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oversize primer pockets
:(I've got a bunch (couple thou) of Chinese 30-06 on M1 clips, which shoot and function just fine. Since they have Boxer primers, I thought it's about time to reload some of these for use in other rifles. Got a couple hundred all cleaned up, resized and deprimed, ready to go. Problem--- the primer pockets are all so big that the new primers just fall out! I mean, there is absolutely no retention. Beautiful brass but unuseable.
I thought maybe a coat of varnish over the seated primer, ALA military primers, but am concerned about gas leakage around the primer, the fit is so bad.
Any ideas? Scrap metal?
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Hi Bob,
It is odd that the primers were not crimped. Anyway, you have scrap brass. There isn't any way to salvage the primer pockets. Your best bet is to take the brass to the scrap yard for some spending money.
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Welcome to the Guide bob4wd.
Yup, the brass is history. :-( Don't even think about sealing the primers in, they have to seat firmly - trying it could damage both your face and your rifle badly.
If you shoot several different bullets in your -06's, they will make good dummy rounds for quickly resetting your seating die when changing bullets.
It seems like maybe they made the primers oversized for some unknown reason, but this is a first for me. (I have used Korean brass, which isn't quite up to US standards, but works fine in my Garand and considering that it has to be FL sized every time, case life is really about the same.) What does the head stamp look like? Anything else odd about them? Do they shoot to roughly the same point of aim as other mil rounds?
You said they shoot and function fine, but I figured I would ask the obvious questions just in case.
Are the primers you removed oversized? Or just the pockets? Did they seem to work normally in your press or did it seem like they deprimed too easily? Any gas leakage or flattening? (I'm wondering about the possibilities of overpressure loads or overly annealed case heads. I'm sure you would be aware of such, I'm just curious as I have never heard of anything like this before, but who knows what they do in China.... )
Have you been shooting them in a Garand? Have you chrono'd the loads? (I am thinking about potential damage to the op rod if the problem is more serious than just odd sized primers.)
If you have been using them in something other than a Garand, I have a brand new -06 Factory Crimp Die that I would be willing to trade for some clips. I have a few dozen, but more wouldn't hurt if you are interested.
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Versifier-
To answer your questions:
1. Head stamp is "60A" at 12:00, "30" at 7:00, "58" at 4:00.
2. Nothing at all unusual, look to be well made, shiny brass.
3. No idea what POA is, it's been many, many years since I've fired 'em.
4. Primer diameter is .215", or .005" more than American.
5. No leakage or flattening.
6. Decap quite nicely, don't have to resort to a seperate decapper. There does seem to be a very slight crimp, but not enough to present a decapping problem.
7. they came loaded on Garand clips, so that's where they got used!
So no, no issues at all other than being 5 thou oversize, so back to my original question---where can I find some some oversize primers?:lol:
I've gone to a new iteration of shooting, namely lead bullets in 1903, 1903a4, and 1895 Win, so could use the brass but not really the loaded ammo.
Now, I'm saying they're Chinese, but that's my memory talking and I've had them for well over 15 years, so possibly not. If anybody REALLY cares,I could dig 'em out, they're in two military issue wooden boxes which are buried under a whole lot of other crap, but my back will really complain if I have to dig down that that deep.
As to clips -for-crimper trade, what would you consider? Better, what would you consider for genuine WWII U.S. marked clips? They were picked them up when a kid off of Point Fermin, CA, where they did a lot of practice firing
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