Berdan Primers

[psteinmayer]

Howdy all,

I recently came into possession of a new rifle (not a Krag, a K31), along with a large amount of brass which is Berdan primed. In the interest of reloading what I have (until I can secure a lot of Boxer primed 7.5x55 Swiss brass), I've decided to reload the Berdan primed brass. I've already de-capped a large number if it and found that it's not too difficult. The problem I have is finding Berdan Primers.

So the question is: Where can I get Berdan standard rifle primers??? No dice on Graf and Sons, Cheaper than Dirt, or Midway.

[Culpeper]

I suggest you purchase three cases if you can afford it and if he has them.

http://www.gunbroker.com/All/BI.aspx?Keywords=berdan+primers

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=554765478

[psteinmayer]

Ok, I went ahead and purchased the 500 count Berdan primers. I would have purchased all 2000, but that was just too much for me to spend right now! 500 will supply me for a couple seasons, and maybe by then, I'll have some good Boxer brass.

[reincarnated]

Bore & groove diameters? What about bullets? My experience is that loading with our usual match bullets (168 grain Sierras) requires extreme attention to seating depth and cartridge OAL. Maybe 150 grain bullets will function better.

First-hand experience says that it is far too easy to jam an overly long loaded cartridge into the chamber and have everything non-functional. :-[ Make up some dummy rounds.

[Culpeper]

These guys are the answer.

http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?13-Swiss-Weapons-Forum&s=fda6188ca69ee945297d3033a5673481

[Culpeper]

Ok, I went ahead and purchased the 500 count Berdan primers. I would have purchased all 2000, but that was just too much for me to spend right now! 500 will supply me for a couple seasons, and maybe by then, I'll have some good Boxer brass.

That is why you should buy reloading stuff you don't need because you might need it some day. I bought a case of the Tula berdan primers for 7.5x55 ammo two years before I bought the K31s. You never know when you might have a need for something or can make a buck off of it.

[Parashooter]

Thanks to the excellent instructions published by M.Chandler at http://web.archive.org/web/20090109164453/http://users.ameritech.net/mchandler/primer.html , I finally found a practical method of converting .217" Berdan brass to take .210" Boxer primers. The tools I used are an RCBS primer pocket swager, a good loading press, a drill, a spare shellholder, and a ball bearing about 1/2 inch in diameter. The process is simple and quick, requiring under two minutes per case once everything is set up. It works very well for me. Once I'd made up a dozen cases, I loaded and fired 150-grain bullets with charges of WC852 from 43 to 55 grains, then reloaded and fired one case 7 times with the stiff 55-grain load. There were no gas leaks at all and the primer pocket was just about as snug after 7 load/fire cycles as it was immediately after conversion.



Much more detail is at http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/topic/25275/Berdan-to-Boxer-Conversion-Method

[psteinmayer]

Thanks very much Para. As usual, you are right on top of things!

I actually converted a bunch of 10.4 mm Italian Ordnance brass once a few years ago, but I didn't use the ball (the primer pockets were a hair larger and just supported the Boxer primer, which I glued each in with primer sealant).

I think initially, I'll use the Berdan primers for enough rounds to support a couple matches, and then work on converting the remaining brass. I also saw a method which required swaging in a piece of copper tubing in the primer pocket... but I just don't trust that method. I think your method is the best long term option!

[FredC]

I looked at the Chandler procedure, quite interesting.
I thought of one improvement to using the tool makers vice for swaging the primer hole. If you were to lay the ball in the primer pocket of an old case holder installed in your reloading press. If the ball does not sit centered in the recess for the primer you might have to grind some of the top off. A modified decapper in an oversize shell forming die (45/70 maybe) would provide the pressure inside the case. With the reloading press the swaging would be easier, faster, and more uniform.
I checked putting a .45 inch ball on a shell holder and it looks like it would work a smaller 3/8 or 10mm ball would fit more shell holders. If I was doing it I would still use an old one.

[Parashooter]

. . .If you were to lay the ball in the primer pocket of an old case holder installed in your reloading press. . .

Maybe like this? (As detailed at http://parallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums.yuku.com/topic/25275/Berdan-to-Boxer-Conversion-Method )


Ball bearing rests on primer hole in shellholder. Grinding a small chamfer at the hole may be needed to keep ball centered (depends on the shellholder). Hey, they're cheap.

A word of caution: some brass is considerably harder than the Swiss cases shown here - hard enough to damage the swager set, shellholder, ram, or even some presses. If you try anything that seems to be taking an uncomfortable amount of force on the press handle, stop there and try using Mr. Chandler's techniques which don't involve a reloading press. Berdan cases are expendable, good tools are not.