I have searched here for this topic and haven't found one yet so here goes.

Purchased the CH4d pocket swager a couple months back on the recommendation of a co worker and finally got a chance to try to use it on some FC stamped 556 casings tonight. Needless to say i couldnt get much of the crimp out without tearing up the rim on the shell holder. I tried both the large and small rods and same thing happened each time. am i missing something? No instructions came with it, and when i called to ask them about it this afternoon before trying, they told me they never made any for it. Using rock chucker press and shell holder to do the work. i'm open to suggestions! thanks

quote:

CH4d pocket swager

Brass marked FC is federal, i dont think FC has a crimped in primer. Your tool is here. http://www.ch4d.com/catalog/?p=57 Small primer , small punch. Here is there home page http://www.ch4d.com/ good luck

Federal has made some military brass. Though the head stamp will also have year made.
eg. fc o8 on the case head. The small swager is for small primer pockets like the ones in the 5.56mm mil brass. The rod should go most of the way in the primer pocket, about 0.122". this is a rough measurement not exact, but close. It is just shy of 1/8th of an inch. And you don't usually need to go all the way in with the swageing rod. Set up is a trial and adjust process. The check is to try to seat a primer. If you can't seat a primer, swage a little deeper. Start shallow and work into the primer pocket until you can seat primers. The visual difference is not great. It is more of a feel process.
CH&4D's swage rod goes into the press ram where the shell holder normally goes. Your shell holder goes on top of the threaded body that you have screwed into the press like a sizing die. The adjustment for rod depth into the primer pocket is by threading the body into or out of the press. 14tpi will move the body about .050" per revolution for reference.
Hope this helps.

muck

thanks muck. thats more than i have found anywhere else . the ch4d website doesnt have anything there for instructions or even guidelines, but it seems to be a good tool.