Just an old trick!!

7

74camaroman

New member
Here is an old timers trick that I was showed almost 50 years ago and I had a chance to use it yesterday. I have some 223 ammo with primers installed about 7 years ago and the cases showed signs of tarnish so I decided to toss them in my RCBS Vibrator cleaner. After about three hours I took them out but they were still tarnished since I ran out of cleaner. It was then I noticed a loose primer in the media. After separating the cases I discovered two more missing primers. I found them in the media. I installed a primer in the pocket and it came back out. I remembered being showed this trick a long time ago. I took some Nail Polish and put it in the primer pocket, then installed the primer by hand with a rubber mallet to make sure it was all the way down inside the pocket. After about 20 minutes and the polish had dried they were stuck in the primer pocket. Just a long time ago trick that was showed me and yesterday I finally had a chance to use it. Probably chuck the case after a range trim but they are installed tight at the moment. When I was in the military a lot of the 223 rems had a red trim around the primer pocket. don't know if it was finger nail polish but it could have been. Just wondering!!
 
Loose-fitting primers are generally a sign the cases have been subjected to high pressure or to middling-to-high pressures repeatedly. I believe the RCBS primer pocket swager has a lip that will tighten them. There used to be a separate tool available for the purpose, but it's no longer made. Anyway, you might want to check your load against published data to be sure it isn't a bit warm.

The red color you remember from your military service (thank you for that) is a sealant. Military specs require bullet and primer sealant so the ammo can stand submersion, at least for a while, without it quitting on them.
 
Unclenick, you won't happen to have the instructions for the old RCBS primer pocket swager would you? I have the old style, but the last time I used the instructions I filed them away and have never been able to find them. The new instructions are different.
 
It is odd, but when you look at how a Lee Loader installs primers, it isn't dramatically different.


Scatterbrain,

Unfortunately, I don't have the instructions.
 
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