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reloading berdan primed ammo
has anyone tried doing this? i know you can buy the primers,and apparently americans are the only ones that dont reload this stuff. i have a ton of fired brass for 303 brit ect. just curious..
However, I dropped interest when I realized the effort needed to, first, de-prime or de-cap the Berdan cases and then trying to find the scarce Berdan primers.
For all the added effort I'd rather spend the money and time in obtaining new or gently used Boxer cases.
There have been attempts to manufacture special decapping tools to deal with the two tiny holes associated with Berdan primed cases. There have even been attempts to struggle with hydrolic removal of the primers and with other ideas of primer removal.
There has even been detailed instructions on how to drill out the Berdan primer and to drill a flash hole for use with Boxer primers. However, even the primer pockets are of different diameter when comparing the Berdan primer with the Boxer primer.
To me it's just too big a pain in the butt to work with.
__________________
"It confuses me how some people can vigorously go against the 2nd. Amendment and still call themselves patriotic"-me
Billy, Dale is 100% right. It isn't worth the trouble and added expense to mess with Berdans. If you'll watch E-Bay, you can get some pretty good deals on Boxer Primers and brass...bullets too.
If you'll watch E-Bay, you can get some pretty good deals on Boxer Primers and brass
Billy, Dale is 100% right. It isn't worth the trouble and added expense to mess with Berdans. If you'll watch E-Bay, you can get some pretty good deals on Boxer Primers and brass...bullets too.
Sorry, durn phone rang while I was typing and I lost muh mind. I did not mean to say that you can get Boxer Primers on E-Bay. Far as I know, you can't.....BUT what I was trying to allude to is that it's much more economical to load for the .303 than buy ammo...even surplus ammo. Most of what's left of surplus .303 is corrosive anyway. Just ain't worth it. Reloading's the olny way to go. If I can help you, just let me know. JBS
Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca
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jbs, ive never reloaded anything before but i want to start. ive been thinking of getting a lee classic turret press kit. ive heard good things about them. money and space are the two biggest concerns. i have a tiny house but ill make room for that!
If you don't mind, I'd like to PM you. Then we can talk more and exchange e-mail addresses. I assure you that you don't need lots of money or space to reload. I know you can read. That's all you need to be able to do in order to reload. Do you want me to PM you ?
JBS
Location: a secret lab on the shores of lake titicaca
Posts: 23,063
reload
Quote:
Originally Posted by JBS
If you don't mind, I'd like to PM you. Then we can talk more and exchange e-mail addresses. I assure you that you don't need lots of money or space to reload. I know you can read. That's all you need to be able to do in order to reload. Do you want me to PM you ?
JBS
You can take that berdan brass to the scrap yard and they will pay you for it. I recently took a 5 gallon bucket of non reloadable brass to them and came away with about $50.00.
You can take that berdan brass to the scrap yard and they will pay you for it. I recently took a 5 gallon bucket of non reloadable brass to them and came away with about $50.00.
Just a thought.
Nick
You're absolutely right, Nick.
I keep all of my old berdan primed cases, cases that are too bad for reloading, etc.
I took two five gallon buckets to the recycler not too long ago ( thinking brass was $.60 a pound then) and got far enough for some more reloading material.
__________________
"It confuses me how some people can vigorously go against the 2nd. Amendment and still call themselves patriotic"-me
Billy, one option to look at is the Lee Loader. They usually run around $10-$15 and all you need is a mallet and components to reload a single caliber. It is slow but is a good learning tool and, in a pinch can be used in the field or at the range to work up loads.
Toolman if you can find berdan primers, go for it! What esle you gonna do in the winter in North Texas, have sex?
I done gave up on that, bro! I should have posted that reply as a quote as I was just talking about reloading boxer cases. If anyone actually does get that bored or desperate, you can get Berdan primers here: Huntington Reloading Supplies and here: RWS Ammunition
thanks you guys! thats why i subscribe to this site.so that i can get sound advice.
Hey in order to reload military surplus you have to ream were the old primer was too fit a new boxerprimer. Finding berdan primers is pointless, and if you want to reuse brass, well you have to ream it. Also if you can't find bullets for 7.62x54R, you can use .303 british. Have your bore plugged by a gunsmith to find the actual bore diameter, do this because most of these guns are old as dirt, they do wear out, then you will know if you need .311 or .312(most common) diameter bullet for better accuracy. or you can just buy the hell out of surplus before our new pres gets in office and we lose that privelege.
has anyone tried doing this? i know you can buy the primers,and apparently americans are the only ones that dont reload this stuff. i have a ton of fired brass for 303 brit ect. just curious..
Buy the primers where? I searched for a US source for a year and finally gave up. You know where to get the correct sized Berdan primers for 7.62X54R, tell me.
Buy the primers where? I searched for a US source for a year and finally gave up. You know where to get the correct sized Berdan primers for 7.62X54R, tell me.
Hey bro, go back up to post #14 and look at the links I posted there.
I can't find regular primers, much less Berdan ones at the Huntington website. And I had already sent an email to the other one asking if they would ship to the US. Never even got an answer.
Billy, Dale is 100% right. It isn't worth the trouble and added expense to mess with Berdans. If you'll watch E-Bay, you can get some pretty good deals on Boxer Primers and brass...bullets too.
...and once you start reloading, you won't care about surplus ammo anymore. You may even end up pulling the bullets from your stash of corrosive ammo to use in reloads.
reloading berdan primed ammo 
reload 
I should have posted that reply as a quote as I was just talking about reloading boxer cases. If anyone actually does get that bored or desperate, you can get Berdan primers here: 
