Reloading Berdan Primed Brass!?!?

[srv656s]

OK, I want to reload for my Swiss rifle, but all the surplus rounds I have are Berdan primed. Does anyone know if there is a technique to get the berdan primer out? I heard it's possible albeit hard.

THanks

Shawn

[JA]

No it is not hard at all just that you need a RCBS berdan depriming tool and RCBS priming arm assembly for the size of berdan primers you are using. The hole in the shell holder may need to be reamed out depending on the size of the berdan primer.
What gets most people is the cost of tools($75) and the price of berdan primers almost 4 times that of boxer primers.
For the price of the tools you can buy 2-20rd boxes of Norma 7.5 soft point ammo and you will have 40 boxer primed brass cases after you shoot them.

[wlynn5]

You can also fill the case with water and make a ram out of nylon or even wood and smack the ram down into the water filled case. As long as there is no air in the case the water under pressure will drive the primer out. I used this method once and it did work but you have to want to reload cases a bunch to get into this sort of thing.

[Skip]

Here is a picture of the RCBS Berdan Decapper. In the mid 80's I was in the same situation as you but with 7.62X39 ammo. A friend of mine gave me a few thousand RWS Berdan primers that just so happened to fit the M43 round. It also fits the Turkish 8MM. I never could get this device to work properly. I would deface the rim or shear off the internal anvil. I tried the water method but it was messy. What I do now is place a 3/32 inch bit in my drill press and just pierce the primer cup. Then I place a philips screwdriver in the case mouth a use an ice pick to extract the spent primer.

http://www.printroom.com/_vti_bin/ViewImage.dll?userid=Skip153&album_id=58355&image_id=1&param=1655
http://www.printroom.com/_vti_bin/ViewImage.dll?userid=Skip153&album_id=58355&image_id=2&param=26510

[number_6]

Norma cases run about $37 for 50. Norma brass is the best: the case heads are turned and not drawn. It is also expensive.

I just bought an RCBS Rockchucker Master kit, some IMR-4064, Sierra MatchKings and Nosler Ballistic Tips today for the purpose of starting to reload 7.5SR. I've got Norma brass and am going to order some dies in a couple of days.

The problem with Berdan reloading is that it just isn't cost-effective. You open up a whole new world of hurt when you start thinking about things like metric primers. Run now! :)

Be seeing you.

[JA]

Skip,
The whole trick to the RCBS tool is adjusting the depth of the of the decapping pin and using a quick motion to pop the primer out. Adjusting the decapping pin is a trial and error thing that will mess up a half dozen cases the first time you do it. Once you have it adjusted it works great. Switching from one caliber to another requires you to re-adjust the decapping pin depth. After you adjust it for a couple of calibers you get a feel for how much pressure it takes as you use the tool and can tell it needs the decapping pin depth moved in or out.

[Skip]

I know all about it JA. I haven't you that tool in 10 years. I'm sticking to the old drill press when required.:)

[number_6]

If you really want to reload that nice Swiss military brass, here's a load.

165gr Hornady SPBT .308
51.4gr IMR 4350
Berdan 217B primer

Trim to 2.130" with COL of 2.910".

Remember to start 10% low, just in case. You should get very close to 2700fps out of this. Uses a lot of powder, though.

Be seeing you.