Primer pocket swaging

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Loganwildman

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Feb 29, 2012
    242
    18
    Logansport
    A bunch like 100, 1000, or a 5gal bucket full? And what kinda budget are you on?
    I've got probably 2000 that I want to run through a swager. Not sure on budget. If I can set this up for a couple calibers, I'd go more $$. As I'm typing this a though just popped in my head. What about a tool head for my xl650 with a size/decap die, then a swage die?
     

    turnerdye1

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    60   0   0
    Dec 26, 2010
    2,090
    63
    North Central IN
    I was going to recommended that. I have the Swage it brand 650 press mounted swager. Takes 3min to install where the primer punch inserts. I think on Ebay you can get the large and small rifle swage for 120ish dollars.

    If you have a single stage I saw that Lee just came out with a small/large swage die similar to RCBS's. No experience with either but people seem to like the RCBS
     

    Loganwildman

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Feb 29, 2012
    242
    18
    Logansport
    I was going to recommended that. I have the Swage it brand 650 press mounted swager. Takes 3min to install where the primer punch inserts. I think on Ebay you can get the large and small rifle swage for 120ish dollars.

    If you have a single stage I saw that Lee just came out with a small/large swage die similar to RCBS's. No experience with either but people seem to like the RCBS
    I have done the size/decap on a Lee single stage for longer then i care to say. It works but it is slow.
     

    gabrigger

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    15   0   0
    Apr 20, 2008
    198
    28
    Wayne County
    Another vote for Swage-It. I use one on a 550B, along with my trimmer. I can process military brass progressively. Works great. I used to use a Super Swage 600, but found it took too much time to change between case brands, etc. The Swage-it is much faster.
     

    Loganwildman

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Feb 29, 2012
    242
    18
    Logansport
    Another vote for Swage-It. I use one on a 550B, along with my trimmer. I can process military brass progressively. Works great. I used to use a Super Swage 600, but found it took too much time to change between case brands, etc. The Swage-it is much faster.
    Do you size the case to? size/deprime, swage then trim or one operation at a time?
     

    turnerdye1

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    60   0   0
    Dec 26, 2010
    2,090
    63
    North Central IN
    Do you size the case to? size/deprime, swage then trim or one operation at a time?

    Station 1 - Universal decapper
    Station 2 - Swage it
    Station 3 - empty
    Station 4 - Dillon trim/size die with a honey badger trimmer
    Station 5 - empty

    After my cases are done I run everyone on my Lyman case prep center to chamfer and deburr. The cases come out pretty good but it chamfer/deburr again just for piece of mind.


    Then I have another toolhead setup just for loading. I use another full length size die on station 1 just to uniform the neck before seating bullets in it.

    I may get a neck sizing die at some point but this process works well for me
     

    gabrigger

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    15   0   0
    Apr 20, 2008
    198
    28
    Wayne County
    I use a full length sizing die to size and decap, then swage on the priming stroke. I rotate the shellplate to the trim die and trim it. When the brass comes off the press, it is fully processed. The 550 only has room on the toolhead for the sizing die and the trim die, but it works pretty well. I use a sizing die on the first station, because it has an expander (which the Dillon trim die doesn't). What I found is that I get better neck consistency doing it this way.
     

    Bill2905

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Feb 1, 2021
    1,945
    113
    Lake County
    I use the RCBS primer pocket swager. I did a couple hundred with it and it worked ok. It becomes a tedious process after a while. I was using it on a little RCBS Partner press which is a little under powered. Haven't tried it on my new Redding Big Boss yet.
     
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Dec 14, 2011
    117
    28
    Anderson
    I have the Dillon swager as well as the RCBS swaging die and punch. I actually prefer the RCBS setup for most brass. I generally process my brass and bag it before I load to keep my quality control high. Even though I load on a Dillon 1050, I find it better to have my brass in an almost new condition first.
     

    canebreaker

    Marksman
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 2, 2020
    261
    43
    Horn Lake
    I don't swage. I bought an oval grinding tip from the welding section of a hardware store for $18. Had to grind the tip a little so it would bottom out. Stick it in the battery drill and get about 45 per minute cleaned up.
    I looked at the home improvement centers, they didn't have the better ones. In a multi pack and looked like what you'll get from Harbor Freight.
     

    tackdriver

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Apr 20, 2010
    481
    93
    A few years ago, I wound up with thousands of LC 5.56 brass, some for turning into 300 AAC Blackout brass. I tried various grinder bits in a cordless drill, but I tore up as many as I fixed (all on me!). I used larger (very sharp) drill bits in a cordless, and in a drill press (holding the case and touchong it to the bit). Hand held wasn't terrible, but in the drill press any run-out makes this a no-go. For such a simple little task, I just KNEW I'd have something around the house to deal with this. Finally I gave up on that, and borrowed a version of the bench mounted swagger tools, but it wasn't efficient and just not worth the effort.

    I finally found two solutions that work for me:

    1. I bought a Hornady Primer Pocket Reamer Tool, then ground down the tip so that it doesn't reach the bottom of the pocket. The upper portion is angled well for this, the cutters are sharp, and it was Cheap. Sometimes I install it in my RCBS case prep station along with the other debur, camfer, pocket cleaner. Sometimes I use the handle and do a few while watching TV etc. This works really well for me when it's a few cases. It's great when I run across one or two crimped primers unexpectedly. However, if I do too many, my hands get really sore.

    2. Finally broke down and bought the RCBS swagger and use it on a single stage press. This works great! The first trick is to either make sure your brass is sorted and adjust for each, or to just learn to "feel" how to bump it just enough. The second trick is to touch it lightly with case lube every so often. (I also polished it with semi-chrome a little). It gets really easy and smooth and you can work by feel better. This is still a little monotonous, but what isn't on a single stage and a big pile to go through.

    I WISH I had a Dillon AP instead of my Lock-n-Load, since you can get all the cool toys. If you didn't drink the Blue, then I really recommend the RCBS swagger tool.

    TD
     

    Sniper 79

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    Oct 7, 2012
    2,939
    48
    Brass is about a 1.25 per pound at my local buyer. Anything that needs a crimp removed gets dropped there.
     

    Sniper 79

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    Oct 7, 2012
    2,939
    48
    The local range brings in drums full to the same buyer. You can buy from them too. Soft out what you load for and they will buy back what you don't need.
     
    Top Bottom