Advice on reaming .223 cases

S

slushbilly

Inactive
Hello,

I have begun the task of reloading .223 brass. I have a question about removing the military crimps. As shown in the attached picture, am I removing too much material or is this good?

Thanks in advance.
 

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Looks like a bit much to me, probably not dangerous but I only give them a turn or two - just enough to knock off the lip and make a very slight bevel. JMHO
 
What did you use to ream them out? I bought a bag of once fired 223 brass and have a few dozen to ream out.
 
Using a Lyman hand reaming tool. You can get the for 10 bucks. Just take the cutter out of the handle and Chuck it up in a drill.

I have been reaming just a few turns but still have issues priming. I tried out of few of these like shown in picture and priming is much easier and feels just like priming my 9mm cases. Just don't know if I am affecting the integrity of the .223 brass.
 
My take is you reamed a little more metal than I like to see removed. Removing the crimp can be as easy as a few turns using a #2 Phillips screwdriver. If you are going to use a reaming tool I suggest just a brief "kiss" on the primer pocket rim. If you have a decent vernier caliper you should be able to measure the primer pocket ID of a few in a lot and measure the primer OD of a few in a lot. That alone should tell you how things will fit for the lot of pockets and primers.

Ron.
 
I've just been using my Wilson/RCBS hand chamfer deburring tool. As said just a few twists will usually do. Until you get the hang of it you can test by seating a spent primer. Some use a drill an 3/16 bit which sounds like a good way as well, I haven't had a chance but plan on trying.
 
"...Chuck it up in a drill..." That's why there's a tick too much metal removed. Said tick isn't enough to matter though.
"...a bag of once fired 223 brass..." Only needs doing if that brass is milsurp.
 
One correction.
It only needs to be done if it is "Milsurp" should read "if it uses crimped primers".
I have seen a lot of .223 Remington brass with crimped primers and as far as I know the military doesn't use .223 brass.

Using a chamfer tool in a drill will speed up the process but it can easily go too far. I generally use the tool by hand and chamfer in small steps trying to seat a primer between steps until the primer seats normally. It's not fast but it removes less metal. I think what you have done is still safe but I'm not the one using the brass.
 
Quote:
you can test by seating a spent primer.
Your press will tell you better than anyone.

I agree. But I'm a tight a$$ and hate cutting up good primers:D
 
I've done thousands of them using the Lyman tool in a drill. They all look like that and have never caused a single problem over the years. But then I use Tula magnum primers which fit pretty tight anyway.
 
Chainsaw got it right. The Hornady primer pocket reamer is built to take the correct amount of material out. When you order them, get a couple of each size if you also reload 7.62.
Ralph
 
Three words for you: Dillon Super Swage.

I used to do them on my case prep center, but the pain in my hands after a few hundred convinced me the Super Swage was worth the money.

I also like the consistency of the swage method vs reaming.
 
I'm a swage fan too but mine is the RCBS model.

I'm also a fan of uniforming primer pockets but don't like the tool chainsaw suggested. I like the tools that cut a square edge, not beveled.
 
I have removed thousands of crimps on 7.62x51 lake city brass and 556x45 lake city brass...As well as FC brass.

I used a drill initially, then used a campher tool that I cut the feet off of and chucked the post into a drill.

Today I use the RCBS single stage press swage die mounted in my single stage press.

It is great because it uniforms the pockets while removing the crimp. And if you use lube, it is easy on the hand ( found that out after about 250 rounds and a sore hand)

It comes with a LR and SR pocket swager and posts and both use the same die.

The drill method works fine, but you may still then need to swage the pockets so why not do it all at once?
 
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