RL550 damaged/shaved/dimpled primers when priming

#1 · May 17, 2014, 11:06 pm

Press: Dillon Rl550

Event: Shaved, dimpled or destroyed primers. Load difficulty 10 of 10. Takes 4 to 12 primers to load a single round. Repetitiously.

Easily duplicated. Will happen to ANY .223 case by any make.

Primer. Remington 7 1/2 benchrest small rifle.

Powder(s) Varget & Reloder 7.

Projectile(s) Hornady: 55gr FMJBT & 52grHPBT.

Attempt remedies: Complete breakdown of tool head & primer charging device on press.

Load sequence #1 Tumble, resize/de-prime, case trim & debur w/ chamfer, wipe down, prime, load charge, seat bullet, crimp bullet. Result: Damage primers in every load.

Load sequence #2 Lube, deprime/resize, tumble, wipe down, prime, load charge, seat and crimp bullet. Result: Same as #1

On nearly every round in a run of 50 rounds, the difficulty of priming the brass in the press. Ram shows extreme counter force requiring maximum force in UPSTROKE for priming and 5 to 9 attempts or the primer will not seat at all. Many brass shavings seen near the priming cup, attempted cleaning with each round, no success. no burrs seen or felt. Watching a "dry" run in upstroke shows the priming "ram" meets surface without any resistance. Repeat run, same problem. More than 400 attempts to load 50 rounds. 1 in three are flattened, dimpled or shaved. Again, requires extreme force on press handle on upstroke as if lifting a 300 lb barbel. Makes "chunking" and "snapping" sound when "successful but flattened primer, had to throw out 2 out of 5 pieces of brass.

This is the first time loading .223.

Press history, loads LARGE primers both rifle and pistol without issue.

Loaded pistol after the .223 run without issue. attempted another .223 run, same problem exists, was able to duplicate issue with normal set-up and run.

Box of 20 rounds with damaged primers pictures attached.

Cause: UNKNOWN

#2 · May 18, 2014, 9:50 am

If that is Military brass such as LC (Lake City), there is a crimp around the primer pocket that you also have to remove. It's called swaging. Youtube has a lot of info as does this forum on the subject and Dillon also sells one that does the job. Good Luck and remember never force a primer....10 /10 difficulty is not right. Be Safe.

#3 · May 25, 2014, 6:31 pm

L/C or Lake City brass will do that every time.

#4 · May 31, 2014, 6:51 pm

I have incurred this problem with military brass if I did not remove the primer crimp. I made me a tool out of an old screw driver to ream out the crimp. No problems since then.

#5 · July 4, 2014, 4:35 pm

Also check your cartridge spring to make sure it is holding the casing in securely when you size. Has a problem with not using the spring to "speed up" the process. Ended up the primers would get shaved if the casing was a little off-center (not all the way in the shellplate) when I primed the case.

#6 · January 8, 2015, 2:21 am

Some federal 223 brass has been found to have crimped primers also. So check all brass for crimped primers