reloading question about boxer and berdan primer pockets

[iluvmybigtoys]

i just started reloading and by just i mean read a few books and just mounted my singal stage press today. now since i was little i would pick up brass at the range with my dad. sorry to say but he passed away on jan 16 2010 and he was my go to guy with any questions about guns or reloading.

now for my question. i bought random 223 rounds from the store picked up a whole bunch of brass at the range and now i sent them through the tumbler took a few out set the first resizing and depriming die. i hand lubed the few cases.i put 1 through and it went ok. next one kinda got stuck but it came out. that one pushed the primer half way out. i put a little more lube inside and out and did it again and it poped the primer out. ok here where this post came to be. i put the next one in and it strugled a little but it poped the primer out. i looked at the primer pocket and it turned out it was berdan type.

can i still use the case that i made a new hole in the bredan primer pocket

how can i tell if it a boxer or berdan before i deprime

can i deprime berdan with a regular singal pin die

is there anything else i need to know about this.

thanks in advance guys/girls

[Flash]

i just started reloading and by just i mean read a few books and just mounted my singal stage press today. now since i was little i would pick up brass at the range with my dad. sorry to say but he passed away on jan 16 2010 and he was my go to guy with any questions about guns or reloading.

now for my question. i bought random 223 rounds from the store picked up a whole bunch of brass at the range and now i sent them through the tumbler took a few out set the first resizing and depriming die. i hand lubed the few cases.i put 1 through and it went ok. next one kinda got stuck but it came out. that one pushed the primer half way out. i put a little more lube inside and out and did it again and it poped the primer out. ok here where this post came to be. i put the next one in and it strugled a little but it poped the primer out. i looked at the primer pocket and it turned out it was berdan type.

can i still use the case that i made a new hole in the bredan primer pocket

how can i tell if it a boxer or berdan before i deprime

can i deprime berdan with a regular singal pin die

is there anything else i need to know about this.

thanks in advance guys/girls

First off, sorry about Dad's passing. One of those things that lasts forever.

Prob first thing either of us would recommend is "inspect the cases first".

1. Look to see that you do have boxer-primed brass. To do this, you must look inside the case, down at the flash-hole. Reloadable, boxer-primed cases have ONE flash-hole in dead center, and it is about ONE MILLIMETER in diameter (slightly under one-sixteenth of an inch). Berdan-primed cases have TWO smaller holes, off center, opposite one another.

2. Don't try to do steel cases, they just aren't worth the trouble when you can find good boxer-primed brass.

3. Lube the outside of the case well, but not overly. Lube the inside of the case mouth JUST A LITTLE, to ensure that the expander button does not overly stretch the case.

4. Some primers of military brass will be crimped or staked in place. This crimp will only hinder depriming a slight amount, but the crimp must be either reamed out or swaged out in order to be able to seat new primers with ease and safety.

5. Follow the instructions and especially charge weights in recognized reloading manuals. SCRUPULOUSLY ! Begin at "Starting Load" charges, which each manual specifies. Do not mix powders or use powders of which you are not absolutely certain to be "as specified".

No, you cannot reuse the berdan case which you have just deprimed - it is ruined for either primer. And again, "no", there is no way you can deprime berdan with a single pin decapping die. There are methods for depriming them, but they are tedious, and as long as good boxer-primed bass is available, don't even think of going there.

Second, I suggest you read the "sticky's" at the top of the reloading forum, and especially that you buy one or two modern reloading handbooks, ("Lyman's #49" and "The ABC's of Reloading" are most highly recommended). You'll get far more than simply the answers to the questions you have just posted.

Welcome to the commuunity of reloaders - the folks on the forum are more than happy to help with any and all questions you may have. Keep in touch.

Flash

[PA Rifleman]

i just started reloading and by just i mean read a few books and just mounted my singal stage press today. now since i was little i would pick up brass at the range with my dad. sorry to say but he passed away on jan 16 2010

Sorry to hear of his passing. I know the pain and loss well, we've had several recent deaths in our family within the past few months.

...i put the next one in and it strugled a little but it poped the primer out. i looked at the primer pocket and it turned out it was berdan type.can i still use the case that i made a new hole in the bredan primer pocket

No. Berdan primers are a different size than boxer primers. Punching a "boxer primer" hole in a berdan style case will only destroy the berdan casing.

how can i tell if it a boxer or berdan before i deprime

Berdan=two flash holes (non-reloadable*), boxer=one central flashhole (reloadable)

Berdan cases (left & center), boxer primed case (right)

can i deprime berdan with a regular singal pin die

No. Decapping berdan primers requires special tools and a supply of berdan primers.

is there anything else i need to know about this.

Yes, see links below.

thanks in advance guys/girls

Welcome. Since you're discussion berdan priming, corrosive ammunition (primers, really) isn't far off. Since you're asking all the right questions, I have no doubt you'll do quite well at reloading. I hope this helps.

Relevant posts:

• http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/442...case-ammo.html
• http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/21426-primers.html
• http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/464...ary-brass.html
• http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/784...eel-cases.html
• http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/75828-primer.html
• http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/814...e-primers.html
• http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/496...n-primers.html
• http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/19872-7-62x54.html
• http://forum.pafoa.org/general-2/589...corrosive.html
• http://forum.pafoa.org/ammunition-re...ion-boxer.html

*Except with special equipment, and a supply of berdan primers.

[Rundownfid]

Flash;
Good to hear you are reloading, this is a hobby almost as enjoyable as shooting to some of us. The above advice is very good. If you are primarily interested in .223 you have to be very careful of primers. As you found out some are Berdan primed, and yes it is hard to see down into that narrow little case. You are safe with American brass, I know of none that are Berdan primed. Suprisingly that is not the case with the primers being crimped in. this is done for the military as they are very violently loaded and unloaded when used in full auto weapons. Some American companies, no doubt because they have military contracts, crimp all .223-5.56 rounds. I use an RCBS swager that fits right in your single stage press and is relatively inexpensive and does a good, albeit slow, job. Fortunatly once they are swaged they are good to go as long as they last.
If you want to get going producing quality ammo sooner, you might buy either new commercial brass or once fired military. I get mine form Top Brass, once fired, cleaned trimmed to length swaged and Primed. Talk about easy case prep!!! 500 of the above is about $81, and should be reloadable for at least 2,500+ rounds. I like this particularly as I loath trimming brass and having been trimmed once stays pretty good for a few reloads.