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These are the techniques and equipment that I use to produce reloaded cartridges for bolt and semi-automatic rifles. Other techniques and equipment may be: better/worse, cheaper/costlier, safer/more dangerous or whatever. Read this stuff and use it or not, at your own risk!

If you ever have the opportunity to pick up some USGI brass, do so. If it was made after 1954, it will have non-corrosive primers and they will be "crimped" in place, as well as sealed with a waterproofing compound.

De-priming is usually not a problem, the primers may be harder than un-crimped ones, but most resizing dies are usually up to the job.

The problem comes when the cases are to be re-primed. The crimp will not allow primers to enter the pocket, and needs to be removed prior to priming.

RCBS makes a Primer Pocket Swager just for this task. The RCBS kit includes a die-like body, two stems, two anvils and a cup-like thingy that removes the case from the anvil.

`The kit will remove the crimps from both Large and Small primer pockets, just select the large or small stem and anvil to suit the size.

The body is installed in the press, just as if it were a die. But instead of a shell holder, one of the anvils is placed on the end of the ram.

The stripper is placed over the anvil, and a small projection of the anvil protrudes through a hole in the stripper.

When the ram is lowered, the anvil disappears, much like a shy snake.

To use, a case is placed atop the anvil and the ram is raised into the body. The inside of the case contacts the stem, and further raising of the ram forces the anvil into the pocket, this "swaging" the pocket. When the ram is lowered, the anvil "disappears" and the case falls loose.

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