Broken deprimer pin (Berdan primer)

[NCMTNBOY]

So, I realize most of you are much smarter than me, but this was a first for me. I have loaded several hundred military brass with no issues. So, when my new 6x45 barrel came in, I went out to the garage to start rolling some loads. I am using SB rcbs dies with some DOD brass. About 12 pieces in, the dies gets tight, I give it a little more pressure and snap, broken pin. This is a first for me, so I swap pins, set that brass to the side and punch a few more then it happens again, but this time it bends the stem as well. I am getting frustrated, but swap stems assuming the stem was bent to start with, causing the problem. A few more and the pin breaks again. This time I am pissed. I stop what I am doing, google what could be wrong and sure enough a berdan primer case. This was confirmed after I hack sawed the case in two, to inspect the primer pocket. Never even heard of them before. Just glad to have found the problem and thought I would pass it along for anybody else that hasn't run into them.

 

[Stu Farish]

yup, an old style primer that makes [beeep] for reloaders.

 

[Brad Phillips]

I have run into some "boxer" primed stuff where the hard primer crimp/ offset primer hole was a PITA.

 

[Hellgate]

A lot of European/foreign ammo is Berdan primed with 2 or 3(?) flash holes but no centered flash hole. Berdan primers have no anvil. The anvil is incorporated into the brass primer pocket. Any oddball foreign brass needs to be inspected for whether they are boxer or Berdan primed before processing. Even though they CAN be reloaded they are difficult to deprime and the Berdan primers are not readily available. I toss them into the scrap brass bucket.

 

[Brad Phillips]

F&S headstamp on .223 ammo has been a pain for me. They all go into the scrap pile.

 

[Bear]

You should have been able to see the problem with out having to cut the case.I ran into a bunch of them I got at a swap meet when I first started to reload but haven't seen any in a long time.

 

[pyscodog]

If its any consolation, your not the first one this has happened to.

 

[NCMTNBOY]

Originally Posted By: BearYou should have been able to see the problem with out having to cut the case.I ran into a bunch of them I got at a swap meet when I first started to reload but haven't seen any in a long time.

Cutting the case was more for dealing with frustration, than learning anything. It did give me a good view of what was going on though.

 

[pahntr760]

For military brass, Lee universal decapper with squirrel daddy decapping pins for the win.