Loose primer pockets....

A

artist

Guest
Hello fellow shooters!

A question about primer pockets:

How "loose" is "too loose" and how exactly do you tell if the pocket has enlarged to the point of having to throw out the brass? Currently, the primers are definitely going in easier, but they still seem to be holding well in the brass as far as I can tell.

:confused:
 
"Definitely too loose" is when they leak. One or two leakers is a learning experience, repeated leakers and you'll permanently scar your bolt face.

Also, "1/2 seating pressure" based on feel of a hand-priming tool _could_ be a place to stop??? (This is kinda' subjective...)

al
 
If your carrying a box of primers with you so when one falls out you can drop another in its place without the aid of any tools they are too loose.
The only way you can save them is to stake them in place once you install them.
I see on another post you are wanting to get a swage tool.In my opinion the tool you are looking at will not help you and yes I owned one.Stake them or throw them out.
Lynn
 
Lynn said:
If your carrying a box of primers with you so when one falls out you can drop another in its place without the aid of any tools they are too loose.
The only way you can save them is to stake them in place once you install them.
I see on another post you are wanting to get a swage tool.In my opinion the tool you are looking at will not help you and yes I owned one.Stake them or throw them out.
Lynn
Click to expand...

LOL!!!

Gotta' agree with THAT assessment!

:D

BTW, in case those reading don't know this, to "stake" means to bang some divots into the rim of the pocket using a hammer and punch.......

Don't slip!

Lynn's got me flanked on this one...... I've never staked a primer into place. I'm pretty tight about saving cases but even I haven't gone this far. (Not saying I WON'T, just that I HAVEN'T....)

Wear those safety glasses

al
 
Alinwa
Al to stake primers it is actually a little harder than it sounds.The hard part is in holding the brass so you can stake it without bending it or hurting the necks.
I staked 300 Ackley brass by taking a 50 bmg case and drilling out the primer pocket so the belt on the 375 H-H case would sit on the casehead.This allows the body of the brass to hang free.I would put the 50 bmg case in a die and put the die upside down into my press and stake the primers with a punch in 4 spots.
It is the same thing as tightening up the main caps on your favorite 4 bolt block just with alot less force.
If you slip the primer will come out and in my case it will take your thumbnail off.After you switch hands and lose your second thumbnail your desire to stake primers fades very quickly.
I have used a spare barrel to hold the cases that has been cut very short but it is very time consuming as you have to tap the brass back out of the chamber meaning you need to flip it over twice per case.
Now the first time they seat easily they get marked with a pen a tossed after firing.
Waterboy
 
I can't imagine staking a live primer in place. Wouldn't it be safer to lightly peen the sides of the primer pocket with a center punch to dimple the pocket and take up the slack? I would think one of those automatic center punches would work well though I haven't tried it.
 
Yote
That is exactly how it was done but when your center punch slips instant manicure.
Waterboy
 
Lynn said:
If you slip the primer will come out and in my case it will take your thumbnail off.After you switch hands and lose your second thumbnail your desire to stake primers fades very quickly.

Waterboy
Click to expand...

:D:D

That's the voice of experience I hear talking! ;)

al
 
When any primer get loose in a primer pocket , that's when you find out what a trash can is made for. Get this crap out of your mind that you can fix this problem, toss the things and move on to new.
 
Loose pockets Norma brass vs 6x284

I've been experimenting with Re#17 in 5 x times shot Norma brass in 6x284 today I loaded it to the limit today at rifle range in 45 degrees over cast day. My pockets are loose and( have been last few firings) ! Very little resistance in seating primers. Started my load sequence at 52.2grs of Re#17 behind a 90gr Nosler BT and ended at 54.5 grs. Accuracy with all loads were superb .(1/4 MOA at 100yds) I'd eject looking for leeks and for a moment I saw some black or shadow.Maybe ever so slightly there is some darkness. But you really have to look hard and only on a couple. Shot the 54.0 and 54.5gr loads and accuracy actually improved but cases had bright shinny ejector marks and stiff bolt lift but not ejection. But no primer leakage and awesome accuracy. I just stuck primer removing tool in a case to see if I could hand remove the primer. I did push the primer out! But 2nd case I couldn't. All my loads for this rifle are at "Full Throttle" that's why I bought this cartridge ,so what harm am I doing to my rifle I'm close to having a 1,000 rnds through it all max loads ? Its a trued Rem 700 Hart bbl Holland heavy recoil lug Anyhow thumbs up for Re#17 and the 6x284 .
 
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Worker said:
I've been experimenting with Re#17 in 5 x times shot Norma brass in 6x284 today I loaded it to the limit today at rifle range in 45 degrees over cast day. My pockets are loose ...
Click to expand...

I have overloaded and got primer pockets loose in 19 Badger, 223, 243, 25acp, 257RAI, 260, 270, 7.62x25mmTokarev, 7.62x39mmLargeBoxer, 7.62x39mmSmallBoxer, 308, 30-06, 8x57mm, 9x19mm, 9x23mm, 40sw, 10mm, and 45acp.

I think I can cross section a case and tell by intuition about how much pressure it would take to get a primer pocket to get loose.
The 284 case head looks like a bad actor.
I have never shot one.
It does not look as bad as 10mm, but not as good as a 308.
 
I have invented and patented a tool to resize the head and extractor grove to tighted primer pocket.

Go to Primer-Pocket-Fixer.com
 
I just throw them in the trash if the pockets lossen up.
I dont want to FIX a primer pocket when winning groups are measured in .0010.
If it were for a hunting rifle then brass is cheaper and so I would still throw them away.
But thanks for the info.

BESIDES THAT IF YOU WANT TO ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCT YOU SHOULD BE PAYING WILBUR TO ADVERTISE.
 
Fixer ......

I'm glad you mentioned your primer pocket tool. This is good information for this thread. Somebody used to make a different punch-type of tool that tightened up primer pockets, and it worked real well. However, I haven't seen it in decades. I've never seen one like yours. Very interesting.
 
Larry Willis
Larry your in front of the belt tool is exactly the type of tool that is needed for tightening up of the primer pockets.You should consider re-vamping it so it can be used to tighten up the pockets.
Lynn
 
Primer Pocket Tool ...

Lynn ......... ???

I don't remember who used to make the primer pocket forming tool. It may have been R.W. Hart. (I'm not sure.) It consisted of a small platform that supported a steel rod. The case was slipped over that rod, and a crimping punch was hammered against the head of the case. That pounded a shallow ring on the head of the case and around the empty primer pocket. That action swagged the primer pocket to a smaller ID. It might be interesting to give Fixer's tool a try.

(The Belted Magnum Collet Resizing Die is now used by almost 4,000 shooters.)
 
You might want to try some Wolf primers, made in Russia. They are good quality, cheap, and just a tad wider.
 
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