Measuring primer hole? Or...?

C

Chainsaw.

New member
I have some 223 and 300bo brass that I know has been rotated a few times, they are intermixed with other, newer brass. Well some are gettig loose primer pockets so its time to pit em in the brass recycling bucket. Everyone says “if they feel loose, chuck em”. Well if they feel loose when I seat a primer.....I still have a primer in the cas me I’d prefer not to chuck, especially being the volume I reload. Any one got any tricks up their sleeves? And I missinga measuring tool of some sort?
 
GENTLY, remove them with a decapping die. Many of us have done this on occasion with no ill effects, but do be careful.
 
I was going to suggest looking at the SAAMI drawings and that you could make a gauge if you have a lathe, but to save the price of the Brownells gauge, it isn't worth your time to mess with it, IMHO. Indeed, if you look at the manufacturer's site you save a dollar on the price. Of more interest to me, the manufacturer's site also has a set of two gauges, one for small and one for large primer pockets for $20. They also have a set of 3 different gauges for $30 that includes both the large and a small primer pocket gauges and a taper gauge they call a neck tension gauge for both 223 and 308. The taper on that gauge has diameter calibration marks to let you sort cases by the ID of the resized case mouths. So it's really a case mouth interference fit gauge, but you may find that useful. If you get necks that stop sizing down enough, the brass is getting springy and needs annealing. You may even want to sort your match load brass for matching interference fit.

I've always used pin gauges or small hole gauges to make the primer pocket check, but these gauges are too convenient to ignore, so I am going to order a set of my own.

One last thing is to point out is that if your primer pockets are getting loose in just a few reloadings (say, five or less), that is generally considered a pressure sign. It may or may not be excessive pressure for the gun but it is for the brass. There is some significant variation in head hardness among different brass makers, so it may do fine with other brass but not the lot you have.
 
If a primer feels "loose" when it's installed, just run the case through the sizing/decapping die and catch the primer. The primer won't be damaged and can be reused (especially when the primer pocket of sloppy, less pressure on the primer to push it out). If you want to use a gauge to check the pockets (prolly the most positive method) the Browning tool is a good choice. Normally with a little experience you can feel the difference, feel a loose pocket quite easily...

P.S., reread the 2 posts above this one. Good info.
 
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If the primer seats so loosely that you don't want to reload it, you can slowly deprime it, the primer will not pop....it's designed to go off when hit from the outside, from the inside it will push on the anvil and the primer will come out. I've deprimed them on the press and with a little Lee decapping tool made for knocking out crimped in primers....
just go slow and easy .
Gary
 
I also have been using pin gauges and a depth gauges but looking at the Ballistic Tool set of two at about $22 delivered I ordered a set.

I also keep my brass sorted or try to. :)

Ron
 
If I seat a primer and it feels loose; I mark the brass, load it, shoot it, and then throw it away.
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That seems to be the method of operation for most sane people.
But if Chainsaw can't keep himself from mixing brass, I don't think he'd be motivated enough to mark and track cases with loose pockets, either...
 
gwpercle said:
the primer will not pop....it's designed to go off when hit from the outside
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It will go off if pushed from inside hard and fast enough. Slowly and gently is the way. The priming compound needs both energy and power to ignite.

-TL

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk
 
Suuuurreee...
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My reaction escaly.

Yes you can get a primer backward to pop, gearing up with heavy gloves, face shield, goggles and coat I did it.

It does take a sharp pointed object and a good smack , it would be hard to impossible to do that with a slow moving shell case in a press.
 
Would you trust reusing a primer you removed with a decapping pin? Throw the brass away with the primer in it if you can't mark it then load and shoot it.Primers cost 3cents each, give or take. Your time is worth how much? Your eye is worth how much? Your hearing?
 
Unclenick
Would like to know what you think about the 3 gauges you ordered , that's a first for me , never knew of such a gauge .

Chris
 
Would you trust reusing a primer you removed with a decapping pin?
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Aside from the occasional live decapping;
I decapped about 300 live primers from .220 Swift and .30-40 Krag, after I sold the respective rifles and was preparing to offload the brass because I had no intention of revisiting the cartridges any time soon. (And still haven't.)

Seven years later, I reused the primers and some IMR3031 from the .220 Swift loads for what turned out to be the best .30-30 load I've cooked up.

Would I reuse them in 'match loads'? Probably not.
But they've always worked just fine for me - especially that .30-30 load.

It is prudent to not mess with such things. ...But many of us do it anyway.
 
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