Primer Pocket Swagging

[Patriot]

I have some military 30-06 brass and want to re-use it so I need to remove the
primers and swage the primer pocket. I don't feel like spending the bucks for
the Dillon machine, and I have both a drill press and an arbor press. Does
anyone know of some attachment I could buy that I could where I could use
either of these presses to do the same? TIA

TBP

 

[coastie]

The pockets dont have to be swaged. You can also cut them out. Several companies make tools to do this. You can also use a chamfering tool if you dont have a lot of cases. RCBS makes a swager that mounts to your press for short money.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

Check your PMs

 

[Adam_MA]

RCBS makes a swager that mounts to your press for short money.

+1 I have the RCBS swager, and find it very easy to use!

 

[rscalzo]

Depends on the brass. HXP didn't need anything but a quick swipe with a utility knife. Even Lake City didn't need much beyond a trim with the knife. I find 5.56 mil. surplus brass much tougher to prep, especially Lake City.

 

[Patriot]

Do these swaggers also remove the primers? I tried removing the primers
on military brass with my RCBS die on a 550 and all I did was break the
de-priming pin.

 

[bpm990d]

This is not uncommon. I'd get some extras for depriming mil brass. You can also get a decapping die, but you would still have to resize the brass. Be on the lookout for berdan primed cases slipping in though. None of the swagers deprime.

B

 

[coastie]

Are you sure it is not Berdan primed brass? Who made the brass?

 

[rscalzo]

I have deprimed thousands of rounds of military brass on my 550 using RCBS dies and never had a problem. I've broken pins and make sure I keep plenty of spares around. In a very rare occasion, the primer hole may be too small or off center. In that case I did bend a pin.

 

[Adam_MA]

I've never broken a pin, but then again, I bought a Lee die. I guess it is possible to break the pin, but certainly not from a straight up and down motion. I've even hit a few pieces of berdan brass, and no breakage!

 

[TonyD]

I use a Lee de-capping die for all my rifle brass - especially for brass I haven't worked before. If needed, I then use a RCBS swager die to remove the crimp, primer pocket uniformer and flashhole debur then into the tumbler. I've never broken a pin. You should be able to feel the resistance and stop cranking on the handle before you snap a pin.

 

[Gammon]

I have resized/decrimped many thousands of rouns without breaking a decapping pin, something is wrong. CH Tool and Die makes a great primer pocket swager in the form of a die that works well in a single stage press, a deal at $22.

 

[TY43215]

I have resized/decrimped many thousands of rouns without breaking a decapping pin, something is wrong. CH Tool and Die makes a great primer pocket swager in the form of a die that works well in a single stage press, a deal at $22.

Can you explain how the CH Tool unit works?

Thanks,

 

[Gammon]

The CH unit screws into the press like a conventional die. At the top you place a shell holder for the case you are swaging. On the ram where the shell holder usually goes, you mount the swager which is a rod that extends through the die to reach the primer pocket of the case you place in the shell holder on top. Operation is simple, place a case in the shell holder, depress the operating arm until the swager enters the primer pocket and removes the crimp, lower the arm, and remove swaged case.

 

[Gammon]

PS I meant RAISE the operating arm to lower the swager so that the case can be removed.

 

[TY43215]

PS I meant RAISE the operating arm to lower the swager so that the case can be removed.

I understand, and thanks. I will order one tomorrow. Great use for my RCBS JR press.