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South African .223 ammo

grizzclawgrizzclaw Member Posts: 1,159 ✭✭
edited June 2002 in Ask the Experts
Is this ammo reloadable? If the primer pocket needs to be opened up on this ammo, how do you do it.

Thanks, Grizztribefans@sssnet.com
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Comments

  • hecklerxkochhecklerxkoch Member Posts: 213 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    i dont think it is, you need a crimping tool, dillon makes one for $77.95, but i'm sure there's cheaper out there.
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  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 14,088 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I got some PMP 308 fmj from century a while back. It is boxer primed but most of the South African ammo I've seen lately is all berdan.

    Mobuck
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  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 14,088 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Kinda lost my train of thought there. I've also had 223 PMP fmj that was boxer primed but all I've seen the last couple of months has been berdan in 30 round packs.

    Mobuck
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  • grizzclawgrizzclaw Member Posts: 1,159 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The stuff I bought was 300 round battlepacks, was just curious if I could reload it or not. I'm not even sure how it's primed. I haven't reloaded anything for quite awhile, so I've forgotten alot. I've got alot of info written down, but I forgot where I put that. If my loaders weren't bolted to the bench, I'd probably forget where they were too! Ahhh, I guess I;ve got too much stuff.

    Thanks, Grizztribefans@sssnet.com
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  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 14,088 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The ad says that the SA ammo in the 300 battlepacks is berdan primed.

    Mobuck
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  • leeblackmanleeblackman Member Posts: 5,303 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The stuff I had was berdain primed. At least you don't have to pick it up when your finished shooting it.

    If I'm wrong please correct me, I won't be offended.

    The sound of a 12 gauge pump clears a house fatser than Rosie O eats a Big Mac !
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  • byron2112byron2112 Member Posts: 31 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    berdan primed means it is not reloadable?What does berdan primed mean?
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  • Laredo LeftyLaredo Lefty Member Posts: 13,451 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    heckler has the right idea, but preparing the primer pocket is not called crimping, its called swaging. I have a couple hundred of the So African .223. They shot fine and were boxer primed, it seems from the above postings the manufacturers go back and forth between BOXER and BERDAN .
    One thing I noticed is the distinct difference in sound when you drop 2 or 3 fired african cases on the concrete compared to the same Lake City cases. Since Lake City is some of the best brass for reloading, it leads me to believe the african brass is of considerably less quality.
    You should pick up your brass whether at the range or in the boonies, boxer or berdan. cluttering up the place makes shooters look like slobs, and we dont need that.
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  • ToyboyToyboy Member Posts: 30 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Byron, Boxer primers are the type of primers normaly used in the USA. Berdan primers had been the customarily loaded in the rest of the world. Both may be reloaded with the proper tools and componets. The difference is , most notably, boxer primers have the anvil, the portion aganist which the firing pin crushes the priming pellet, is contained in the primer itself. Berdan cases have the anvil in the primer pocket itself. Berdan cases have 2 flash holes in the base; Boxer cases have a single flash hole centered in the primer pocket.
    Removing Berdan primers is a labor intensive chore done either hydraulically (filling the cases with water and stricking a tight fitting dowel), or machinically (a pointed lever peirces the primer and pries the old primer out). RCBS makes this tool.
    Berdan primers are availible in the US from The Old Western Scrounger and possibly others. They are several sizes, simular to small rifle and 2 different large rifle sizes.
    Because of all the work involved, the only justification to reload Berdan cases is for the unique foriegn cases not available or able to formed from Boxer brass.
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