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berdan decapping tool

tinmanjjtinmanjj Member Posts: 81 ✭✭
edited February 2006 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
is there any tool available to decap berdan primers or should I just drill a new flash hole and use boxer primers 303 british ammo thank you
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Comments

  • dclocodcloco Member Posts: 2,967
    edited November -1
    Primers are different sized.

    For some great info, check www.swissrifles.com - excellent article and how to make a berdan deprimer.
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  • PinheadPinhead Member Posts: 1,485 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    RCBS sells a berdan de-priming tool. Check with your supply house or call them directly. Frankly, berdan primed brass is more trouble than it is worth. My .02 anyway.
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  • jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
    edited November -1
    There is .303 Brit brass available from any number of sources, that takes regular boxer primers.

    The Berdans currently available are the wrong size anyhow, for most .303.

    One method to decap is to fill the case with water, remove the decapping pin from your die, or back it off if it is a Lee, slowly raise the ram on a sized case until the expander is just entering the mouth, then quickly push down on the handle. The hydraulic pressure will decap the case. When done, make sure to disassemble the die and dry, and spray the press down with WD40 or similar.
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  • PinheadPinhead Member Posts: 1,485 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Hey jonk, that's a interesting idea that I hadn't heard about. I may try it just for fun--I need a bath anyway.
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  • MosinNagantDiscipleMosinNagantDisciple Member Posts: 2,612
    edited November -1
    In all honesty, save yourself the trouble and just reload boxer cases. There has never been a satisfying way to decap berdan primers, and there never will be. Either you get drenched in water doing it hydraulically or you spend tedious hours trying to claw it out with a manual decapping tool.
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  • Dean CascioDean Cascio Member Posts: 2,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Why not kiss it with a drill bit?
    Dean
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  • mrobinsonmrobinson Member Posts: 3 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've converted them to boxers by drilling the flash hole out to the size of a regular case flash hole.

    Did it with some 8mmX57 for my Yugo 48A and they've been good for 5 reloadings so far.
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  • RossRoss Member Posts: 156 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I find Berdan primers no great problem after the learning curve is overcome.
    The two greatest problems are getting the correct size primers and the price of the RCBS cap extractor. However the commercial decapping tool is not absolutely necessary, just convenient after you learn to use it. I use one on 24 gage shotshell brass, about the upper end of its capacity.
    There are several hydraulic schemes, and you don't need to take a shower to decap. Over on David Cushman's beekeeping site is a tutorial on how to make your own Wamadet decapping tool that was advertised (albeit maybe a little optimistically)" . . .With a little practice the sequence becomes easy and automatic and cyclic rates of over 600 cases an hour have been obtained."
    It is a no splash affair.
    Cheers from Darkest California,
    Ross
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