reloading priming question

[j.galloway]

I recently started reloading after scrounging all the necessary tools over the last few weeks.

I got a RCBS hand priming tool for priming .223 rounds.

http://www.amazon.com/RCBS-90200-Hand-Priming-Tool/dp/B000PW71LO/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1327187904&sr=8-11

http://www.rcbs.com/downloads/instructions/HandPrimingToolInstructions.pdf

SO the problem is on a few brass, it felt tougher to squeeze than other brass. I skipped the ones that where not 'easy' to squeeze in. My neighbor who has been reloading for a while is working right now so I figured I would wait and ask him before attempting any more. But until then.. has anyone ever had this problem? Or am I being  too panzy pushing in primers?

I got a once fired primer that I 'tested' with which manged to squeeze in to the brass with quite some effort but one time I saw it even 'rubbed' a bit of primer siding off while being inserted. So I am very sure it is too tight. However this is not like its only 2 or 3 out of 40, this was like 10 out of 40. So is it possible I am doing it wrong or does it just take that much force to get it in there?

No matter what Ill be waiting until I get a live demo for them before I try   

[Encore 280]

Is it all the same brand of brass? Primer pocket cleaned out?

[j.galloway]

Is it all the same brand of brass? Primer pocket cleaned out?

Yes same brass.

Brass is once fired from American eagle 55grain FMJ. I got from Cabelas maybe a month or two ago.

Edit:
Oh yes and cleaned with a hand cleaning 'multi' tool thing that does all deburring and pit cleaning.

I just thought of something, too.. does case lube come to play? I let it dry but might there be residue that makes it stick? I used Hornady one shot.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1165269233/hornady-one-shot-case-lube

[Encore 280]

I wouldn't think that the case lube would have anything to do with it if you're using a hand priming tool. If they're going in too hard, I would toss the tight ones or set them aside. I've never had a problem with Winchester or Remington brass. Never have used the American Eagle brass but then I've never reloaded any 223. Good luck.

[AWS]

Some of the 223 brass has crimped primer and even though the fired primer came out easy there is a sharp edge on the primer pocket that needs to be removed.  I just use my deburring tool that I use on the inside of the case mouth.  You just have to take the edge out not hog a big V in the pocket.  Try it on a couple of cases and see if that helps.  They make prime pocket reamers and swaging tool to take out the edge also.

[cwuwildcat]

Couple of thoughts.  Maybe you've got the primer rod in upside down, or have the wrong one and you're not getting the primer pushed in flush.  I've got that hand primer, and the rods can look alike, and can be inserted upside down.

Also, when you say you've cleaned the primer pocket, was it from the pocket side, or with a tool you put into the mouth of the case?  Do you have some tumbling media caught in the pocket?  Sometimes the liquid polish you put into the tumbler will clump the media and cause it to stick inside the primer pocket.

[wraithen]

IDK about american eagle but maybe the brass they used was from multiple sources or lots depending on their lots? Is it possible some if had some military type brass? I've yet to reload but this seems to come up a lot in the reloading manuals. Bear in mind this may have been an idiotic thing to ask since I have no experience here, just tossing an idea out.

[j.galloway]

Couple of thoughts.  Maybe you've got the primer rod in upside down, or have the wrong one and you're not getting the primer pushed in flush.  I've got that hand primer, and the rods can look alike, and can be inserted upside down.

Also, when you say you've cleaned the primer pocket, was it from the pocket side, or with a tool you put into the mouth of the case?  Do you have some tumbling media caught in the pocket?  Sometimes the liquid polish you put into the tumbler will clump the media and cause it to stick inside the primer pocket.

Didn't tumble, so that's not really a problem. And no the rod isnot upside down, the rod has a flat side and a curved side. They are easy to tell which is which anyway. Also the rods that came with it is of 2 sizes, large and small. The small is for small primers, large for large primers. The 'feed' tray makes it possible to put a small rod through a large guide but it would be loose, but a large cannot go through a small. So easy to tell.

As for cleaning, I did a hornady one shot on the cases to prep them, then for the primer pocket I took a

http://www.cabelas.com/product/RCBS174-Primer-Pocket-Brush-Combo/1314044.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Duniversal%2Bprimer%2Bpocket%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=universal+primer+pocket

RCBS Primer Pocket Brush Combo to clean the pocket.

Looks like Ill need one of these:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/612992/lyman-primer-pocket-uniformer-tool-small

Some of the 223 brass has crimped primer and even though the fired primer came out easy there is a sharp edge on the primer pocket that needs to be removed.  I just use my deburring tool that I use on the inside of the case mouth.  You just have to take the edge out not hog a big V in the pocket.  Try it on a couple of cases and see if that helps.  They make prime pocket reamers and swaging tool to take out the edge also.

I didnot see anything but I sure will try it with my deburring tool. 

[jaymark6655]

Some of the 223 brass has crimped primer and even though the fired primer came out easy there is a sharp edge on the primer pocket that needs to be removed.  I just use my deburring tool that I use on the inside of the case mouth.  You just have to take the edge out not hog a big V in the pocket.  Try it on a couple of cases and see if that helps.  They make prime pocket reamers and swaging tool to take out the edge also.

  I use Eagle and sometimes it seems like it might be crimped.  One twist with a primer reamer usually lets the primer go right in without making it so loose that the primer comes out when fired.

[KillBilly]

It sounds like Nato Brass, it definately has a crimp and it has to be removed but I don't know why American Eagle brass would do that.

[Helix]

Any chance at all you picked up a few of somebody else's cases?  Some ammo makers put a "military" crimp on the primer. When you deprime they leave a burr. It won't be removed by a primer pocket cleaner. You can either buy a tool for it or give it a few turns with a countersinq bit.  If you use a counrtersinq, Just remove the center bit that drills the pilot hole.

[j.galloway]

Well A few twists with the deburring tool made the primers go in much easier. I was careful not to take off too much so they would be loose anyway.

The rounds where American Eagle 55grain FMJ .223 Remington ammo. Lot No SMQ11K184-100
I bought them about 100 rounds from Cabelas a few weeks ago. Have only fired about 48 of them or so (which 40 are now reloaded.

Looking at the primers, they look like they have a 'ring' around the primer: similar to this one on the right:


I thought 'military' crimps looked like this:


Anyway the only thing labeled on the cartridge is:
FC (FE?)
223.rem

http://www.cabelas.com/product/American-Eagle174-223-Rem-55gr-FMJ-Ammunition/1161162.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3D.223%2Bammo%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=.223+ammo&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

Any chance at all you picked up a few of somebody else's cases?  Some ammo makers put a "military" crimp on the primer. When you deprime they leave a burr. It won't be removed by a primer pocket cleaner. You can either buy a tool for it or give it a few turns with a countersinq bit.  If you use a counrtersinq, Just remove the center bit that drills the pilot hole.

No chance of using anyone else ammo. All mine got all at once from cabelas..
I think 100 rounds American Eagle
and 100 Herters (Headstamp says tula.. go figure)

Then a week later
100 rounds brown bear
200 rounds tula.
20 rounds hornady A-Max


Now thanks to the reloads today:
40 rounds Nosler Armageddon   

Hopefully tomorrow the rain will let up so I can burn up some brass and get ready for more reloading for the week 

So anyway shaving off a .0001 of a hair of brass made the primers go in much smoother. Thanks for the tip, saved me about 40% of my brass 

[carpsniperg2]

Glad to see you got it figured out. The last picture has the primer staked in place. Its a different style of seating the primer and can be a pain the a$$ to deal with.

[KillBilly]

The upper two cases with the FC marking are definately NATO/Military cases and would have a crimp unless someone swaged the crimp out already.
Check this Forum for more info: http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=34912.0

They make a swaging tool for the primer pockets.

[marlin]

The deburring and cleaning of primer pockets definately help primers go in easier. I have a whole bunch of the same brass.. No problems. If your loads are a little hot though it can flatten the brass out kind of and not even be really visually noticeable. That can make priming tough.

[jaymark6655]

I think the F C stands for Federal Cartridge, but I am not 100% on that.

[j.galloway]

Thanks guys, but it was AWS's idea to deburr the pocket.

The upper two cases with the FC marking are definately NATO/Military cases and would have a crimp unless someone swaged the crimp out already.
Check this Forum for more info: http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=34912.0

They make a swaging tool for the primer pockets.

 

Looks like I'll have to watch that with this brass.. about the thicker walls and smaller webs.

Good thing I wasn't planning on using them for anything other than plinking and minimal grain loads.
Actually I have a few un-reloaded rounds left. (I thought the neck had too many stretch marks) so Ill use them for my test subjects.

Also found a trick about using a paper clip to feel for a dent for headcase separation. Ill keep an eye on this round of brass very closely.

Anyone know some good brass that really lasts through many rounds of reloads?

[AWS]

I've had good luck with Win. Brass(others cuss it) i shoot in my 223 and the neck it up for my 6x45 and it has held up very well for me.  I use it for my accuracy loads/target loads.

The ring around the primer pocket is a sure sign of a crimped primer pocket.  If you can compare with a Rem or Win primer pocket.  Just looked at some brass I have here, Military brass head stamped TW(Twin City ordinance Anoka, MN) and LC(Lake City munitions plant Minneapolis, MN)  have crimped primers, civilian ammo FC(Federal Cartridge) and PMC(marked 223 Rem) have crimped primers, civilian ammo by Win and Rem(marked 223) do not have crimped primers) that's all I have laying around.