what size flash hole should a 30-06 case have i had a lot of used brass ready to be primed but unfortunatly some of the flash holes are rather dirty. Will any drill bit work, or do i have to wait to get some where to buy a special tool.

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Originally posted by bowiler:
what size flash hole should a 30-06 case have i had a lot of used brass ready to be primed but unfortunatly some of the flash holes are rather dirty. Will any drill bit work, or do i have to wait to get some where to buy a special tool.

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bowiler/ The special tool will uniform the flashhole and campher the inside of the flashhole at the same time....Sinclairs tool and most cut the hole to a uniform size...RCBS doesn't....a #45 drill bit is the correct size....080/,082 is standard for non PPC and speciality type flashholes....they are smaller near .66...I use a primerpocket uniformer then RCBS flashhole reamer and check with the #45drill bit which I installed in a old 22cal rod to let me go in thru the neck or the primerpocket....these size numbers are from Precision shooting book and articles on case prep and check out in my cases from 222 thru 300mags...good luck and good shooting!!!

Let's make sure we're talking about the same thing:

"Flash Hole" is the hole that goes THROUGH the brass from the base into the powder charge in the brass.

"Primer Pocket" is the pocket that the primer sits in.

There are primer pocket tools which REMOVE the chamfer in the bottom of the pocket and "uniform" the size/depth. Sometimes these are called "primer pocket uniformers."

RCBS and others make a stainless steel primer pocket brush which will remove the crud from the pocket. This cleans, but doesn't "uniform the pocket. A "uniformer cleans AND uniforms.

LOTS of "flash hole deburring tools." These are inserted into the case from the MOUTH end and remove the burr in the flash hole. The flash hole is stamped with a punch and often has a substantial burr. Removing the burr provides for a concentric flash into the powder charge.

DO NOT go after to flash hole or primer pocket with a "drill" or any other non-specific tool. The diameter of the flash hole is critical to controling pressure and keeping the primer seated in the pocket.

Lacking a brush for cleaning the primer pocket, I once fashioned a squared ended scraper from the tine on a discarded stainless steel fork. I just shortened the tine, squared the end of the tine so it sat flat in the bottom of the pocket, and then put a square edge on the tine so that it scraped the side wall of the pocket. Don't go nutz with this sort of tool. Just remove the powder, not the brass in the pocket!

For cleaning out flash holes, a toothpick or pipe cleaner will work. You can use a steel "pick" but you don't want to deform or enlarge the flash hole.

[This message has been edited by Genghis (edited 01-19-2002).]