Argh! .223 primer pocket woes

[GymB]

I must be doing something wrong.

Oh crap, just figured it out. I’ve just swaged a bunch of 223 primer pockets with the large primer punch.

 

[GymB]

So this is why batch processing is a bad idea when you don’t really know what you’re doing...I figured it out half way through my 5th ammo can. Was really thinking that the crimp was a beeeeotch to remove. Oh well, dumping it all in the scrap bucket.

 

[Jerzsubbie]

5 ammo cans worth of brass down the drain??

Silver lining, you have way more than any reasonable man needs haha.

 

[Catfish]

How in the hell did you get... nevermind I can’t eveen finish that thought.

 

[11B CIB]

Dang Jim that sucks. The time and materials gone

 

[Slacker]

Can't you just use large rifle primers???











(Ducks a left hook from jim)

 

[Tailhunter]

Recycle the brass.

 

[11B CIB]

Can't you just use large rifle primers???






(Ducks a left hook from jim)

Serious question: is there a wildcat caliber based on the 223 cartridge that uses large primers? Maybe someone would buy the brass for conversion so it’s not a total loss

 

[John]

What kind of swager are you using? I'm a little surprised that's even possible.

 

[GymB]

What kind of swager are you using? I'm a little surprised that's even possible.

It’s probably not possible if one’s brain is engaged!

I’m thinking maybe I cut some of it down and swage it into bullets. Not sure if I can squeeze it down for 308 but pretty sure I can expand it for 358. @mckenziedrums will likely know.

 

[BowWow]

What kind of swager are you using? I'm a little surprised that's even possible.

Yeah.....I'm wondering just how hard you have to pull the handle to make that work.....

 

[GymB]

What kind of swager are you using? I'm a little surprised that's even possible.

Sorry, yeah it’s a Dillon super swage. I’d never used it for 223 before, was in the middle of changing it over from large to small, changed the alignment pin and then got distracted and never changed the punch. It took a lot of force, but not knowing what to expect I didn’t worry about it for the first few thousand rounds. Took a break and decided to seat some primers using the coax and noticed that the Forster alignment pin wouldn’t fit in the primer pocket and that’s when I started trying to figure things out.

 

[John]

Nobody's hurt. Lesson learned, carry on and be happy!

 

[Charlie]

When you do finally get the Dillon rigged up with the right ram, the amount of force to swage a 223 pocket is fairly small. If you have to use a bunch of force you do not have it adjusted correctly and can mess up the floor of the primer pocket so that primers may not seat all the way. Been there, done that, learned lesson.