I am trying to figure out why one case refuses to accept a primer. It appears that the primer hole is slightly smaller than the other brass. Headstamp says 43 TW. Any ideas?
I am trying to figure out why one case refuses to accept a primer. It appears that the primer hole is slightly smaller than the other brass. Headstamp says 43 TW. Any ideas?
It may be military brass, and therefore have had a crimped primer pocket originally. Usually they will be a bit harder to de-prime, and very hard to re-prime. A primer pocket swager can help you out.
Also, a less recommended method would be to use the case chamfer/deburr tool to sligly open up the very edge of the primer pocket. Some of the brass was crimped all the way around, and others were staked in a few places (greek HXP ammo is like this) and you can knock the very edge off the pocket and it will then accept the primer.
The risk is of course you could take away too much material and make the pocket incapable of having enough press fit to retain the primer.
Lyman makes small, hand -held primer pocket reamers, both small and large. Probably others make them too.
TW 43 is US military and fully crimped.
The reamer tools don't cost a lot, but it adds another step to the loading process.
Since I use a single stage and a Lee auto primer I bought a swage that sets up like a die set. Takes them right out and makes the priming step alot easier... but yes another step in the loading process.
It was around $20 a few years ago, the dillon swage is the premium setup but also appox. $80+ now and was backordered last time I inquired.....
The Dillon Super Swage does a good job. I started out with the Lyman reamer type that I mentioned earlier.
A deburing/chamfer tool is not the appropriate tool to remove a full military crimp. If you're throwing away brass because of that, then you're wasting good brass.