[captain-03]

Well, with my acquisition of 1000 Berdan Large Rifle primers, it was time to see what I could do. Sorted through all my scrap range brass (wish I had collected more) and found several hundred 7.62x54R (Russian) Berdan primed BRASS cases. The very first thing I noticed was that some of them had a very larger primer while others seem to have a much smaller primer. Since I had Berdan Large Rifle primers, I started with the ones that seem to have the largest primer pocket.





Step 1: Removed the depriming pin from my sizing die (using Lee 7.62x54R dies) - got to remove the depriming/decapping pin because these cases are Berdan primed -- do not want to break a pin.

Step 2: Resized the cases as I would normally do with boxer primed cases - used RCBS case lube and they just went into the die without the first hint of a problem!

Step 3: Now it was time to "attempt" to remove the old spent berdan primer from the case. This part was a lot of trial and error ... You have to have someway to hold the case so you can work with it. I had an old Lyman used M1 30Cal Carbine 30.06 bullet seater die and removed / unscrewed the bullet seater plug from the top of the die. The 7.62x54R case dropped right in. You could also drill a hole in a thick wooden block and accomplish the same thing - just need something to hold the case so you can work with it.

Note: Used the M1 Carbine seater die to deprime several 7.62x39 cases ...





Step 4: Now that you have the case secured, you need a small piece of steel with a semi-sharp point on it. These was the frustrating part ... I tried several different steels (bolts and files) and all seemed to break after a few attempts to deprime. Found this little piece sitting in my tool box and ground it down with my bench grinder so it had a semi-sharp point to it -- it saved the day ... need HARD steel!!



Step 5: Using the location where the old primer was indented by the firing pin strike, place your steel rod at an angle and using a small hammer, penetrate the old primer -- don't be lame with this step - bang it so it penetrates pretty good.



Step 6: While the rod is inserted into the spent primer, push down on the rod. Most time the old primer will pop out ... other times you may have to reinsert the rod at a different place and/or angle.





NOTE: Time to prime the cases with a new berdan primer. Remember me saying above that there were cases with large primer pockets and some with much small pockets and I decided to start with the largest because I had berdan large rifle primers? Well, the largest were WAY, WAY too large for the berdan large rifle primes – actually, it was the ones that looked “small” that took the berdan large rifle primers. So I had about 80 pieces of brass ready to go that would not accept the berdan primers I had!! Back to Step 1 using the brass with the smaller primer pockets!!



Step 7: Found that the primer pockets had a little crimp in them. Use a chaffering tool and removed the crimp.



Step 8: Placed primer in primer arm on press and primed cases as normal. Some took a little more force than I am use to – but they seated tightly. Now my cases are sized and primed and ready for some boolits.



Step 9: Had some 136 grain boolits already casted – ran them through my .313 sizing die, lubed, and added a gas check …




Step 10: Now ready to load …. Want get to this stage until Friday at the earliest!! Will keep you posted on my quest!!

 

[shoeshooter]

Quite an undertaking, will look forward to the next installment. Talk about mixed brass, I got cross-eyed and a headache trying to count all the different headstamps

 

[Rw]

Are you going to try any steel cases? I left 10 or so on the last range at magnolia last week.

 

[Richard]

This is interesting. Keep us posted.

 

[X-Ring]

Great thread, look forward to part 2

 

[SubGunFan]

Captain, thanks for delivering my LR Berdan primers today. OH YES, I am watching your progress at using berdan primers before I start BREAKING THINGS when I try it...............


.

 

[Xd357]

Where there's a will there's a way. Nice part one.

 

[M1GarandFan]

I look forward to seeing how they work out. I've wondered how hard the process would be.

 

[DMC49]

:bravo:

Great presentation. Look forward to hearing how they shoot.

 

[Methos]

I have used a drill press to drill out a primer from the base end before. I used a bit slightly smaller than to pocket hole and watched the depth. Very easy. Most come out via the bit, some I had to pick out the remaining pieces with a pick.

I am wondering if a berdan case can be primed with a regular primer and work?

Drill a flash hole in the center to go along with the two others to help ignition and allow for standard depriming later?

what think?

with the price of ammo these days, makes sense to re-use the berdan stuff.

 

[Rw]

I have used a drill press to drill out a primer from the base end before. I used a bit slightly smaller than to pocket hole and watched the depth. Very easy. Most come out via the bit, some I had to pick out the remaining pieces with a pick.

I am wondering if a berdan case can be primed with a regular primer and work?

Drill a flash hole in the center to go along with the two others to help ignition and allow for standard depriming later?

what think?

with the price of ammo these days, makes sense to re-use the berdan stuff.

They can be primed with normal primers, the steel case reloading video i posted off youtube a few weeks ago showed it.

 

[Guest]

CPT, I've got around 280 of the 7.62x54R and around 230 of the 7.62x39 if'n you want them.

 

[captain-03]

CPT, I've got around 280 of the 7.62x54R and around 230 of the 7.62x39 if'n you want them.

Will take 'em! Thanks!!

 

[Guest]

Sent you a PM.

 

[tupelo_firearms]

Have you tried a Berdan decapping tool? I've got a friend that has (had?) one, and he said it worked wonders. It was RCBS brand, Midway sells them.

 

[captain-03]

Ok - attempted to charge and load the freshly primed cases -- another problem .... Of course I did not use the depriming/sizing die to decap the brass. I took the decapping pin out of the sizing die and sized the cases using the die without the decapping pin in it. Since the decapping pin also contains the expander ball for opening up the case mouth, the case mouth was not expanded -- and here is the result. The case boolit has been sized to .311 and the case collapsed when the boolit was inserted.



I measured the expander ball on the decapping pin and it measured .3115 -- just what I need.



Now to figure out a way to expand the case mouth using the decapping pin/expander ball. This is a set of Lee dies and the decapping pin can not be separated from the expander ball (unlike some Lyman and RCBS). Can not use this way because the decapping pin hits the bottom of the case and has no where to go due to this being berdan cases!



Guess I cut take a hacksaw to it and remove the decapping pin!! Any ideas out there?
:thinking:

 

[captain-03]

Have you tried a Berdan decapping tool? I've got a friend that has (had?) one, and he said it worked wonders. It was RCBS brand, Midway sells them.

Nope - but I am familiar with them ... About $50.00. May end up giving it a try provided all else goes OK ...

 

[crazyace85]

Just order you another decapping pin/expander ball and cut the pin off seems like the best idea.

 

[Rw]

If that pin is hardened a hacksaw isnt going to touch it. You will need a dremel or something else with a cut off wheel to do it. I can bring one of mine to the range one day if you want.

 

[Methos]

cap, since probably 95% of all 7.62x54R is berdan (I'm guessing) why not just grind the pin off totally?
If you come across boxer primed shells later you can deprime them by hand with a punch or perhaps with the press using some other similar sized case's decapping rod and pin.