Lee Loader

Hello,

If you don't swage or bevel the primer pocket when you're loading 45 ACP on your Loadmaster, do you run into many priming issues?

Thanks
Brian

Don't have a Loadmaster, but if you reload NATO brass you will probably run into problems. You can push out a fired primer, but the crimp/ridge will still remain and must be removed. Several methods from a pocket knife to dedicated "pocket swaging/reforming" dies..,

Thanks, I'm finding that if I use new brass, I only have a priming issue, 1 or 2 out of 100, but if I use my own, once fired brass, not NATO brass, I get a primer issue every 4-5 rounds....

I started conditioning the primer pockets on a Lyman Prep Center several years ago and ended all of my primer problems with the Load-Master. I will use the APP now.

I do have a unique situation by having my own range. I don't use range brass, I buy new, and pick up what I've just shot. The conditioning is a one-time thing.

BrianT wrote:Thanks, I'm finding that if I use new brass, I only have a priming issue, 1 or 2 out of 100, but if I use my own, once fired brass, not NATO brass, I get a primer issue every 4-5 rounds....

If you're having that many priming issues you have more than a brass problem going on. In the last month I've loaded over 1,000 rounds of 45 acp using both new (maybe fifty or so) and once(?) fired brass a pal sent me. I didn't do anything to that brass other than deprime and wet tumble. I think I had 4 or 5 primer issues, twice when I ran it out of primers and the others were trying to put large primers in small primer pocket cases. I don't care how hard you try the just won't fit believe me I tried.... So what kind of "problems" are you having?

Using brass that I fired once, about every 3-5 rounds, I get a case with no primer in it. I don't know it has no primer, unless I remove each piece of brass before I charge it, or I see the powder running out of the case, as I check it before I seat a bullet. I'm using CCI Large Pistol Primers.
At that point I have to remove the cases from the shellplate, remove the shellplate, and remove a crushed primer from the top of the anvil, along with the next primer it tried to use. Clean everything up, and check for issues. I destroyed more primers yesterday, than in the last few thousand 9mm and 223 rounds combined, by far.
I took the primer feed trough apart cleaned it, and applied a light coating of graphite.
I checked to make sure the primer install lever was tight and the mount not broken.
I removed the wedge bar, made sure it was mounted securely, and straight.
I re-indexed the ram.
No change what so ever. At this point I told myself the issue wasn't with the press, but the brass.
I tried 10 pieces of new Starline brass, and had no issues.
Today I'm going to deprime and swage my remaining used brass on the APP, and see if it changes anything.

Thanks for your responses/ideas.

Well, it appears that my issues have to do with some Herters brass.
Of the 150 pieces of my used brass, about 50 of them are Herters, and they seem to be the ones giving me issues, no issues at all with the Remington brass.
When you look at the Herters vs the Remington primer pockets, the Remington have a nice bevel to the primer pocket, and the Herters has none.
I decapped and swaged the Herters on my APP press, and no further issues, at least with the last 20 or so Herters brass I had left, and no issues at all with the 40 or so Remingtons.

BrianT wrote:I decapped and swaged the Herters on my APP press, and no further issues,...

Great, a nice save on behalf of the APP!

Doesn't it just make your blood boil?? Don't know about swaging but for many years
I have been "uniforming" & beveling my pockets on all new to me brass. This only
needs to be done once for the life of the brass & has eliminated I would say 99.5%
of priming issues. That being said, I can sympathize with you on the Herters brass.
There are a bunch of problem headstamps out there, Herters & Aguila come to
mind real fast. Best of luck & keep us posted.

I prime with a RCBS bench prime and find that prepping pockets even help with that machine. I have noted the problem with Herters brass also. There primer pocket punch leaves a sharp edge prep gets rid of it.

Be well, Stay safe, Make smoke,