Primer Pocket Swaging

**pappyspal** · January 28th, 2011, 08:02 PM

Havent done this before. I have the die set up, but what I dont understand is how deep to swag the pocket. The instructions say to check and see if it is deep enough. Now do I swag the entire lenght of the pocket to the bottom, or what is correct?
Also the 30-06 military brass I am doing seems to have a small flash hole, after breaking 3 pins. I suppose I need small decapping pins and some of the flash holes are off center. The head stamp is DEN 43.

Larry

**davem** · January 28th, 2011, 08:56 PM

had that problem with some 5.56 military brass. i threw it out after breaking like 4 decapping pins. the holes were off center and the ones that punched thru were elongated then. i was worried it may mess with pressures or ignition.

**cephas** · January 28th, 2011, 08:57 PM

Larry, this helped me with the swaging: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdkA7...52B04C043CC17F

**Mr White** · January 29th, 2011, 12:42 PM

All the swager does is takes out the crimp at the top of th pocket, so that's all you really have to swage. I set up my press so at the top of the stroke the swaging die is just down into the pocket. Its not an exact science by any means.

I have 2 old beer cases full of WWII era '06 brass that a guy gave me. I never tried reloading it because I have a lot of newer LC and HXP brass to load. I ran in to that problem with some Guatemalan 5.56 ammo, tho. The flash holes are small and not always centered. Broke 3 pins before I figured that out. Someone on another forum id'd the brass as made by Federal. Never had that problem with other federal brass.

The DEN headstamp is from the old Denver Arsenal.

**LisaA** · January 29th, 2011, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by cephas

Larry, this helped me with the swaging: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdkA7...52B04C043CC17F

Great link, cephas!!

**pappyspal** · January 29th, 2011, 09:00 PM

Thanks all for your input on this matter. After breaking 3 decaping pins and went to Cabelas today to get more pins, I decieded not to use the brass. To much trouble. Will scrap the brass . I have others to load.

**762xIan** · January 30th, 2011, 01:31 AM

DEN 43 is Denver ordnance plant, should be standard boxer primed, probably very hard crimps, .30-06 surplus can be real tough to de-prime the 1st time. Korean (PS and KA) headstamps are a real bitch to get the primers out, they have some tough crimps to pop.

Usually pretty good brass and if you are loading for a Garand, they last longer than normal.

I have a Lee universal decapping die. I have never busted the pin, or heard of anyone busting a pin in one.

That does the job for me.

As for removing the crimps, I also cut a slight bevel with a cutter, then swage. The dillon swager is about the best, I have heard the RCBS swage die is pretty good. I would also ream the pocket with a reamer after swaging. Kind of trial and error deal, swage and see if you can seat a primer to the proper depth. If not deprime the case, and readjust the swager.

**Jaybird777** · January 30th, 2011, 10:13 AM

i have a load of 5.56 brass with lc headstamps from recent years that my buddy keeps handing me to use in our .223 bolt actions... the only thing i have been doing is reaming the primer pocket with the rcbs deburring tool after i size and decap and i have had no problems seating primers to the correct depth...