I want to use IMI Mil Surplus brass to reload 223Rem with. The Speer load data says there is a primer crimp that I must remove. Can I use my Lee primer pocket cleaning tool for this or do I have to use another tool?

Deke.

IMI 223 Mil-Spec Brass that I get from
Wideners Supply.Has no Primer Pocket Crimp.
Try priming one with a spent primer,and see
if there is any resistance.Is this new brass
or surplus that you picked up?

You can usually see evidence of a crimp if present on fired military cases. Will sometimes be a ring around the primer, sometimes 4 or more points of impact around the primer.

If the primers were crimped in, there are basically two ways to remove the crimp ... a swaging tool and a cutting tool.

Both are available from RCBS. The cutter is a round rod with a cutter on one end and a handle on the other. You simpy use it like a primer pocket cleaning tool save that it removes material. Not a fun way to do a lot of cases.

The RCBS primer pocket swaging tool is a die body that has a flat ended rod instead of a decapping rod. It has a forming die that slides into the ram of the press (usually one for small primers and one for large primers). There is also a cup with a hole in it.

The cup goes over the forming die so that the skirt of the cup is down.

The die body is then adjusted so that the internal rod pushes the case down on the forming die to the bottom of the primer pocket on the down stroke of the press.

The upstroke of the press then causes the cup to push the case off of the forming die.

This system works really well but does require a reasonably heavy press like a Rock Chucker. Is relatively easy to do a lot of cases in a reasonable length of time.

There is a third approach sold by Dillon ... a dedicated horizontal press for the purpose. I have one and don't like it very well. Can't adjust it to handle cases that vary a little dimensionally.

Pocket cleaning tool is probably no use.

I have had total success with a normal case mouth trimmer/deburrer, and sometimes a nice sharp large size drill just held in the hand.

It's easy to take too much off with either.
A slight bevel is all that's needed.
JL.

Used a Lee deburrer to get the bevel then an 11/64" bit in a cordless drill (variable speed was important) to clean it up and the primers go in snug (a couple too snug and had to discard primers). The primer measured .174"-.175" (about .002" larger than the 11/64" bit) so I figure it was a good fit. Not too much trouble the 1st time around and should get easier with experience.

Deke.

The Dillon Super Swage works great, and puts a nice radius on the outer edge of the primer pocket, all without removing any brass.

flutedchamber