Anyone have any suggestions on removing Berdan primers from ex-mil 308Win (should that be 7.62x51 where the crimp has been applied all the way around the primer? My RCBS Berdan decapper handles the stuff crimped at 3 points easy enough, but the above gets chewed/mangled pretty badly.
Cheers...
Con

Con,

If I understand what you are saying, I would say it is not worth the time. If what you want to do can be done-with quality intact-I would be interested- Good luck

Ben,
Some ex-mil has a crimp applied at 3 points each approximately 120deg apart... that stuff is easy. What I'm having trouble with is cases that "appear" to have no crimp but infact have a ridge running the entire circumference of the primer pocket which forms its crimp. These are tough little buggers! A friend is currently building his 3rd hydraulic decapper, trying to perfect something that works well.
Definately not worth the effort, unless your like my mate and have 44 gallon drums filled with cases.
Cheers...
Con

Yes, I might want to figure out how to remove them as well if I had that much brass.-Good luck-

I know this doesnt help, but I recently purchased some brass for a 7.62x.54 russian that had the boxer large caliber primer hole in it. NEW ,Much better than the berdan primers and easier.

Have you tried levering them out with an awl or icepick? I haven't had to do this in 30 years or so, and even then it wasn't mine I was just a kid standing around. At any rate, IIRC just take a sharp awl and tap it in with a tiny hammer and pry it out. Make a case holder by drilling a hole in the edge of a 2X4 board the size of the case, then rip a slot in the board with a table saw. Put this in a vise and clamp down and the wood holds the case. Drill the hole so about 1/2" of the case sticks out.

Con, if you were as old as me you may remember that Simplex dies for the .303 came with a little chisel to prise the primers out, as Mark suggests. Otherwise, maybe a knife point may trim off the crimp.
I'd prob. sell that stuff for scrap and get some good stuff.

JAL,
I'm not that old but my mate is! The "pick method" does work but he's misplaced his "adaptor" which allowed him to hold rimless 308s in the vice.
Cheers...
Con

Here's a berdan decapping tool, dunno if it works, just happened see it looking for primers..

http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,2733.htm

A sharp tool suh as an icepick (remember them?)
driven in at an angle to miss the anvil works very easy with normal berdan primers. Just a twist of the wrist and it's out. If you try the hydraulic route get wipers for your glasses and wear a raincoat.
Goo Luck!

it might be possible to get the right size mill and mill them out? if you have access to a mill.

If it's .308Win you want, just buy 1,000 once-fired ones and go 'head on. Short of that, why not try an 82-degree chamfer tool from Sears? It's what I use to remove the crimp on 5.56mm brass.

Better yet, go to your local shootin' range late on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and pick up hundreds of them in the commercial variety.

Look here:Berdan Reloading 1

I think you'd find this enlightening; especially if you have 44 gallons of cartridge cases.

Me, I'd just as soon buy new production brass...