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Posted: 9/9/2010 7:02:37 PM EST
I have a few hundred rounds of black hills .223 brass with the LC headstamp a friend gave me.  Does anyone know what process they use to take the crimp out?  It looks like its been over reamed and the primer doesn't fit as tight as I'd like.  Are these generally good for a few reloads, or does their process make the pocket too loose?  After sizing 50, I also have serious questions about their overall length.  I don't recall the pre-trimmed length, but my trimmer took a lot of brass off.  I'm assuming they don't trim.
Link Posted: 9/9/2010 7:43:33 PM EST
[#1]
The maximum length & the trim to length are available should you search that.  Here they are.  1.750 & 1.760.  Sounds like you trimmed the cases with out knowing how much to remove.  The primer crimps were removed either by swaging or by a taper reamer.  Neither process harms the primer pocket's fit to the primer.
Neither process shortens useful case life.  Other mechanical influenced do.  How is it you say you assume "they don't trim", & that "your trimmer took a lot of brass off."???
Do some reading on rifle case preparation in a reasonable current reloading manual to become acquainted with the entire process.
Link Posted: 9/9/2010 8:40:57 PM EST
[#2]
Quoted:
The maximum length & the trim to length are available should you search that.  Here they are.  1.750 & 1.760.  Sounds like you trimmed the cases with out knowing how much to remove.  The primer crimps were removed either by swaging or by a taper reamer.  Neither process harms the primer pocket's fit to the primer.
Neither process shortens useful case life.  Other mechanical influenced do.  How is it you say you assume "they don't trim", & that "your trimmer took a lot of brass off."???
Do some reading on rifle case preparation in a reasonable current reloading manual to become acquainted with the entire process.


I think you either badly misread my question or I failed to write it in a coherent style.  I'll respond for clarities sake.    

Rest assured that I know the trim to length and max length. I trim to 1.750.  Most once fired LC brass that I encounter is between 1.750 and the max length of 1.760.  The black hills LC brass I trimmed last week was all very close to 1.760 and some a little over. I was brief on that point because I wondered if it was known how they process their brass.  Do they trim it or just weed out overly long cases?  It seamed a little on the long side. (some beyond 1.760 after measuring some I haven't processed yet)

However, that was more of an observation.  My main question was how they remove the crimp.  The primer pocket is looser on the black hills LC brass on the first reloading than on LC brass I have loaded several more times.  I have processed a lot of crimped brass by using a reamer.  The black hills looks like it was processed using a very aggressive reamer, and I'm wondering if that is why the pocket is looser.  In terms of primer pocket life, it appears to be more like FC crimped brass in that its looser than other brass.  

Perhaps I should have been more clear in asking if anyone else has noticed this, or if the 50 I processed were just an odd batch. Either way, thank you very much for your concern and recommendation that I read more on case prep.                  

Link Posted: 9/10/2010 2:06:11 AM EST
[#3]
My apologies.  Having reread your post, & now your new one, I now understand where I misunderstood.  Sorry I do not know more about Black Hills processing of brass.
Sounds like you do have some that is heading South.
Link Posted: 9/10/2010 3:13:54 AM EST
[#4]
They do not trim the brass on the blue box ammo. If you check you will see some real long ones.
Link Posted: 9/10/2010 4:59:00 AM EST
[#5]
Quoted:
They do not trim the brass on the blue box ammo. If you check you will see some real long ones.


+1  to both points.  I generally will only buy red box BH but will certainly take blue box empties for future reloading.  I find that they're quite long with quite a few over the max length and I find their primer pocket treatment is more aggressive that what do with the Dillon super swage.  There is a definite looser feel in the primer seating on the BH processed LC.  I'm not sure it's bad but I wouldn't swage that much.  That said, more than one person said a pocket is tight enough if you can't move the primer when tapping a case base firmly on a hard surface.  

Link Posted: 9/10/2010 8:32:32 AM EST
[#6]
I have noticed that also on some LC brass that I have worked with.  Some real easy seating of the primer.  Primer doesn't come out, but doesn't have the feeling of other brass while priming.
Link Posted: 9/10/2010 9:42:06 AM EST
[#7]
I'm sure they load on a Dillon 1050 which swags the PP's it's self as it loads the rounds, I've never seen one and don't know how good it works but seems like the most likley solution for a company mass producing ammo using OF brass.

I like my PP's to where I have to mash the primer in, if the primer just goes in with no feel with my hand tool I scrap it, I don't believe the primer just not being able to fall/bump out is good enough.JMHO
Link Posted: 9/10/2010 6:42:57 PM EST
[#8]
Link Posted: 9/10/2010 10:55:18 PM EST
[#9]
Quoted:
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Cases/P7310493.jpg

Do your cases look like this?

I call this "Reamer Boy" brass. Far right crimp removed with a Hornady PP reamer and PP uniformed.(proper crimp removal)

I have loaded some of this "Reamer Boy" brass with mid range loads. No problems noted.

Mid range= powder charge is half way between "start" and "max" listed.

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg272/dryflash3/Pulling%20bullets/P8030256.jpg

Any primers that seat "too easy", I put to my test.

My personal test for too loose PP's, I try to decap a primer with a Lee decapper by hand. Upper right in pic.

If I can push out primer by hand, (no hammer used) case gets scrapped. If case passes, I load it.

I keep these cases separate from my good brass, and use them for plinking.


I have one of those from when I first started out reloading and a good ideal at that to use it to test how tight the primer really is.

Thanks,
EWP
Link Posted: 9/11/2010 4:45:31 AM EST
[#10]
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