Thread: Berdan to Boxer primer conversion.

Well peoples, as an add on to the thread...""Reloading in 1880's"" & ""Case forming for obsolete cartridges"" on here I thought that a thread dealing with Berdan primed to Boxer primed conversion might come in handy for some.
!!!!!YES...... I KNOW IT MAY NOT BE WORTH WHILE!!!! for most but if one has cartridges that can be converted for an old (& not so old) to a more convenient way of reloading that old banger....why not.
There are plenty of Y/T vids on it & I'd particularly recommend the ""AMMO CHANNEL"" as a guide for those with limited finance &/or space to work......Some people can be very clever in adapting different methods to acheive a good product.
The following is what I do, & the method can be used for 303 Brit or (in this case 7.62x54R) or any caliber.
I use a small hobby lathe to do it (they're on T/M occasionally & are quit cheap, but a jig can be made up for a vertical drill setup if you have one. I also use the lathe for repairing broken Lee decap rods etc
Please note::: the 303 Brit & others have an ""OVERSIZED"" primer pocket. This method I'm does away with any depriming first as we use the old primer wall as a sleeve or shim to enclose the new boxer primer in.

1) Put the shell in the chuck with the neck forward (there's a hollow divet formed when the primer anvil is formed that automaticaly aligns the drill end to be perfectly centre)...Drill with a 2mm drill ""ALL"" the way through. This makes the new flash hole.


2) Now reverse the shell & put it back in the chuck & change the drill to 5mm (I used an old double headed drill & ground one end flat...use that next) & just take off the old primer face & continue in to clear off the remains of the old primer pocket anvil.


3) I now use the ground off 5mm drill to clean out any debris. let the drill just ""kiss"" the inside face of the primer pocket.


4) Now take the shell to the press & swage the now converted shell, so that it unifies the hole & squeezes out the primer pocket edges for easier primer insertion.


5) I now use a Lyman flashhole cleaner to clean the new flash hole from the inside so when depriming as normal the decap pin won't get caught on any metal sprags formed by he primer hole drilling.


6)Reprime & you're ready to go. You can now load & reload Boxer primers in like normal as many times as you like.


Here's the 3 stage main points displayed.


With berdan primed brass / steel with only a slightly over sized primer pocket such as 7.62x39 or Egyption 308 than I insert & swage a fired 22 shell into the old pocket as the inside diameter of the 22 shell is the right size for the new primer.
With 7mm,8mm,6.5 or those Berdan shells that have a standerd 5.5 diameter primer pocket it's still the same process.
I hope this helps & if anyone needs to know more just ask.
Regards,
Phil.

Here's a reference to Ammo channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkKJfvMyuDg
Phil.

Awesome! Thks