# Reaming Primer Pockets



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I bought some .204 brass on GunBroker. The primer pockets are reamed. I assume the brass was crimped for use in a semi-auto AR-type rifle.

The reaming looks excessive to me, but I'm no reloading expert by any stretch. I want to use these in a Howa 1500. What do you fellas think?


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Send 'em back. "Not as advertised" Why even mess with them.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Well if the primers pop out, you'll have your answer


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## Transfixer (Jul 7, 2009)

That does look a bit excessive, but the flash holes look oversized to me. which is not good.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Federal brass? I thought Federal primer crimps their 204.

I'd like to see how thick the crimp was, it might be that is just how much they had to take off to get rid of it. I have alot of .223 brass reamed about that much and it works fine.


-DallanC


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

DallanC said:


> Federal brass? I thought Federal primer crimps their 204.
> 
> I'd like to see how thick the crimp was, it might be that is just how much they had to take off to get rid of it. I have alot of .223 brass reamed about that much and it works fine.
> 
> -DallanC


Yes, I have seen substantial pocket reaming on .223s, especially military brass. For whatever reason I consider the .204 a bolt-action rifle, strange, my first .204 was an AR rifle.

The brass is Winchester

My neighbor has reloaded like 14 trillion rounds of every cartridge imaginable. He says "send the **** things back, you'll put yer eye out".......something like that.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Transfixer said:


> That does look a bit excessive, but the flash holes look oversized to me. which is not good.


Good eye. I didn't notice that. So I got out some once-fired Hornaday Superperformance .204 brass and measured the flash holes on both brands.

Winchester flash hole - tight #45 drill bit (#45 is 0.082")
Hornaday flash hole - loose #47 drill bit (#47 is 0.0785")

The Winchester flash hole is around 0.003" bigger than the Hornaday flash hole.



interesting

.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

When comparing new Hornaday brass to the Winchester the difference in the primer pocket ream/crimp size looks small IMO. 




I think I have some once-fired Remingtons, I'll take a look.

.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Hmm, this thread looks like a shameless plug for RCBS. 

.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Compared to the factory it doesn't look so bad. The difference on flash hole looks closer to .004" to me, may want to check that.


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