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Crushing Federal Primers


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Crushing Federal Primers

I’ve loaded well over 10,000 rounds on my 650, all Win Small primers, mixed brass. I just switched to Federal primers and I’m getting crushed primers at a rate of about 5-7 per 500 loaded rounds. I never crushed Win primers any where near that rate. I know Fed are softer, but this is ridiculous. Seems like it’s mostly Win brass. Is this a brass issue, or a reloader issue? Here are some pics of the cases and the station #2 so you can see the alignment. I called Dillon the other day and they recommended to adjust the arm that holds the case into station #2. I did that, adjust it out a little ( looser ), but that didn’t seem to help.

Any ideas?

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Could just be the photo but doesn't look like station 2 is lined up correctly.

no, i agree. when i asked Dillon about the alignment, they said it won't ever be perfectly centered, but i'm starting to think that it is definitely more than it should be.

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Easier than the alignment tool...

With the ram all the way down, as if you were going to prime, slowly bring the ram back up a little bit, to where you get off of the vertical on the index ring, and back to the angle. If you see the shell plate move when it hits the angle, there's an alignment issue.

This isn't my photo, but illustrates what I'm talking about.

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Thanks for the help everyone. I spoke to Dillon again today and they walked me through what Brassaholic says to do in post # 8. It definitely is more centered now, but i had another 6 crushed in 200 rounds. I finally changed the lot of brass i was using. 300 and no crushed. All of the crushed ones are Win. They aren't crimped, they just appear to be the tightest primer pockets around.

FWIW, two phone calls to Dillon and I mentioned the alignment tool both times. They didn't offer to send the tool even after asking either time.

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http://www.midwayusa.com/product/804809/hornady-primer-pocket-reamer-package?cm_vc=ProductFinding

If you don't have those, you should. Any of them that have crushed the primer, run the reamers into the primer pocket. If you see material being removed, either the cases are grossly out of spec, or you're trying to push primers into a crimped primer pocket.

Once every blue moon I'll find a case during priming that's out of spec... But, anywhere near the number you're finding, and it's due to crimped pockets.

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