Thread: Primers won't seat properly

Hi all.
Just got some used 223 brass and I'm finding some of the primers won't seat properly. They poke out from the base, not flush. Thinking I need to open up the primer hole a smidge. Anyome have any suggestions on a cheap tool I can use?
Looked online and there's a Hornady primer pocket reamer. Is this what I need or something similar?
Thanks in advance.

Is it ex military 5.56? I found mine had to have the primer pocket swaged. All several thousand of them.

This RCBS Swaging die set slightly opens up the primer pocket, so they sit flush.



Also check both your primer pockets and dispenser don't have any grit, metal shavings,or other goo in them, that can sometimes flip the primer as it seats.

Most likely ex military brass alright, there are tools available as Max said just a slow process doing them.

Thanks for that. Yeah thought that might be the case.

Originally Posted by Chur Bay

Thanks for that. Yeah thought that might be the case.

I just use a countersink bit in my drill to remove primer crimps on military brass.
Huge pain in the ass when doing heaps but I spose you can't complain when it's free.

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Originally Posted by Chur Bay

Thanks for that. Yeah thought that might be the case.

No Pun intended Chur ???

If you dont already have some tools such as:

large and small primer pocket cleaner
Large and small primer pocket reamer
inside neck chamfer
outside neck chamfer
Then i would look at getting the lyman multiprep tool for about $55 https://www.trademe.co.nz/sports/hun...c2412ef7f5cb3e

I think they are very good value for money if you dont have some of the tools already.

I have used the pocket reamer on mil surp 308 cases and it does a good job.

Thanks. That multi tool looks like the go.

Yep pocket reamer will do the job, takes time

the deburring tool you use for the case mouth....poke in in primer pocket give a wee twirl to countersink pocket till you have about 1mm of taper and they will slide in like a well greased prick up a slack fanny..... oops that one shouldve gone in the quotes section.

Depending on the method used to crimp the primers, it’s not always obvious that it's been done. Ring crimped primers or primer pockets can be more easily missed than staked primers, especially in smaller cases like 5.56.

A power drill is the way to go for the primer pocket reamers. Just don't go too hard and enlarge the pocket. Just remove the crimp.

Originally Posted by Chur Bay

Thanks for that. Yeah thought that might be the case.

I see what you did there. quite clever for a quickie

So I got to thinking as I was mindlessly cleaning up a few .223 cases... where do all these "once fired cases" come from?

Belmont (and others) have a good deal on their .223 ammo and print out 1000's of them. The Belmont "Black" loads have the "OFC" suffix which I'm informed means "Once Fired Case"... which is fine, but what about the poor bugger who had to pick them up, clean them, prime them and reload them??

So my questions for those in the know - In what part of the globe and under what circumstances do they use SO many rounds as to provide us with the worlds supply of empties? And all in one place so somebody can pick them up by the wheel-barrow load? I mean, you can't exactly send out a bunch of wounded one-legged Bosnian kids to pick up empties from the old battlefields around Sarajevo, can you?

Just curious.

I guess training ranges, especially in the US. I don't know how many the average squaddy typically blazes through in a session, but if it's full auto at all, that figure will easily mount into the thousands/ tens of thousands per year, for the Secret Squirrels, more than that again.