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Undersize Primer Pockets

The Old Salt
Have under size primer pockets on Lake City brass. They measure 0.2040 to 0.2050" after cutting the crimp burr off. Will the RCBS swager tool fix this? or is there a better tool for the money? Dpeth is no problem just dia.
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Comments

12 comments

Date Votes
  • 62fuelie
    My RCBS seems to have been doing this alright. You do have to apply more pressure than usual.
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  • The Old Salt
    I have an old RCBS A-2 press so additional pressure won't be a problem. I read that I will need an extra piece I have to order from RCBS. Sometimes its just the way it is. Thanks for the info
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  • RobOz
    I wish I would have went with the Dillon Super Swage 600 over the RCBS die type. It seems that when I do LC or any NATO with the RCBS I have to do quite a bit of adjusting. I prime as I swage so I can adjust accordingly, with the RCBS.
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  • charliemeyer007
    I have an old Lyman hand held primer pocket reamer. It is slow but it cuts the crimp and will open the pocket. The rcbs swaging unit of the 70's wasn't all great.
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  • dcs shooters
    I don't have the problem after swaging the pockets.
    Well worth the money [;)]
    Have had one for years, after getting tired reaming them [^]
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  • geeguy
    I use the RCBS and it "works" OK, but I find that if I use a pocket reamer after the swage it removes the excess brass very easy. The RCBS just bends the material into the primer pocket, so it does reduce the size slightly, but it is really easy to remove after it's bent.

    There's so much commercial brass available cheap now that I don't use the swage much anymore.

    Best of luck
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  • The Old Salt
    Bought the CH4d Swage kit. I'm using it on some Lake City brass with a heavy crimp. Care must be taken to get this tool adjusted correctly. It can damage the case rims to the point of no return. I find it also cuts the crimp and leaves a ring of brass in the pocket. I am using it on some heavy crimped LC brass. The tool can get the pockets staged out to .2075" which will accept my Win LR primers that are running .2100". Using a case chamber tool on the pocket after the Swage helps get the primer started into the pocket.
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  • max2005
    I just had the same problem with assorted mixed military brass in .223; I also have the RCBS tool to "swage" away the crimp - you have to be very careful with this tool in .223, as the rod inside the die body that goes inside the case is almost as large as the opening of the cases, and if you don't take care to align them correctly you will crush the case mouth! Also, NO - it won't open up the primer pocket enough to avoid many of the problems you (and I ) am having with seating new primers. I was using CCI brand (usually good) and I had on-going problems seating primers (crushing some) with my Hornady LNL progressive press.

    I will be investing in a primer pocket "uniformer" (reamer) shortly to address this issue.
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  • The Old Salt
    My caliper tells me my CH4d Swage ram is oversize. It measured .209" at the shoulder and rapidly grew to .211". So I chucked it up in my DeWalt battery drill and took my diamond rat tail hone to it. The Swage is now .207 at the shoulder and grows to .209 on the body. It works much better and I have much less risk of case rim damage.
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  • 5mmgunguy
    Love the RCBS primer pocket swager tool. Works great. My preferred way to remove the crimp in the military primer pocket.
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  • jonk
    Just unscrew the cutter from the Lyman deburring tool and chuck into a cordless drill. Faster than any of the swager tools and does a better job.
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  • Ray Boone
    I swap out the case trimmer for the primer pocket trimmer in my LE Wilson case trimmer. A few twists and the pockets are fine. an electric motor could be attached if doing a bunch.
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