Tight primer pockets

[boomer68]

I picked up some Hornady match brass for my .308 Win and found the pockets to be extremely tight. To the point it crushed some primers trying to seat. Thinking of picking up a primer pocket reamer but was wondering which one. Any suggestions?

 

[DrMike]

I have and use several different primer pocket reamers. I don't really see a difference in their performance. The primary consideration is whether it fits your hand or not. I'm growing older, so I appreciate less work for my arthritic hands. The RCBS Trim Mate Case Prep Center is what I use now, and it works well for me. I suspect that any of those available from Hornady or Lyman or other manufacturers will work equally well.

 

[truck driver]

Boomer was the brass military or commercial brass? you could be dealing with swagged crimp in the primer pocket if it's military.

 

[JD338]

What brand of primers are you using?
Did you try any other primers?

JD338

 

[Polaris]

I've had that exact issue with Hornady .308 brass and Win primers. I use a Lyman mil. crimp tool. Just gives it a slight chamfer and all is well.

 

[boomer68]

I tried Win, CCI and Fed primers and same result. They are commercial cases. I will post pics when I have a chance. Never experienced this before. I have dealt with Federal cases with loose pockets.

 

[boomer68]

Here is the brass. Almost looks like they have a crimp?

 

[Polaris]

Yes, that definitely is crimped.
"This is 308 Hornady 155gr Mil-Spec Open Tip Match Ammo. This ammo is manufactured by Hornady to meet mil-spec requirements. This ammo contains a sealed, crimped in boxer primer, sealed case mouth and a cannanlured match grade bullet. Hornady Match rifle ammunition is loaded with the most accurate and consistent match bullets in the world. The brass cases are hand selected based on strict criteria. They must have case wall thickness uniformity, exact internal capacity, and exact case weight. The powder is matched carefully to each specific load for optimal pressure, velocity, and consistent accuracy. Like the powder they select only the highest quality primers that are matched specifically to the load. Each and every round is then hand inspected before packaging." Is this or something similar the source of your brass?

 

[boomer68]

Yes, that definitely is crimped.
"This is 308 Hornady 155gr Mil-Spec Open Tip Match Ammo. This ammo is manufactured by Hornady to meet mil-spec requirements. This ammo contains a sealed, crimped in boxer primer, sealed case mouth and a cannanlured match grade bullet. Hornady Match rifle ammunition is loaded with the most accurate and consistent match bullets in the world. The brass cases are hand selected based on strict criteria. They must have case wall thickness uniformity, exact internal capacity, and exact case weight. The powder is matched carefully to each specific load for optimal pressure, velocity, and consistent accuracy. Like the powder they select only the highest quality primers that are matched specifically to the load. Each and every round is then hand inspected before packaging." Is this or something similar the source of your brass?

That explains the difficulty seating primers. I bought the brass already once fired, so not sure of the exact factory load. Off to buy a crimp remover [emoji9]

 

[hunter24605]

I use one for my .223 and it works good...I screwed it to a short piece of an old cleaning cleaning rod and chuck in my drill press on low speed..Can do a bunch in no time. Almost impossible to "over do it" unless you go in at an angle.

https://www.amazon.com/Hornady-3907...=hornady+primer+pocket+reamer#customerReviews

 

[boomer68]

Bought some Lapua brass. Problem solved [emoji6]

 

[drakehammer]

I picked up some Hornady match brass for my .308 Win and found the pockets to be extremely tight. To the point it crushed some primers trying to seat. Thinking of picking up a primer pocket reamer but was wondering which one. Any suggestions?

I had the same problem once. Just once. Lapua will make the problem go away.


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