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Converting Berdan to Boxer

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12 comments

  • charliemeyer007
    Doesn't look safe to me. Way too much flash hole.
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  • reloader44mag
    Yep that brass looks alittle ruff....but that Dan Wesson 22lr he has up is very sweet
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  • jonk
    The boxer primer will prove a little loose in most cases... now in the auction in question he appears to have simply drilled out the center of the original primer. Might fit ok but would be a low pressure proposition for sure, and getting one reload is all I'd count on, the remnants of the old primer will probably be yanked out thereafter.

    If you were to do this, there are possibilities for case head swaging to get the standard boxer to fit but hardly worth it.

    For low pressure rounds it is also possible to mill out the pocket to take a shotgun primer. Saw a guy do that with the oddball 8mm Kropatschek when loaded with black powder. Worked well enough.

    As a general rule for Berdan reloading- Either go through the bother of finding Berdan primers- grafs has them now and then- and the decapping hassle, or don't bother at all I'd say.

    Just buy some new 7.5 French brass and be done with it. Or else convert from 6.5X55 as previously noted in the earlier thread from 8/7.
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  • victorj19
    Thanks guys. If it looks to good to be true, it usually is.
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  • cpermd
    I have done it.

    It works.

    CP
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  • dcs shooters
    After looking at those primer pockets, I'd say stay away from them.
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  • ENBLOC
    I have not tried this yet, but have watched a few different you tubes on "how to" Best one was fellow drilling thru center of berdan primer the dia. of boxer flash hole. Next he used drill the dia. of face of old berdan primer leaving the sidewalls of old berdan primer still intact. Next he swaged new primer pocket using the swaging tool. Loaded one case 7 times so far with no issues. The key is leaving the sidewalls of the old berdan primer alone. This is swaged to become the new boxer primer pocket. Others attempts had person drilling new dia. flash hole, drilling out primer pocket to 1/4 dia. and swaging in 1/4 inch dia. copper tubing. Of course this squished out beyond face of cartridge base. He then ground this off flush with base of case on side of grinder wheel. Brass/steel cases are another componet we all need........
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  • cbyerly
    Berdan primer pockets CANNOT be safely converted to boxer primer size!
    Don't waste you time and efforts trying it. Graffs apparently has the correct primers.
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  • BGHillbilly
    It can be done.
    I have done it.
    I plan not to do it again.
    If SHTF hard enough I will do it again.
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  • andrewsw16
    quote:Originally posted by ENBLOC
    I have not tried this yet, but have watched a few different you tubes on "how to" Best one was fellow drilling thru center of berdan primer the dia. of boxer flash hole. Next he used drill the dia. of face of old berdan primer leaving the sidewalls of old berdan primer still intact. Next he swaged new primer pocket using the swaging tool. Loaded one case 7 times so far with no issues. The key is leaving the sidewalls of the old berdan primer alone. This is swaged to become the new boxer primer pocket. Others attempts had person drilling new dia. flash hole, drilling out primer pocket to 1/4 dia. and swaging in 1/4 inch dia. copper tubing. Of course this squished out beyond face of cartridge base. He then ground this off flush with base of case on side of grinder wheel. Brass/steel cases are another componet we all need........

    This guy does a pretty good job, using the copper tubing method. The results look nice and seem to work. It's something to do out in the shop on cold winter nights when you would otherwise be stuffing your gob with junk food in front of the TV. I see an awful lot of Berdan cases in the junk barrel out at the range. Such a waste.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AkKJfvMyuDg
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  • Mobuck
    The only berdan to boxer I've tried were shotgun cases(using 209 battery cup primers). Never tried direct berdan to boxer in rifle/pistol cases.
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