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Posted: 8/13/2018 5:51:44 PM EDT
| As stated, I need to remove the primer pocket crimp on close to 1000 7 62x51 cases. I've been using a drill pit I found appropriate for 5.56 I've turned into 300blk cases, but I'm not happy with that method on 7.62x51. To swage or ream? |
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I use a carbide 60 degree single flute 5/16th center bit in my lathe
You could use it all n your drill if you put it in a vise I did the reamer thing, trouble is they wear eventually making the hole smaller Primers are difficult to then seat Trim after you ream as the necks are then sharp Wear thin gloves to avoid blesters |
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Dillon's standalone swager, which appears faster but more spendy.
Or RCBS swaging die, which is cheaper and slower. I've had some reamers take off too much material and leave loose primer pockets. I prefer swaging. The RCBS die works well and does both sides. I use it in a single stage press. Turn on the radio and go to town. You get into a rhythm like any repetitive task. The Dillon unit appears faster looking at it because of the way the brass is loaded and unloaded into/from the unit. |
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| I use a countersink to remove the crimp. Not too much, just enough. You'll hear a lot of people that say not to because it ruins the case, I haven't seen it. Sometimes I use a Lyman reamer for some Speer brass with tight pockets but there are lots of folks that have their preference for, swaging, reaming, or using a countersink. |
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I use Hornady reamers chucked in a drill. They have a positive stop so you can't over ream.
Hold on to the case with spark plug pliers so you don't get finger fatigue. |
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Originally Posted By richiemfmead:
Knowing what you know now do you like it enough to pay $106+ship for the Dillon vs. $24+ship for the rcbs die version? If you're only doing this once every 5-10 years, then I'd probably save the money and do it via cheaper method. I will say it's definitely a buy once cry once type situation. |
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1,000 cases is a lot but is borderline of too few to justify the cost of the Dillon or RCBS swagers.
Here is a $9 alternative. It has a built-in depth stop but you'll know by the feel when the crimp is gone. If you have a drill motor or a drill press, unscrew the bit from the handle and put the bit in the chuck. When motorized, it is as fast as the more expensive swagers and will make quick work of 1,000 cases. 
Lyman Primer Pocket Reamer |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer:
1,000 cases is a lot but is borderline of too few to justify the cost of the Dillon or RCBS swagers. Here is a $9 alternative. It has a built-in depth stop but you'll know by the feel when the crimp is gone. If you have a drill motor or a drill press, unscrew the bit from the handle and put the bit in the chuck. When motorized, it is as fast as the more expensive swagers and will make quick work of 1,000 cases. https://www.brownells.com/userdocs/products/p_749013134_4.jpg Lyman Primer Pocket Reamer |
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Originally Posted By Trollslayer:
1,000 cases is a lot but is borderline of too few to justify the cost of the Dillon or RCBS swagers. Here is a $9 alternative. It has a built-in depth stop but you'll know by the feel when the crimp is gone. If you have a drill motor or a drill press, unscrew the bit from the handle and put the bit in the chuck. When motorized, it is as fast as the more expensive swagers and will make quick work of 1,000 cases. https://www.brownells.com/userdocs/products/p_749013134_4.jpg Lyman Primer Pocket Reamer |
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Dillon 1050 or....
http://swageit.com/ 
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Originally Posted By richiemfmead:
As stated, I need to remove the primer pocket crimp on close to 1000 7 62x51 cases. I've been using a drill pit I found appropriate for 5.56 I've turned into 300blk cases, but I'm not happy with that method on 7.62x51. To swage or ream? If they're all the same (like all LC, even if the years vary), then the Dillon Super Swage, while costly, will minimize your case handling and the mess involved. This is because the Dillon tool must be adjusted to accommodate the web thickness of each case. With identical brass, the thickness is essentially identical, so you can set the tool up and swage away. I have a couple gallons of 9mm brass, and somewhere near a gallon of 5.56 brass, plus around 1400 LC 7.62 cases that I am going to swage sometime soon. They're all WCC (for the 9mm) or LC (the 5.56 and 7.62), so it's just going to be a matter of setting up the swage and working through them. If they're all different, the Hornady reamers are the way to go. They have a positive stop that indexes on the pocket itself, so you can't overdo. You do have to pay attention to keeping each case square as you ream, and you'll have what looks like gold dust all over when you're done, but these tools will manage the job repeatably and safely. |
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Originally Posted By richiemfmead:
Does the reamer only do go/no go (where you can't over ream as long as you don't waller it out) or can you still over do it? I would like to use a technique that has a positive stop where you can't go further than needed. |
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Originally Posted By GHPorter:
I own both the Hornady reamers (both sizes) and a Dillon Super Swage. A key question is whether you're removing the crimp on cases with a variety of headstamps, or all the same headstamp. If they're all the same (like all LC, even if the years vary), then the Dillon Super Swage, while costly, will minimize your case handling and the mess involved. This is because the Dillon tool must be adjusted to accommodate the web thickness of each case. With identical brass, the thickness is essentially identical, so you can set the tool up and swage away. I have a couple gallons of 9mm brass, and somewhere near a gallon of 5.56 brass, plus around 1400 LC 7.62 cases that I am going to swage sometime soon. They're all WCC (for the 9mm) or LC (the 5.56 and 7.62), so it's just going to be a matter of setting up the swage and working through them. If they're all different, the Hornady reamers are the way to go. They have a positive stop that indexes on the pocket itself, so you can't overdo. You do have to pay attention to keeping each case square as you ream, and you'll have what looks like gold dust all over when you're done, but these tools will manage the job repeatably and safely. |
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For 1k cases in one sitting, I find it hard to argue with the 1050 or a modified 650 set up for case prep.
You just drop loads of brass in the hopper and pull the handle. No repetitive task injuries if the ergos are set for your body size. I used to hand prep Mil-Surp .30-06 cases by hand work when I was a kid, and even then I knew it was risking my hands. If you can set up a Dillon Swage tool just right with the string and rubber band trick, it can go pretty fast and easy, but still requires finger manipulation for the feeding. Go visit a friend with a modified 650 or a 1050 and see what I mean. You will probably start planning your purchase. |
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I use the Dillon Super Swage.
I found this tool to help eliminate a lot of guess work on setup and has made me more aware of variances between lots even with the same headstamp. https://ballistictools.com/store/reloading-products/small-and-large-primer-pocket-gauges I just processed a couple of thousand mostly LC brass using the Super Swage, and found one lot of LC 09 brass that still required minimal trimming with the hornady reamer even after swaging with the Dillon tool. It also allowed me to sort through some FC brass and weed out some of the cases with loose primer pockets. I can't recommend the primer pocket gauge enough.... great tool once you try it out! |
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Originally Posted By GHPorter:
I own both the Hornady reamers (both sizes) and a Dillon Super Swage. A key question is whether you're removing the crimp on cases with a variety of headstamps, or all the same headstamp. If they're all the same (like all LC, even if the years vary), then the Dillon Super Swage, while costly, will minimize your case handling and the mess involved. This is because the Dillon tool must be adjusted to accommodate the web thickness of each case. With identical brass, the thickness is essentially identical, so you can set the tool up and swage away. I have a couple gallons of 9mm brass, and somewhere near a gallon of 5.56 brass, plus around 1400 LC 7.62 cases that I am going to swage sometime soon. They're all WCC (for the 9mm) or LC (the 5.56 and 7.62), so it's just going to be a matter of setting up the swage and working through them. If they're all different, the Hornady reamers are the way to go. They have a positive stop that indexes on the pocket itself, so you can't overdo. You do have to pay attention to keeping each case square as you ream, and you'll have what looks like gold dust all over when you're done, but these tools will manage the job repeatably and safely. |
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I use and like very much, the RCBS benchtop swager......works identical to Dillons except that it doesn't have to be mounted on the bench edge.
Picture below shows it set up for .223, but the 7.62 parts are shown on the bench in front. the small part is the one that presses into the primer pocket. I used the old press-mounted RCBS swager years ago.....it does work, but not effortless like this tool does. 
As you see below, I have mine mounted with easy to remove, recessed nut inserts, between my Rock Chucker and my Trim Mate. Once trimmed I can swage, then uniform pockets pretty quick. The swager works well but I find it difficult to tell swaged from unswaged at the next loading, unless I'm careful to keep my unswaged, once fired LC brass from that swaged before.......so I like to spend one more second per round, and just bump the brass on the Trim Mate's military reamer after swaging, and before uniforming pockets, which rounds and shines up the pocket rim just a touch, making it easier to see that it was indeed swaged. 
Midway has them on clearance right now for $74........swaging is easy with this tool. RCBS Bench Swager at Midway USA In fact Midway has the trim mate and military reamer, and uniformer on clearance as well. https://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSearchQuery=RCBS+trimmate&userItemsPerPage=48 |
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Originally Posted By Derek45:
Dillon 1050 or.... http://swageit.com/ https://i.imgur.com/IuGIBW8.jpg Every once in a while I'll end up with a case during the primer seating operation that didn't get swaged completely, but I can take that one out of the rotation and manually swage it a touch more and keep going. The time savings of resizing/depriming and then swaging on the 650 with case feeder are not to be ignored when dealing with a bunch of brass. With setup time included, I swap my 650 to the swage it if I have as few as 100pcs of brass to do. ETA: I only use the swageit on the 550 for once fired 5.7x28 brass, but even if I didn't have the 650 with casefeeder I'd use the 550 for swaging and feed cases by hand before going back to using my Dillon Super Swager for large volume processing again. |
Here is the difference between the Hornady and the RCBS. Both can get chucked up, the Hornady does have a positive stop, but I didn't like how the angled should can make the primer holes a bit oblong when using a drill or multi head prep center. The RCBS has a shoulder so you just hold it until it stops cutting and the crimp is removed. I also have the RCBS swager and it works well, but my bulk lots are mostly range pick up brass, so the uniformity wasn't there and it made priming inconsistent with a hand primer. I have it mounted to the Lyman prep center, and it is SLOW going for bulk, much slower than the swager, but the primers go in smooth so I keep using it. |
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Originally Posted By Zhukov:
That's good info - thanks. I had considered getting a Dillon but the problem is that if you buy "once fired" brass it's usually a mix and I wouldn't want to sort brass and readjust in between just to buy cheap brass. I'd rather spend the extra $20/K to buy uncrimped brass and save myself the headache. The Hornady reamers do work pretty well, but they will wear you out after a while. A glove is a must when holding the brass. I haven't gotten quite to the "hand aching" point, but you need strong thumb muscles to get a bunch of cases reamed with the Hornady tools. I go past wearing a glove, and wear a rubber-coated glove. I have played with holding cases with my spark plug wire pliers, but I haven't gotten the technique down quite yet; my hand still gets tired, but differently from just holding the case with a glove... |
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Using a slow rpm case prep center to ream primer pockets takes way too long.
Chucked in drill it takes 2 seconds and it's pretty easy to keep the reamer plumb with moderate skill. If you're tool challenged then the slow prep center way probably you're best bet. |
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Originally Posted By GHPorter:
Agreed on the "let's not sort a butt-load of supposedly once-fired brass" bit. I hand deprime with a Harvey tool, so it's pretty obvious when I have a once-fired crimped case and when it's already been de-crimped. But if your vendor will do it for you for 2 a case, that's great. I haven't gotten quite to the "hand aching" point, but you need strong thumb muscles to get a bunch of cases reamed with the Hornady tools. I go past wearing a glove, and wear a rubber-coated glove. I have played with holding cases with my spark plug wire pliers, but I haven't gotten the technique down quite yet; my hand still gets tired, but differently from just holding the case with a glove... 1) Mark loaded cases with a sharpie. 2) When starting to load a new batch, decap with Frankford Arsenal hand deprimer. Any cases without crimp will have a sharpie mark so they can skip the next step. 3) Those without a mark go through the reamer (unless they're clearly commercial cases without crimp, like PMC in 308) 4) Wet tumble. 5) Reload 6) Repeat. I tried to find a method of marking the cases that would remain through tumbling but never found one so now I hand-deprime the cases before tumbling so I can tell. |
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I have done both. I find the dillon to be hard to adjust to get a primer to go in right, and not go too far and be 'Stormy Daniels' loose.
The compromise is going to the edge of tight with the dillon and then hitting the primer pocket with a uniformer tool or a quick turn with a chamfer tool. |
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Originally Posted By rleonard:
Put them in a box and send them here |
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