SG Primer Pocket Reconditioning Station

[Yul Lose]

Between switching to different primers and reloading the hulls a number of times it became evident that I needed to recondition the hull primer pockets. I’ve had a primer pocket reconditioning tool for a number of years but haven’t used it that much. Well I decided to build this depriming/reconditioning station to speed up the process a bit and it works really well. The first station holds the hull, 16 gauge in this case and I turned down the tip of an old hinge pin to locate the center of the primer and just tap out the old primer with a ball pean hammer. I stow the primer punch in the hole above the pocket and move the hull over to the reconditioning anvil and rap the conditioning punch 3 times with the ball pean hammer and it’s done. I deprimed and reconditioned 75 hulls in about 16 minutes.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

You should make and sell these. 

[Buckshot Bob]

Can’t you just use cheddite primers ? Or have you already went there 

[Yul Lose]

40 minutes ago, Buckshot Bob said:

Can’t you just use cheddite primers ? Or have you already went there 

I just started using my stash of fiocci primers and they’re pretty loose. The hulls have been reloaded 6-7 times too.

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

I guess 16 ga hulls are harder to come by so gotta maximize their life. 

[Yul Lose]

7 hours ago, Abilene, SASS # 27489 said:

I guess 16 ga hulls are harder to come by so gotta maximize their life. 

They are getting harder to find, that’s for sure.

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

I love the way we Cowboys come up with all sorts of methods to keep us in the game.

 

my problem is my shells never last long enough for primer pocket issues--they crack, big-time, at the crimp;  when the shot is no longer contained then it's time to move them out

[Buckshot Bob]

16 minutes ago, Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L said:

I love the way we Cowboys come up with all sorts of methods to keep us in the game.

 

my problem is my shells never last long enough for primer pocket issues--they crack, big-time, at the crimp;  when the shot is no longer contained then it's time to move them out

Same here I usually use Remington greens because I seem to get better life out of them than double A’s . But I don’t keep a really accurate count, I don’t believe ive ever gotten 7 loads out of a shell with a 12 or 20. I have a 16 but never have loaded for it . Yul must have the secret sauce 

 

[Yul Lose]

6 minutes ago, Buckshot Bob said:

Same here I usually use Remington greens because I seem to get better life out of them than double A’s . But I don’t keep a really accurate count, I don’t believe ive ever gotten 7 loads out of a shell with a 12 or 20. I have a 16 but never have loaded for it . Yul must have the secret sauce 

 

I think part of the secret is I trim all of my hulls back 3/16 of an inch so they aren’t as apt to hang up coming out of an 1897 SG. The plastic is a bit thicker and they seem to last longer all except for the Remingtons they last for about one reload and that’s it. Herters and Federal even after 6-7 reloads are still in good shape.

[Buckshot Bob]

12 minutes ago, Yul Lose said:

I think part of the secret is I trim all of my hulls back 3/16 of an inch so they aren’t as apt to hang up coming out of an 1897 SG. The plastic is a bit thicker and they seem to last longer all except for the Remingtons they last for about one reload and that’s it. Herters and Federal even after 6-7 reloads are still in good shape.

I bought a few cases of those purple herters a few years ago when Cabelas was closing them out . They kill grouse just fine 

[Yul Lose]

The Winchester X 16 gauge hulls only last for a couple of reloads before they crack at the mouth.

[Yul Lose]

1 hour ago, Buckshot Bob said:

I bought a few cases of those purple herters a few years ago when Cabelas was closing them out . They kill grouse just fine 

I’d buy your hulls if you don’t want them.

[Buckshot Bob]

2 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

I’d buy your hulls if you don’t want them.

I’ll buy a Mec eventually I’m a hoarder when it comes to ammo and reloading components, I can’t sell them now that I know I can reload them 7 times  

[Yul Lose]

35 minutes ago, Buckshot Bob said:

I’ll buy a Mec eventually I’m a hoarder when it comes to ammo and reloading components, I can’t sell them now that I know I can reload them 7 times  

I use a MEC 9000 with AutoMate, nice machine but finicky at times. The Herters and Federal plastic hulls seems to be more elastic and much less brittle than the Remington and Winchester that’s probably a lot of why they reload better for longer.

[Buckshot Bob]

49 minutes ago, Yul Lose said:

I use a MEC 9000 with AutoMate, nice machine but finicky at times. The Herters and Federal plastic hulls seems to be more elastic and much less brittle than the Remington and Winchester that’s probably a lot of why they reload better for longer.

For the volume I will load I’ll probably just get a sizemaster , I have one of the new sweet 16’s . I was looking for a 20ga semi when I got it. It’s actually lighter than many of the 20ga semi’s and it’s a 16. It’s my foul weather upland gun 

[Photo Shooter]

Hi Yul,

 

I use this to recondition my primer pockets on a Mec 9000. It is the ultimate primer punch and works great!
https://creativereloadingsolutions.com/shotshell-reloading-products/

[Yul Lose]

1 hour ago, Photo Shooter said:

Hi Yul,

 

I use this to recondition my primer pockets on a Mec 9000. It is the ultimate primer punch and works great!
https://creativereloadingsolutions.com/shotshell-reloading-products/

Thanks, that’s much better than mine and much less work. I ordered one. Great outfit to deal with too, thanks again.

[Lawdog Dago Dom]

On 4/10/2023 at 5:08 PM, Yul Lose said:

Thanks, that’s much better than mine and much less work. I ordered one. Great outfit to deal with too, thanks again.

@Yul Lose I have one of those from Creative Reloading Solutions and it works great on my 650. Been trying to adapt it to the MEC Case Conditioner, but with no success. If anyone can figure out how to make it work on the Case Conditioner, my money's on you. I asked Creative Solutions about it and they had not tried it.

[Von Dutch, SASS # 7995]

On 4/10/2023 at 9:03 AM, Yul Lose said:

I’d buy your hulls if you don’t want them.

Hi Yul call Rick at Phillips Wholesale in Covina 626-331-3022 I know sometimes he has once fired 16 gauge shells for sale ?

[Yul Lose]

Got my Ultimate Primer Punch installed from Creative Reloading Solutions and man does it do a great job. Punches out the old primer, reconditions  the primer pocket and shapes the hull mouth all in one operation. Thanks for the tip Photo Shooter, I’ll never call you by your alter alias again.

[Photo Shooter]

Yul,

 

Glad the Ultimate Primer Punch is working well for you!  No worries on the alternate alias.

[Von Dutch, SASS # 7995]

I would like to thank Photo Shooter also, I ordered an Ultimate Primer Punch and it works great easy to install and adjust on my PW 375 press and very fast shipping, wish I had one forty years ago. Thanks again  V.D.

[Photo Shooter]

Von Dutch,

It is great that you found the Ultimate Primer Punch to work well for you. It does solve a couple of issues with reloading multiple times fired hulls.

 

Photo

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

OK, pards, I had been thinking about getting a Creative Reloading Ultimate Primer Punch for a while and this thread convinced me to do it.  So I did.  Now, how the heck do I get the factory installed MEC primer punch off my 9000GN?  Brute force? Grab the top of the punch with vise-grips while trying to get a flat wrench on the nut over the deck, in the tiny clearance available?  I've hit the nut threads on top of the deck with PB Blaster cuz it would not budge at all on first try, so maybe it will come loose tomorrow, but just in case: is there some double-top-secret knowledge that didn't come with the instructions?  HELP!

[Yul Lose]

1 hour ago, Nostrum Damus SASS #110702 said:

OK, pards, I had been thinking about getting a Creative Reloading Ultimate Primer Punch for a while and this thread convinced me to do it.  So I did.  Now, how the heck do I get the factory installed MEC primer punch off my 9000GN?  Brute force? Grab the top of the punch with vise-grips while trying to get a flat wrench on the nut over the deck, in the tiny clearance available?  I've hit the nut threads on top of the deck with PB Blaster cuz it would not budge at all on first try, so maybe it will come loose tomorrow, but just in case: is there some double-top-secret knowledge that didn't come with the instructions?  HELP!

It was put on really well. Mine was on a 9000 too. It took a lot of force.

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

4 minutes ago, Yul Lose said:

It was put on really well. Mine was on a 9000 too. It took a lot of force.

Did you just work to loosen the nut or did you have to hold the body of the OEM punch and rotate it the other way as well, or at least hold it from turning?

[Yul Lose]

1 minute ago, Nostrum Damus SASS #110702 said:

Did you just work to loosen the nut or did you have to hold the body of the OEM punch and rotate it the other way as well, or at least hold it from turning?

I just went out to the shop and looked at the old one and how it was mounted. I removed the nut and bolt that holds the primer assembly on and then I used a pair of vice grips to hold the primer punch and they were wedged against the powder drop tube. I used a 3/4” box end wrench to loosen the top nut. It wasn’t easy.

[Nostrum Damus SASS #110702]

7 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

I just went out to the shop and looked at the old one and how it was mounted. I removed the nut and bolt that holds the primer assembly on and then I used a pair of vice grips to hold the primer punch and they were wedged against the powder drop tube. I used a 3/4” box end wrench to loosen the top nut. It wasn’t easy.

I kinda figured that's where this was going ... thanks.