Priming/brass prep question

[Whitey375]

Ok, so tonight after prepping around 400 rounds of 223 brass, I set my RCBS hand priming tool up for small rifle primers and grabbed all my ready brass. Set down in front of my tv, inserted the first piece and BAM blew the primer. Scared the poop out of everyone. This is the first time in 15+ years of reloading I have ever done it.
There was 100 rounds of LC12 brass and the rest came from PMC X-Tac 62gr LAP, (855 clone), all fired as new ammo only in my rifle. I bought the Lyman primer pocket reamer and reamed only the LC stuff as it was a plain and visible crimp on the pocket, but didn't do the PMC because it looked like it was already done. The PMC brass was the one that popped. I tried one of the LC, but it wouldn't go with a minimal amount of force.
Anyone have any idea what I screwed up? Maybe didn't run the reamer in far enough? I can throw some pictures up if it would help with a diagnosis.
Thanks in advance.


Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

Read More

 

[Whitey375]

Is it possible that I just crushed the primer?

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[AMProducts]

primers blow up... that's what they are intended to do, and occasionally they do it when you don't want them to. As far as removing the crimp, I usually use one of the little lee deburring tools, I also use the RCBS, lyman etc. However I do a rather significant chamfer on the pocket opening.

 

[PX4WA]

I may be confused but I'm fairly sure that some PMC have crimped brass... I think it's Korean Military stuff

get a primer pocket reamer and try to insert it into your PMC primer pocket to see if it fits...

 

[Gwitness]

It happens...makes me jump out of my skin when it does. I use an RCBS primer pocket swager when working .mil brass...usually after trimming I'll go through the batch and look for the tell tale ring around the primer pocket and set those aside to be swaged. Occasionally one will get through, but I prime with a Lee safety prime and can feel right away if there is a problem with the primer hole..

 

[deadshot2]

I don't waste time with reamers. After crushing more than a few primers I just invested in a Dillon Super Swage. ANY .223 brass that bring home gets a trip through the swage. Even if the primer pocket wasn't crimped, some brass has a very sharp edge that can catch the primer as it's being inserted. The punch on the swaging tool not only uniforms the primer pocket size, it also puts a nice radius on the mouth of the pocket. As a side benefit, the punch slightly works the brass around the primer pocket hardening it. Reduces the possible tendency for some cases to have their primer pockets loosen if the brass was a little soft to begin with.

 

[Whitey375]

I don't waste time with reamers. After crushing more than a few primers I just invested in a Dillon Super Swage. ANY .223 brass that bring home gets a trip through the swage. Even if the primer pocket wasn't crimped, some brass has a very sharp edge that can catch the primer as it's being inserted. The punch on the swaging tool not only uniforms the primer pocket size, it also puts a nice radius on the mouth of the pocket. As a side benefit, the punch slightly works the brass around the primer pocket hardening it. Reduces the possible tendency for some cases to have their primer pockets loosen if the brass was a little soft to begin with.

I'm thinking the DSS is going to be the best way to do this. I have zero desire to blow another primer.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Whitey375]

I may be confused but I'm fairly sure that some PMC have crimped brass... I think it's Korean Military stuff

get a primer pocket reamer and try to insert it into your PMC primer pocket to see if it fits...

I dunno about its' origin or intended purpose. I kinda doubt that it is military though, as I have seen Lapua & LC11 brass in the mix as well as the PSD 12 head stamp, which is the majority of it.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[AMProducts]

the super-swage is a huge PITA if you have mixed brass... it really only works well when you're using one kind and only one kind of brass. Reaming works the best.

 

[WIRED tactical]

I have the Hornady reamer set up in a drill press. I have a chuck of wood clamped down with a channel for the case mouth to fit down into. I press down with light pressure when reaming and the reamers auto stop cut won't cut any further than necessary. Any brass that I have usually has a crimp so I run all my brass through it.

 

[Greenbug]

Another thought....

Did you have the priming ram in your RCBS priming tool installed correctly in the tool? One end is flat and should be pointing upwards and contacting the primers for seating. The other end is rounded to engage the pivot arm at the bottom of the priming tool. If you had the rounded end pointing up it could cause the primer to detonate by crushing the center of the cup into the anvil. Not trying to say you are dumb or neglegent or anything like that, but it is a simple mistake to make (ask me how I know).

 

[Whitey375]

the super-swage is a huge PITA if you have mixed brass... it really only works well when you're using one kind and only one kind of brass. Reaming works the best.

Why is that? I am clueless about the device, so any info is great. Thanks

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Whitey375]

I have the Hornady reamer set up in a drill press. I have a chuck of wood clamped down with a channel for the case mouth to fit down into. I press down with light pressure when reaming and the reamers auto stop cut won't cut any further than necessary. Any brass that I have usually has a crimp so I run all my brass through it.

Thinking this is probably what I may do, as I realized today that I didn't ream the pocket enough as I tried to seat another one, outside this time lol, popped another one, crushed it flat. After a light squeeze stuck it with the primer 1/3 of the way in. Feeling like an idiot.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Whitey375]

Another thought....

Did you have the priming ram in your RCBS priming tool installed correctly in the tool? One end is flat and should be pointing upwards and contacting the primers for seating. The other end is rounded to engage the pivot arm at the bottom of the priming tool. If you had the rounded end pointing up it could cause the primer to detonate by crushing the center of the cup into the anvil. Not trying to say you are dumb or neglegent or anything like that, but it is a simple mistake to make (ask me how I know).

That was actually my first thought, turns out I am just dumb, lol.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Mikej]

That was actually my first thought, turns out I am just dumb, lol.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

Does that mean you DID have the rod in up-side-down????

Wifey did that once, on a first case she primed out of a 100 handgun shells. If that primer would have gone off, hooboy! We're alway veerry sensitive to the feel of the primer going in, can almost call the headstamp by the feel.

Mike

 

[deadshot2]

Why is that? I am clueless about the device, so any info is great. Thanks

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

The Super Swage uses an "anvil" that slips inside the case and rests against the web. The punch that reforms the primer pocket and radiuses the mouth always moves the same amount. If you encounter a case with a thinner web it doesn't put enough radius on the primer pocket mouth. If you encounter a case with a thick web it can deform the head of the case by trying to put too much radius on.

For those that don't want to sort their brass, they usually take the easy way out and use a power reamer. For those that sort, there's no issue with a swaging tool. The swaging tool doesn't butcher the case as much as a reamer can. If you ever want to see what reamers do, just look for some Black Hills Reloaded brass that someone's shot at the range. For some reason their reaming looks like it was done with a machinist's countersink and only about half the primer is supported. Makes for easy insertion of a primer but it also makes for more leakage that etches a bolt face.

Sorting brass is a good idea anyway so you can get consistent loads. Why not just do that first and then use a swaging tool?

I know that I get a lot better primer pockets when I swage them compared to when I only had a reamer (many years ago).

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Been reloading since 1985 and never had a primer go off. I have done a lot of crimped mil brass, too

 

[Whitey375]

Does that mean you DID have the rod in up-side-down????

Wifey did that once, on a first case she primed out of a 100 handgun shells. If that primer would have gone off, hooboy! We're alway veerry sensitive to the feel of the primer going in, can almost call the headstamp by the feel.

Mike

No, I just wasn't removing enough material with the reamer. The tool wasn't bottoming out in the pocket. I didn't realize that that was how I was supposed to do it. Kinda one of those unsure about how crazy I was supposed to go with it, so I went easy.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Whitey375]

The Super Swage uses an "anvil" that slips inside the case and rests against the web. The punch that reforms the primer pocket and radiuses the mouth always moves the same amount. If you encounter a case with a thinner web it doesn't put enough radius on the primer pocket mouth. If you encounter a case with a thick web it can deform the head of the case by trying to put too much radius on.

For those that don't want to sort their brass, they usually take the easy way out and use a power reamer. For those that sort, there's no issue with a swaging tool. The swaging tool doesn't butcher the case as much as a reamer can. If you ever want to see what reamers do, just look for some Black Hills Reloaded brass that someone's shot at the range. For some reason their reaming looks like it was done with a machinist's countersink and only about half the primer is supported. Makes for easy insertion of a primer but it also makes for more leakage that etches a bolt face.

Sorting brass is a good idea anyway so you can get consistent loads. Why not just do that first and then use a swaging tool?

I know that I get a lot better primer pockets when I swage them compared to when I only had a reamer (many years ago).

Good info, thanks.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Whitey375]

Been reloading since 1985 and never had a primer go off. I have done a lot of crimped mil brass, too

Congrats. This is my first foray into crimped brass.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2