Primers splitting during resize/deprime

[Braxton1]

This is called a "Ringer" and is a PITA. I agree with those who say "Scrap it!".

A Pocket Swager won't help. Like Gyppo said, the swage rod just crushes everything around it and ruins the brass anyways.

 

[Freshly Minted Georgian!]

Update. Out of the last bucket I ended up with 8 pieces that split the primers out during deprime. Interestingly 100% of those were Hornady brass. Maybe bad lot, tighter pockets, bad lot of primers with metallurgy problems in the cups, mildly corrosive such that the cup metal just etched or degraded......no clue, it was just interesting that they were all from one manufacturer.

This is mixed brass, dozens of different manufacturers from all over the world.

 

[kuduman]

I'm another "never seen it". I've never wet-tumbled though.

 

[Freshly Minted Georgian!]

These splits are before tumbling so that isn't related to the cause.

 

[rosewood]

New to me. So the primer cup itself is separating? I thought they were pressed from one piece of metal, so I guess the edge where it is stretched to make the cup is the weak point and is breaking there?

Rosewood

 

[Freshly Minted Georgian!]

That is precisely where they tend to break, right at that bend point. The flat part of the cup, the bottom, either pops off completely leaving just a ring in the pocket. More frequently though, the bottom pops loose but doesn't fully detach so it leaves that little round flap of brass hanging there which prevents sliding the case out of the shell holder.

It was only in the last couple of weeks that I started paying attention to the brand. Before that I'd usually ream them out on the brass prep station or just toss them out. After posting this thread I gave up trying to salvage them, it's just not worth the time involved. It can take 5-10 minutes to try to get one of them cleaned out. I could either spend 10 minutes trying to salvage one case OR I could trash it and resize 100 more cases so I just stopped.

 

[rosewood]

Good info, something else I now know to look out for.

 

[Hunterrs]

Update. Out of the last bucket I ended up with 8 pieces that split the primers out during deprime. Interestingly 100% of those were Hornady brass. Maybe bad lot, tighter pockets, bad lot of primers with metallurgy problems in the cups, mildly corrosive such that the cup metal just etched or degraded......no clue, it was just interesting that they were all from one manufacturer.

This is mixed brass, dozens of different manufacturers from all over the world.

I have seen it with Hornady brass as well. Also Hornady primer pockets don't get as clean as other brands when wet tumbling for some reason.

 

[41mag]

So this has been with Hornady brass…..what brand of primers ?

 

[Freshly Minted Georgian!]

Who knows, whatever Hornady uses. Your comment Hunterrs is making me wonder if they don't polish the pocket as well as other manufacturers. I assume this is all swage formed brass, maybe Hornady just has inherently less smooth pocket walls, hence more friction, hence greater likelihood of a split. Maybe they are using some sort of sealing lacquer that's somehow causing it. Who knows, maybe if I get really bored I'll fire them an email to ask.