Brass is being reloaded for a 3rd time. Some pockets are looser than others. How loose is too loose? What are the hazards of loose pockets? Thanks.

If you have loose primer pockets after 2 firings you are loading too hot. I would suggest you back off at least 1 grain maybe 2. Primer pockets get loose and gas starts to leak past the primer and that gas acts just like a cutting torch and it removes metal from your bolt face. It will eventually ruin your bolt

I've had pockets so loose that initially held the primer until it fell out when the round was in the rifle magazine. Similarly I have shot rounds and had the primer fall out on case extraction.
Nothing dangerous happened and there didn't appear to be any gas blowback.
I'm not saying this is OK but I don't believe slight picket looseness is a potential hazard. In my case I was not loading hot, probably just trying to extend brass life beyond its sensible limit. The brass had been loaded maybe up to 20 + times. I would suggest if you experience any gas blowback it might be a good time to ditch that batch.

I don't load hot period. On some of my 7 mag brass the primers seat a lot easier than others. Almost with out effort. As long as they stay in I am going to keep loading for what I use them for. Everything is just hard to get right now. If I was going for a trophy of a life time, I would cull the soft ones! Only had one primer blow back and it was made defective. Had nothing to do with brass pockets.

Just wondering... can loose primer pockets be crimped or swaged tighter?

Would you be using the newer WLR primers in the blue boxes? I ask because what I have seen is if any primer is going to fit loose it will be those.

Nope. If your primer pockets were tight when you started loading the brass and have become loose then your loads are too hot or brass is soft. Either way they are scrap now. Don't risk your your life or your eyesight on a flipping brass case. If you get loose pockets with some brass and not others then the brass may be suspect. You've seen in recent threads what happens when that breech seal has blown through.

quote:

Originally posted by Uncle Grinch:
Just wondering... can loose primer pockets be crimped or swaged tighter?

I agree with Bobster. If you have loose primer pockets, discard the brass.

quote:

Originally posted by RPSnell:
I agree with Bobster. If you have loose primer pockets, discard the brass.

For the most common calibers screwing around with defective brass trying to stretch a few extra loadings is not worth the time, trouble or risk.


But then if the left has it's way it might come to that.

All good points, however, assuming you are not loading that particular brass too hot, the primers will obturate and seal, causing no issues. Of course they have to be tight enough to stay in. Primers are made from brass too.
Can you crimp pockets tighter: of course you can. I used to reload 7.62x39 Berdan cases, way before boxer brass was available for the Nam bring back SKSs. You make a steel swage and anvil and you can reset the pockets. After machining out the anvil.
I am not suggesting that anyone do anything, just what is possible.

I’m not suggesting swaging loose primer pockets either. I was just thinking outside the box.

I tell people never to do anything I say, not because it won't work, but because when they screw it up, they won't blame me.

It seems like I remember a tool that was advertised to reswage loose primer pockets in Handloader magazine back in the 80's ? I know i saw it somewhere.

quote:

Originally posted by lee440:
It seems like I remember a tool that was advertised to reswage loose primer pockets in Handloader magazine back in the 80's ? I know i saw it somewhere.

Good old Herter's used to sell a "Primer Pocket Peener". Some Herter's tools were as good as could be bought, while others were useless trash. I never ordered one of their "Primer Pocket Peeners" so don't know which group it fell into.

If your load is not too hot, I would first try to switch to a different primer brand. Some brands fit more tight than others.

If it is expensive brass like Lapua, I would consider this tool:

https://sudamix-ring.co.za/pro...orrec-tool-m-308fam/