A couple of weeks ago I loaded 20 new rounds of 30-06 from new winchester brass. These were in factory sealed bags from a good retailer. After assembling it I noticed about 40% of the loaded rounds seemed to kind of "rock around" on my reloading table. (I had used a hand primer and all primers were seated to the bottom) I visually looked at the primers and couldn't see them sticking out BUT I WAS VERY WRONG. Today I thought I'd do 10 more test rounds and thought just for "kicks and giggles" i'd uniform the new primer pockets. WOW I couldn't believe how much material came out of them. On a typical shell I had to "tap" on the uniformer 2-3 times per shell to clear out brass shavings and then go back into the pocket for more. This is the first time in 5 yrs that I've had a problem like this with new brass. Just goes to show that you have to watch everything you are doing and don't always trust those new components. Just thought I'd share this story. Those other rounds will only be used in a bolt action--I doubt if they'd cause a slam fire in an auto but, I wouldn't want to find out the hard way!
I ran across a lot of W-W brass with the same problem. The primer pocket was sort of tapered. At any rate, it wasn't flat on the bottom. The primers did seat flush with the case head, though, but they seated about 0.002" below the case head after uniforming with the large pistol uniformer.
This same problem was noted with the new 7.62x54R brass. It is suspected that this is contracted S&B brass. Winchester primers are shorter and should cure the problem. Regards from darkest California, Ross
Posts: 159 | Location: Oroville,California,U.S.A. | Registered: 14 May 2001
There's nothing new about this. I bought a batch of new Winchester .222 brass about 10 years ago and couldn't seat primers in half of them. A Whitetail Primer Pocket Uniformer paid for itself right then and there. Most of a Winchester .30-06 batch bought about 5 years ago was OK, but 2 or 3 cases needed a lot of cutting.
Bye Jack
Posts: 176 | Location: Saskatchewan | Registered: 14 January 2001
All Winchester brass is not all from Olin nor is all Remington brass from Remington. Jist about everything I've ever tried except for some Lapua has needed some uniforming.
Nowdays, I just chuck up a Sinclair solid carbide primer pocket reamer in a small drill press and uniform every piece of new brass. While I'm at it I deburr every primer hole inside the case, the amount of burring from just punching primers holes versus drilling them like Lapua is amazing.
rust, this is a good opportunity to ask a question: assuming that punching a hole thru the primer pocket leaves a small snippet of brass, a little trapdoor so to speak, inside the case. Exactly what does this hurt? I looked inside several cases that I happen to have here in my desk drawer and none of them seem to have any irregularity around the primer hole on the inside. Each of these have been fired from a few to many times. But I can't understand what it would hurt. Or is it just one of those anal things that bench rest shooters do because someone else does it?
Posts: 2037 | Location: frametown west virginia usa | Registered: 14 October 2001
HEY BEEMAN-There's alot of GREAT FACTORY ammo that doesn't have the flash hole deburred. But, it takes only about 5 min's to do about 20 rounds. Once it's done it's done forever. I don't know how much reloading you've done yet, but, you used the word "anal" in your last post. My guess is you haven't yet got anal in your reloading yet. But take it from me, if you hang around these forums long enough you WILL DWELVE into that area soon enough. (my humor). Preparing brass to " the max" will only pay off in shooting matches or extremely long range shooting. The average hunting rifle shooting under 250 yds probably won't know the difference between handloads that are done properly and handloads that have been expertly scrutinized. It's the "fun" factor or the "confidence" factor that will soon either take you by storm, or you will just say "heck" it's gonna do the job if I do!! Doesthis make sense??!! D Kraky
Bee: Your comment marks you clearly as a reloader- and there's not a thing wrong with that. Handloaders are always striving to wring all the accuracy out of a rifle, and case prep/uniforming is a basic step. In simple terms- some cases out of a group will significantly shoot differently, either due to primer pocket depth, flash hole dia and a bur which produces ignition different, or weight of the case- which affects volume and resultant pressures.
Posts: 1529 | Location: Central Wisconsin | Registered: 01 March 2001
Well, when it comes to one of the varminters, every little bit helps when you're trying to pop something tiny at 300 yards or more. Now not all cases have a big burr in them, but an occasional one will be pretty nasty. This probably won't affect much at 100 yards, but as distances increase then that thirty or forty FPS velocity deviation starts adding up as vertical dispersion. Aside from which it's something to tinker with when you have a little free time and it's done once, done forever.
Uniforming primer pockets and deburring and uniforming the flash hole can result in more accurate handloads if the rifle is inherently accurate enough to detect it. Most big game hunting rifles are not accurate enough, but many of the small bore varmint rifles are, and all bench rifles are.
I happen to have one very accurate big game hunting rifle. It is a Browning Medallion chambered for the 280 Remington. This rifle is accurate enough for me to see the difference in well-prepared handloads versus handloads put together without case weight segregation, primer pocket uniforming, or flash hole deburring. The difference in accuracy doesn't amount to much from a practical perspective -- about 1" at 300 yards -- but it is interesting all the same.
quote:Originally posted by Don Krakenberger: A couple of weeks ago I loaded 20 new rounds of 30-06 from new winchester brass. These were in factory sealed bags from a good retailer. After assembling it I noticed about 40% of the loaded rounds seemed to kind of "rock around" on my reloading table. (I had used a hand primer and all primers were seated to the bottom) I visually looked at the primers and couldn't see them sticking out BUT I WAS VERY WRONG. Today I thought I'd do 10 more test rounds and thought just for "kicks and giggles" i'd uniform the new primer pockets. WOW I couldn't believe how much material came out of them. On a typical shell I had to "tap" on the uniformer 2-3 times per shell to clear out brass shavings and then go back into the pocket for more. This is the first time in 5 yrs that I've had a problem like this with new brass. Just goes to show that you have to watch everything you are doing and don't always trust those new components. Just thought I'd share this story. Those other rounds will only be used in a bolt action--I doubt if they'd cause a slam fire in an auto but, I wouldn't want to find out the hard way!
I just had a lot of 300 Winchester Mag brass that the belts on some of the cases were so long that the casings would not chamber. These were also New Winchester casing seal in the bag!Some of the casings had necks that were folded and crumpled! Isn't a shame that were have to relie on manufactures out side of the good old USA to get truly good casings!
In my 60 years of shooting WW brass has always been the brass that all others were judged by....I have some 20,000 pieces I guess in my shop right now and to date I have never had one complaint, not now or in the last 60 years...
Is this something new, does it have to do with just recent production or what??????
Well, I just walked in to the area where I store things and thought I'd really accurize some brass during the Packer game. I pulled another bag of sealed 50 rounds and went to work. My idea was to run an oversized mandrel, neck turn, trim to length, chamfer,neck size, do the primer pockets and do the flash hole deburing, and then run 'em through the cleaner. All I can say is that if I hadn't dealt with the last batch this stuff seemed to be super high quality. I'll have to look at the lot numbers tommorrow. They just can't be the same. On the other hand,in the meantime I did some federal gold medal brass for a friend and that stuff is SUPER. I'm coming to believe that for the xtra $5 per hundred it's a much better buy cause it doesn't need all the acurizing.
