Primer pocket conditioning versus crimp removal ?

@414gates @414gates 4 years ago

I see there are some tools for primer pocket crimp removal, and some for primer pocket conditioning.

Crimp removal is for removing the crimp that holds the primer in place so a new primer can be seated.

Conditioning is to shrink expanded primer pockets.

What is the difference, if the tools look identical ?

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@T @treeman

HTF you gonna shrink a primer pocket ?
I have a way but not sure of posting it publicly.

@O @oafpatroll

HTF you gonna shrink a primer pocket ?
I have a way but not sure of posting it publicly.

When I had access to thousands of Berdan primed 9mm cases and little money I used a small, dulled hollow punch that was about a mm bigger in diameter than the pocket. Once I had taken the anvil off I would put the case on a hardwood dowel held in the vice and give it a whack with the punch. That would move enough brass that a lot of them had to be given a touch with the pocket reamer to bring them to boxer dimension. Worked well but it was deadly tedious.

@O @oafpatroll

That looks like a much more civilized method than mine.

@414gates @414gates OP

I bought the Lee Ram Swage to try this, and it's not the right tool.

The anvil on the primer shoe is not the right shape for pocket correction - only for crimp removal, and the swaging ram is soft steel. I bent mine so badly I can't straighten it.

I had an old Lee decapping rod with the point broken off that I set into a dome nut with epoxy, and fitted it in the die. I bought the correct primer pocket correction shoe from Sudami, and now it definitely shrinks the primer pocket size.

Sudami sell the correct body die, ram and shoe, but the body dies are cartridge family specific. Small for .223, medium for .308, WSM and RUM, then Rigby and Lapua.

Sudami primer pocket correction.