Reloading For The AR-15: Swaging Primer Pocket Crimps

[Molon]

Reloading For The AR-15: Swaging Primer Pocket Crimps

In order to reload brass cases that have crimped primer pockets, the crimp must first be removed before a new primer can be seated. There are two basic methods used to achieve this; reaming or swaging.

With reaming, you’re removing material from the case head. With swaging, you’re simply pressing material back into its original position. Of the two methods, my personal preference is for swaging with the Dillon Super Swage 600. The Dillon Super Swage returns the primer pocket more closely to its original condition than any of the other stand-alone tools that I’ve seen used to remove the primer pocket crimp.

The pic below, with a cut-out 223 Remington case in the Super Swage, shows the swaging rod and the case positioning rod to give you an idea of just how the Super Swage works.

The next pic shows the case head of a factory-loaded round that has a crimped primer.

Now, a deprimed case . . .

The case from the above pic that has had the primer pocket swaged with the Super Swage . . .

And a pic with the same case reprimed . . .

This last pic shows the factory-loaded round next to the reprimed case for easy comparison.

…

 

[gimpy]

I prefer the 1050 for swaging

 

[r.tenorio671]

Molon, nice posting of that cut-away photo, should help 1st time users in properly setting up the SW-600. I've seen a situation where a user had mis-adjusted the guide rod and over-swaged some NATO brass and bent the rod a bit. (Y)

 

[jLorenzo]

Ive been reaming with a Lyman bit on a RCBS prep station. Seems I need to press down a little harder than feels comfortable to really get it reamed out all the way. Even then I still get a mangled primer here and there, not often but enough to be annoying. This seems like a better way of doing things.

 

[jLorenzo]

Anyone use the RCBS swaging die? I seem to like press mounted options more than hand held/stand alone stuff. Seems a lot easier on the hands and joints (when doing 100 rounds regularly)

 

[6.5SH]

Anyone use the RCBS swaging die? I seem to like press mounted options more than hand held/stand alone stuff. Seems a lot easier on the hands and joints (when doing 100 rounds regularly)

I have the Mighty Armory adaptation of it and frankly it is kludgy. The fact the cup gets displaced each time is annoying (at least when used on a Hornady classic).

I've used the Dillon Super Swage unit in the past but even it has issues. It is blister inducing, it is annoying unless you modify it and void the warranty adding springs. It requires adjusting if you change brass. Failure to do the adjustment can break the lever arm as they went to aluminum from steel for some unknown reason.

The Dillon 1050 and similar are the fastest and effortless ones, but you pay dearly for that.

The Frankford Arsenal tool looks interesting, but made in China so doubt will hold up to that task.

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

The swager for my Hornady progressive works great and fast. Gone through buckets of 5.56 and .308

 

[jLorenzo]

The swager for my Hornady progressive works great and fast. Gone through buckets of 5.56 and .308

Is that the Hornady die? How much did that run you?

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

Is that the Hornady die? How much did that run you?

Its a kit, 3 dies and shell plate. Didn’t cost me anything as I was reloading for a friend and he bought it.

1st die you drop the case in
2nd die swages
3rd die removes the case ( I rig up a hose into a bucket and it pushes them through it)
Swages as fast as you can drop cases and pul the handle.

 

[6.5SH]

https://www.hornady.com/reloading/presses/lock-n-load-accessories/primer-pocket-swage-tool

Looks like they have a single stage version that operates base up as well.

 

[308sako]

Been using the RCBS swage for 48 years, done a few cases and agree with Molon that swaging is the best method. Had a chance to borrow the Dillon unit when doing a large batch once. Found it to be far faster. YMMV, good shooting either way.

 

[NukeMMC]

I started about 40 years ago with a case deburring tool. Etched a couple M1 and M14 bolt faces with gas blowby on some now-misshaped primer pockets.

Bought the RCBS swaging die and that worked FAR better, if a bit slow and tedious. Bent the rod on that when changing mfr/lots of brass. (Youth + lack of patience = $$)

Bought the Dillon swage about 20 years ago. Processed thousands of 45, 9mm, 5.56, 7.62x51 and 30-06 without incident. Loaned it to a couple friends also. The u-shaped plastic insert to better center the cases is the only thing I did to it to change it. Runs like a champ. Tried the rubber band trick to "auto-eject" brass but it's a pain and inconsistently flings the brass so did away with that.

 

[bfoosh006]

The cut out photo is quite helpful. Thanks for sharing.

FWIW... this thread made me remember the rubber band trick for the Dillion Super Swage.

https://www.dillonprecision.com/automatic-super-swage-modification_350_14_814.htm

 

[sinister]

Bought the Dillon swage about 20 years ago. Processed thousands of 45, 9mm, 5.56, 7.62x51 and 30-06 without incident. Loaned it to a couple friends also. The u-shaped plastic insert to better center the cases is the only thing I did to it to change it. Runs like a champ.

I've had mine since 1990. Recently found the body and roller were both cracked through (mostly swaging 5.56). Dillon replaced them both in less than a week on warranty.

Agree the In-line Fabrication plastic insert speeds up case centering.

If anybody wants a CH4D swager let me know, I'll make you a deal.

 

[Gustav7]

I've always reamed with a little rounded 12pt bit on a $40 cheap drill press I picked up at an estate sale.

I think the last time I counted, I could do 1 case about every 1-2sec depending on how in the zone I got.

 

[Lone star Shooter]

I have the Dillon Super Swage and have run every piece of range pick up .223 brass I have reloaded through it. It is a good tool, but does add an extra step in the process. I can usually process 1000 pieces of brass in 90 minutes.

 

[supercorndogs]

Midway had the Frankford tool on sale, so i bought one. I just sized a 2 gallon bucket full of 1x LC. Waiting for it to arrive.

 

[jLorenzo]

I had the RCBS swager die show up today. works well, little finicky guiding the case mouth into position but not bad once you get the hang of it.

 

[Broncovan]

Swage It for the 650 or 750 if you're a poor like me. One tool head with only the F/L sizer die and case trimmer. Run through as normal then corn cob media clean to get the lube off and then load as normal without the sizer die in station 1.
Two trips through, but you'd have to do it twice any way.

 

[Snuby642]

I run them in my lee app with the swager (fast) it puts a nice rounded champher on them.


Then I run a reamer in them with a lyman reamer and a cordless screwdriver a little adapter for the 1/4 drive. (Portable and fast).


And since I'm German last step is a primer pocket uniformer, also on the cordless setup.

Did I mention I'm retired?

I can run the dillon as fast as I am able and no primers screw up ever.
You can still feel the resistance and when they seat.

Sometimes cases dont need trimmed so I just use this.

 

[Zatoichi66]

Must be the season....i just resized about 1k of Lake City brass & tried the RCBS swage, which worked fine.

But to be the Devil’s advocate, i used my 550B to prime 10 UNswaged cases without issue.

When LC brass was staked at 4 points—i reamed the pockets, but the current LC10 & 12 didn’t need swaging, at least for 10 cases. When i primed the swaged cases, the caps went in so easy, they seemed too easy.....

can a more experienced reloader comment?

does it matter, circular vs 4 stake crimps? Does all military brass need primer pocket swaging?

eta: CCI450 caps

 

[Snuby642]

Pretty sure a military requirement to prevent a primer getting stuck in the works.

On a two way range that would suck balls.

They can wedge in there like you won't belive till you get one.

 

[MarshallDodge]

Has anyone tried the Lee APP swager?

 

[Snuby642]

Yes I use one.
Occasionally on.some brass there will be an edge or burr halfway down the pocket.

Not sure if it's me the swager or the brass . The primers will seat properly but it shaves a smal sliver of brass off that can end up in the primer cup on the dillon.

It will leave an impression on the face of the next primer. Took a while to find that.

I like the smooth transition it puts in the brass so I use it anyway.

Choice is to run a swage gauge to check for the one in fifty chance or like I do in same amount of time is run a reamer in each to only get a speck of dust occasionally.

It's a good tool but not perfect.
Maybe I can adjust that out?

 

[Broncovan]

Must be the season....i just resized about 1k of Lake City brass & tried the RCBS swage, which worked fine.

But to be the Devil’s advocate, i used my 550B to prime 10 UNswaged cases without issue.

When LC brass was staked at 4 points—i reamed the pockets, but the current LC10 & 12 didn’t need swaging, at least for 10 cases. When i primed the swaged cases, the caps went in so easy, they seemed too easy.....

can a more experienced reloader comment?

does it matter, circular vs 4 stake crimps? Does all military brass need primer pocket swaging?

eta: CCI450 caps

The 4 point crimp is the devil. I've had difficulty getting primers to seat even after swaging. I ended up cutting those out.
I've never been able to seat crimped LC once fired brass. Are you sure your LC brass was once fired? A lot of reman ammo uses LC brass but the crimp has been removed and it still looks like it's there. Only way to know for sure is if you use a primer pocket go-no go gauge. Or if you picked it up off a military firing line.

Small and Large Primer Pocket Swage Gage ® Set

Swage Gage Small Primer Pocket Gauge

ballistictools.com

 

[Snuby642]

Ya my gauge won't go in a swaged pocket on any brand.
Even running a swager and reamer it is still tight on first fired.

I will have to go back and see if staked crimps were the only ones giving me the need for the reamer .
Definetly been running lc but when I started I just did everything the same way.

Consistency possibly without benefit.

 

[Zatoichi66]

The 4 point crimp is the devil. I've had difficulty getting primers to seat even after swaging. I ended up cutting those out.
I've never been able to seat crimped LC once fired brass. Are you sure your LC brass was once fired? A lot of reman ammo uses LC brass but the crimp has been removed and it still looks like it's there. Only way to know for sure is if you use a primer pocket go-no go gauge. Or if you picked it up off a military firing line.

Small and Large Primer Pocket Swage Gage ® Set

Swage Gage Small Primer Pocket Gauge

ballistictools.com

100% positive it’s once-fired, NIB most off stripper clips, unless Weidner, Ammoman & others had a serious scam 15 years ago, using the same head stamp & whatever else is needed to pull that off.

 

[Broncovan]

100% positive it’s once-fired, NIB most off stripper clips, unless Weidner, Ammoman & others had a serious scam 15 years ago, using the same head stamp & whatever else is needed to pull that off.

There's a good chance that was reman ammo. Those places buy once fired brass from the military through a .gov agency called DLA (defense logistical agency) that specializes in selling surplus goods. It's usually all LC brass. They buy it by the tons then process, reload and in some cases stripper clip it. It's all once fired, but the crimp was removed to reload it.

 

[Zatoichi66]

There's a good chance that was reman ammo. Those places buy once fired brass from the military through a .gov agency called DLA (defense logistical agency) that specializes in selling surplus goods. It's usually all LC brass. They buy it by the tons then process, reload and in some cases stripper clip it. It's all once fired, but the crimp was removed to reload it.

So, they reprint Lake City boxes with false lot numbers? And advertise it as new? And reprint LC boxes? And lightly circular crimp them? They cartridges are clearly crimped. The circular crimps aren’t a bear like the 4 staked older method.

and Midway, Weidner’s, Natchez, J&G Sales & Brownell’s are all in on the scam? You may be correct, but the levels of deceit from multiple reputable online sellers & gun shops is kind of hard to believe....just my opinion. Thank you for yours.

 

[Broncovan]

Probably not a scam.
I'm just saying that not all LC brass is new never fired.
There used to be a certain amount of production overruns from the LC plant, which yours must have been if it came in the original .mil packaging. But then again, I've seen some packaging that looked a lot like original mil packaging that wasn't.
Didn't mean to step on your toes.

 

[Zatoichi66]

Probably not a scam.
I'm just saying that not all LC brass is new never fired.
There used to be a certain amount of production overruns from the LC plant, which yours must have been if it came in the original .mil packaging. But then again, I've seen some packaging that looked a lot like original mil packaging that wasn't.
Didn't mean to step on your toes.

You didn’t step on my toes—but as I think about my posts, I wasn’t clear—the ammo in question is NIB Federal XM-193 in 20 round boxes—it may not be crimped to mil spec—which may explain my experience.

 

[Broncovan]

If I remember correctly, the Federal XM193 ammo was made by Lake City for Federal. The Federal XM193 meets all mil spec criteria. The only difference is the packaging. Not all "XM193 or otherwise labeled M193" are created equal or at the Lake City plant, but the Federal stuff is. I wish I still had some mil m193 boxes to show the difference, but all I have left is mk262 stuff.

 

[Zatoichi66]

I used to buy a few cases a year & have a bunch—i even sold some this year. Consistent ammo. I only shoot XM193, IMI M193 & XM855 IMI M855 or Black Hills red box. Or, my reloads for Nosler 77 gr OTM (23.8gr TAC) @2.250”

 

[nutation]

I could never get the swage to be consistent with the Super Swage, so I cut out the crimps. The crimp is a tiny amount of non-structural material, anyway.

 

[supercorndogs]

I swaged one of these full of 1xLC with the Frankford Arsenal swager now.

A swager is way cheaper than arthritis. My fingers would be wrecked had I cut all of them.