Swaging crimped primer pockets.

Rank Amateur · 03-21-2008, 02:19 PM

Sent off and got a RCBS swager for my .223 brass that was crimped. I had read the on line reviews and some of them were not favorable due to bending the rod that goes into the case, but I figured that it was probably operator error. Which I still believe, but when I went to place the .223 (small pocket) primer pocket swager on the head of my press it did not fit. Hmmm.....the large pocket swager did fit though!!! Oh boy, seems RCBS had a manufacturing problem. Well, not wanting to wait another week to get the correct demension swager, I got the file out. Man that is one tough steel! 1.5 hours later I got it to fit. So be warned.

Once I got everything going, the process was quite fast and the end product looks good.

Dusky · 03-21-2008, 02:38 PM

I have removed thousands of crimps from GI primer pockets. I tried the swager and did not like it. I have been reaming the crimps out of the cases with a Dremel and cutting blade. I have a holder to put the Dremel in and ream them by hand it works great. This is fast and much easier and I believe better than the swager.

Old Soldier · 03-21-2008, 02:54 PM

I have reloaded thousands of rounds of military 223 cases. Had two 7MM TCU for competition and use my case reamer to ream pockets without a problem. I tried a swager and did not have much success. It takes time and you have to be careful but it works.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusky

I have removed thousands of crimps from GI primer pockets. I tried the swager and did not like it. I have been reaming the crimps out of the cases with a Dremel and cutting blade. I have a holder to put the Dremel in and ream them by hand it works great. This is fast and much easier and I believe better than the swager.

Hunt'nFish · 03-21-2008, 03:47 PM

For those of us that sort cases by weight, the swager is the way to go since it doesn't remove any metal that would change the case weight.

And to be honest I don't think the speed differances are that differant.
But I used to years ago chuck up the chamfer bit in the drill upside down. I have a drill vise that I chuck all the sorts of tools in....like the primer pocket uniformer and flash hole deburrer.
Hunt'nFish