.223 military cases w / crushed & deformed primers...they still shoot.

[Land_Owner]

Reloading mixed brass sometimes provides interesting results.  I have made a number of cases with crushed primers.  Some even crushed AFTER reaming the primer pockets.  Apparently the sharp lip of the primer hangs up on the close tolerance of the pockets allowing one edge of the primer to fail to load or only partially load into the pocket.  In the hand primer it becomes necessary to crush that primer in order to get the round out of the case holder.

Losing primers and sized cases in this manner didn't seem like the way to go, so I loaded some of them up "like normal".  With Handi-rifle in hand, these reloads still shoot and shoot well to point of aim.

[Luckyducker]

It sounds like the primer pockets need to be chamfered where the original primer was crimped into place.  There should be no disernible lip around the pocket for the new primer to catch on.

[Larry L]

Obviously the brass you have has the crimped primer pockets. You can use a primer pocket swage to reform the the lip so it's rounded, or you can use a chamfer tool to knock the corners off, or you can use a drill to do the same thing. The drill can be a little crud but it works. Firing ammo with the deformed primers like that can be dangerous as leakage around the primer can occur. You can suffer a burnt bolt face or you could end up with a face full of combustion gas. I wouldn't suggest doing it again.

[Land_Owner]

I have thought about this and, well, I don't have that tight a pucker factor so the rest of these cases will be shot down range and a measure of their [in]accuracy will be gleaned.  I will be more diligent in the future with military brass, finding some drill or chamfer tool to take off the burrs and sharp edges in an attempt to prevent this.

[Catfish]

I quit reaming primer pockets years ago, it is just to easy to get them to large. I prefer to swedge the primer pockets. I now use the Dillon swedger, but in the past used an RCBS on my loading press. Much faster and far more accurate than reaming.

[ratdog]

bought some pmc 223  shamfered primer pockets still were very hard to get primers in .some went in messed up to much junked them.i will stick to american made cases.

[Savage]

I swage the primer pockets on military brass, then use a hand tool to clean up the mouth of the pocket. Works well for me.
Savage