Crimped primers: a back-handed rant

[Steve Marshall]

I grew up on crimped primers, BFD. Why, of a sudden, are crimped primers such an issue? You older guys, remember taking the crimp out with a pocket knife? In this day and age with the various and sundry "case prep centers" marketed, you'd think GAF. Or have we become a nation of operators who have their calender booked so solid that the few seconds to remove the crimp overburdens?

I sell brass online and get several emails a week wanting to know if xxxx brass has crimped primers. Mind you they don't want to pay an extra penny apiece for uncrimped varieties. And just to let you sleep better at night, almost all, e.g., Federal .223 is crimped. Of the ~687 available variations of Federal headstamps on .223 all but a few are crimped. My response never varies- treat all xxx brass as though it's crimped. And to help you sleep even better, a competitor who processes brass for resale tells me that some 40 S&W now come with crimped primers.

 

[Taipan01]

Crimps don't bother me. I simply load a Hornady primer pocket reamer cutter head onto the trio and remove it. If no crimp is on the cartridge then I load a pocket cleaning tool on it. Either process is about the same before I tumble in walnut media after popping the primers.

 

[jhrosier]

I've used an RCBS primer pocket swager to remove crimps for the past nearly 50 years.
It is really not a big deal.
I don't have the energy to be a drama queen....

When Maura outlaws the rest of the guns, crimped primers won't be a problem for anybody.

Jack

 

[Dean Crawford]

I chamfer the primer pockets, and just look at it as one of the many steps towards preparing a case.

Dean

 

[drgrant]

Crimped primers on rifle brass isn't a big deal because the case prep is already a huge pain in the ass- adding another step isn't going to increase the misery much. On pistol brass crimped primers are retarded and completely obnoxious to deal with.

 

[Hoon]

Crimped primers on rifle brass isn't a big deal because the case prep is already a huge pain in the ass- adding another step isn't going to increase the misery much. On pistol brass crimped primers are retarded and completely obnoxious to deal with.

Exactly.

Crimped pistol brass = scrap metal. I'm not dealing with that crap.

 

[Dean Crawford]

Crimped pistol brass Hmmm, I bet you the govt has something to do with that.

Dean

 

[EddieCoyle]

I like getting rifle brass with crimped primers because I know it was once-fired.

 

[timbo]

I like getting rifle brass with crimped primers because I know it was once-fired.

This...

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[5 DOLLAR FOOT LONG]

I found some herters 38 special cases on the floor and took them home, they are either crimped or have the most hilariously undersized primer pocket known to man.

 

[swampy]

I put mil spec 9mm brass aside and wait til I have nothing better to do than deprime it and decrimp it and put it in my once fired retirement brass bucket. It doesn't take up much time and I have a nice 5 gallon bucket filled with once fired brass and a good start on the 2nd bucket.