How to go about prepping surplus 7.62x51 crimped brass?

[Camelfilter]

Dillon Super Swage 600 Semi-Auto Top Fuel Open Division

Holy bubblegum that's a nifty setup! Thanks for the video link, appreciated! Hmmm...might think on that then. Looks like it can do .308 & 5.56. I have absolutely no idea how many crimped 5.56 we've got in the buckets of brass, but probably a WHOLE BUNCH.

Hadn't even started in on the thought process for dealing with them yet.

...if I can get something that can deal with .308 & then the 5.56 when it comes to it, without having to buy something else/set something else up...BRILLIANT!

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Reading a bit, and all the responses, seems a swage die or die set will be the way I'll go. Had no idea such existed!

Have a hornady lock n load AP allready. Might hold off on deciding on a swage die until my friend gifts me his single stage press. Then I can get a feel for which die will work best with it.

I'm thinking a single swage die will work fine, rather than the Hornady set for my progressive press. I do have a bunch to process, but once that's processed it'll only likely be a few.

I'm also thinking swage, because I do a bunch of my reloading at really oddball hours when I'm amidst every other week shift change over (graveyards towards "trying" to get "normal" sleep...), so the less power tools I use at 3:30am will make for a happy house!!

Happy wife, happy life!

sportsmans has the rcbs swage die

 

[DirectDrive]

Jerry's high-tech brass cleaning method...

 

[DirectDrive]

Centering inserts for the Dillon and RCBS benchtop units.
If you are getting occasional case damage, these are claimed to be the cure.
Centering inserts for the Dillon SuperSwage & RCBS swage unit. - Inline Fabrication

 

[fxdc]

Centering inserts for the Dillon and RCBS benchtop units.
If you are getting occasional case damage, these are claimed to be the cure.
Centering inserts for the Dillon SuperSwage & RCBS swage unit. - Inline Fabrication

View attachment 358536

They do work !!!!!
Having them have tripled the speed of using the dillion super swager I use.

No more misalignment or wasted time.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

also, you can use your little hand held deburr/chamfer tool to shave off the crimp from the inside of the primer pocket

 

[DirectDrive]

also, you can use your little hand held deburr/chamfer tool to shave off the crimp from the inside of the primer pocket

Little hand gets wery scared when allowed to view bunches of 5 gal buckets chock full of spent cases in need of primer pocket work.
Solution:
Only let wittle hanny see one case at a time.

 

[best defense]

At least you are not trying to reload the steel or Berdan primed cases.
There are two methods that I know of, one is the primer pocket sweging tool mentioned above. the other and cheap way is to use your case mouth deburring tool to put a chamfer to the outer edge of the primer pocket.

 

[HotRod61]

View attachment 358447 Dillion swager rocks!

I have since mounted it on its own inline fab QD plate and with the spring ejection along with the inline fab alignment insert it is lighting quick.... the spring throws the cases off and into a catch bin.

Yeah ^^^^^^^.
I have a similar set up.

 

[Camelfilter]

Centering inserts for the Dillon and RCBS benchtop units.
If you are getting occasional case damage, these are claimed to be the cure.
Centering inserts for the Dillon SuperSwage & RCBS swage unit. - Inline Fabrication

View attachment 358536

Thanks guys for all of the tips! Have a Dillon Superswage on order from Dillon, and the inserts on order from inline.

 

[Camelfilter]

My Superswage came in & I had to play with it. Cleaned up a few surplus brass (that Hertenberger pictured in first post), it does a great job-quick & easy.



Thanks again for all of the ideas!

 

[65guy]

I am happy enough for my cheap 308 reloads using my Lyman Case Prep cutter. For my precision loads I will likely never use anything other than Lapua, Hornady or Norma (in order) before ever considering military spec factory. So yah, for me cutter works fine because I am not reloading the military brass for anything but decent shooting.

If you are not reloading for precision and just getting started I found that my case prep lyman has done me very well for over 3 years now. Honestly, sometimes I think another vendor version of this would have been better for me but ultimately there isn't one that does the work any better ONLY differently. So keep in mind when making decisions; does it do the job and do I care how it does the job if it is the same as others.

PS I do reload for precision and .118 MOA at 300 yards is enough proof for me that the tools I am using are just fine. Only preference matters to others.

 

[65guy]

I am happy enough for my cheap 308 reloads using my Lyman Case Prep cutter. For my precision loads I will likely never use anything other than Lapua, Hornady or Norma (in order) before ever considering military spec factory. So yah, for me cutter works fine because I am not reloading the military brass for anything but decent shooting.

If you are not reloading for precision and just getting started I found that my case prep lyman has done me very well for over 3 years now. Honestly, sometimes I think another vendor version of this would have been better for me but ultimately there isn't one that does the work any better ONLY differently. So keep in mind when making decisions; does it do the job and do I care how it does the job if it is the same as others.

PS I do reload for precision and .118 MOA at 300 yards is enough proof for me that the tools I am using are just fine. Only preference matters to others.

Shoot I was really late to the show for this one. Disregard as you have already made a good decision!

 

[Camelfilter]

Shoot I was really late to the show for this one. Disregard as you have already made a good decision!

Thanks & no worries!

As someone else may very well find the Lyman info worthwhile.

Also the thought process behind which brass to use for which application is handy for me to put up in that storage shed of my mind.

Now the real question will be, will I be able to find that particular "file" when I have the need! Ha!

I'm a heck of a long ways out from precision shooting, further out at distance precision & further yet at rifle reloading (just started pistol).

It's a heck of an intesting & very scientific process, and sorry to have waited so long to get into it.

 

[ageingstudent]

So since @DirectDrive posted that auto-eject swager movie I wanted to try that with my RCBS unit. I've learned that if the spring is too stout you can launch a case into the ceiling and ricochet it into an empty smuckers jar half way across the shop. If it hadn't landed in a glass jar I never would have found it it launched at high speed haha. The jar is on the top shelf next to some AR comp.