. Using the chamfer bit in a drill and giving the the brass a quick twist while its on the reamer is all it usually takes.

Good luck