double flash hole

[cracker57]

Heres one I never seen before, two flash holes. have found a few of these while reloading today. Range pick up brass, I never have sorted headstamps but these are a royal PITA.
Looks like its time to start sorting brass.

 

[sjmjax]

Standard berdan priming.

More common with European ammo.
Yes, sorting is necessary. Great way to break or bend decapping pins if you don’t.

 

[sjmjax]

Kind of amusing bit of history.
Berdan was an American. His priming system was embraced mostly by Europeans.
Boxer was British. His system predominantly used in America.

 

[rosewood]

Kind of amusing bit of history.
Berdan was an American. His priming system was embraced mostly by Europeans.
Boxer was British. His system predominantly used in America.

Kind of like the Metric system. Was a US invention.

 

[gwpercle]

One central flashhole is Boxer Primer , what we reload here in the USA.
The two tiny offset flasholes are Berdan Primers ... what is used in most other countries .
Forget checking headstamps ... check flash holes .
I keep Berdan Primed cases to make Dummy rounds with and use them to make dippers and powder scoops ...not easily reloadable !
They can be reloaded but it's a pain and you must use Berdan Primers ...
Watch them because they will bend / break a decapping die pin in a instant ...
I learned that the hard way !
Gary

 

[zeke]

There are more of a pia to reload, but kept me shooting 308 during several "shortages". Still have enough primers to get me through 4 reloadings of the 308 milsurp left over.

 

[Leonard]

All of my English doubles used Berdan primers, while Bell made brass for boxer primers they never regulated as well as Berdan. Real pain to de- prime I used water pressure devise.

 

[DWalt]

Most Berdan primed cases have dual flash holes. Some have only one. Main problem with Berdan primers is removal of fired primer cups. And of course, finding Berdan primers in the USA.

 

[gwpercle]

I've never seen a Berdan Primed case with one flash hole ... I have read they do exist but it's not standard .
The Berdan primer's anvil in made into the center of the primer pocket and is part of the brass case ... ergo the flash hole can not be centered in the pocket ... one or both flash holes will need to be off set and the offset hole(s) is what breaks your decapping pin !
If it doesn't have one large central flash hole ... don't try to decap it with standard Boxer Primer reloading die / tool .
Gary

 

[DWalt]

There are a couple of ways to remove fired Berdan cups Neither is worth the effort.

 

[44wheelman]

both born 3 mo's apart in 1824

Kind of amusing bit of history.
Berdan was an American. His priming system was embraced mostly by Europeans.
Boxer was British. His system predominantly used in America.

 

[LVSteve]

I see DAG on the headstamp, German I believe.

In theory you could make a two-pronged decapping device, but it would be slow to use. Also, I suspect Murphy has ensured that no two ammo makers use the same hole spacing.

 

[Alk8944]

If you have never seen a Berdan primed cartridge case you haven't been shooting or re-loading very long! For common calibers, and just a few cases, the best thing to do with them is toss in the trash or in your scrap brass bucket.

 

[old tanker]

I have a vintage British brass emptying machine. It piles the brass neatly underneath it. Since most of the surplus .303 British ammo is both corrosive and Berdan primed I just leave it lay.

I wonder how many decapping pins I have broken.

 

[cgt4570]

I reloaded Berdan Swiss 7.5x55 when it was scarce and expensive in Boxer. Someone makes a tool to 'pluck' the primer from the outside. A shooting buddy made us a very simple jig and dowel setup. Put water in the empty case. Use a dowel that just fits in the case opening. Hit dowel with hammer. Primer pops out the bottom. Yes, you will get wet. That's part of the fun.

Thankfully there's no need for that anymore, but I do keep some Berdan primers just in case...

 

[crows]

I recall reading in the Dixie Gun Works catalog , I believe it was, under their tips section in the back about doing this. That was over 50 years ago. Always wondered if it worked.

 

[gwpercle]

In the 1960's the local Army Surplus store sold Swiss K11's in 7.5 Swiss for $20 ... everyone thought that straight-pull action was weird ...A 1903-A3 went for the outrageous sum of $60 . Being in High School with no steady income ... a $20 7.5 Swiss was it !
When I discovered every case of 7.5 Swiss that we could get at that time was Berdan Primed ... and I couldn't reload for it ... I borrowed some money from my daddy, went back and I knew 30-06 could be had Boxer primed and reloadable so I passed all the German , Italian , Jap and whatever WWII rifles were there and bought the $60 1903-A3 ... All because of Berdan primers ... and I still have and shoot and reload ammo for it ... still have the K11 - 7.5 Swiss ... boxer primed brass became available but I Do Not regret buying the 1903-A3 30-06 one bit.
Gary

 

[Alk8944]

In the 1960's the local Army Surplus store sold Swiss K11's in 7.5 Swiss for $20 ... everyone thought that straight-pull action was weird ...A 1903-A3 went for the outrageous sum of $60 . Being in High School with no steady income ... a $20 7.5 Swiss was it !
When I discovered every case of 7.5 Swiss that we could get at that time was Berdan Primed ... and I couldn't reload for it ... I borrowed some money from my daddy, went back and I knew 30-06 could be had Boxer primed and reloadable so I passed all the German , Italian , Jap and whatever WWII rifles were there and bought the $60 1903-A3 ... All because of Berdan primers ... and I still have and shoot and reload ammo for it ... still have the K11 - 7.5 Swiss ... boxer primed brass became available but I Do Not regret buying the 1903-A3 30-06 one bit.
Gary

You missed out on not buying one of the Swiss rifles. I have had three of them and love them. 7.5 Swiss boxer primed ammunition has been available for many years. In addition .284 Winchester brass can be used in them simply by re-sizing! I still have one '89-11 and a 1911. Love them! The straight-pull action is very fast since the bolt isn't manually rotated on either opening or closing.

My X-wife killed a doe Deer with one of the '89-11s that I sporterized for her. It was going away and the bullet opened it's abdomen from udder to diaphragm which dumped it's guts out. There was a blood trail as wide as a sidewalk right up to where it went down after less that 100 yards. Hardly any cleaning to do. Load was a military round re-bulleted with a 150 gr. High Precision Spitzer. There was really a bullet and reloading tool manufacturer named High Precision back in the 1960s.

 

[DWalt]

You missed out on not buying one of the Swiss rifles. I have had three of them and love them. 7.5 Swiss boxer primed ammunition has been available for many years. In addition .284 Winchester brass can be used in them simply by re-sizing! I still have one '89-11 and a 1911. Love them! The straight-pull action is very fast since the bolt isn't manually rotated on either opening or closing.

My X-wife killed a doe Deer with one of the '89-11s that I sporterized for her. It was going away and the bullet opened it's abdomen from udder to diaphragm which dumped its guts out. There was a blood trail as wide as a sidewalk right up to where it went down after less that 100 yards. Hardly any cleaning to :eekdo. Load was a military round re-bulleted with a 150 gr. High Precision Spitzer. There was really a bullet and reloading tool manufacturer named High Precision back in the 1960s.

I have a K-31, a 1911 long rifle, and a 1911 short rifle. The .284 case works OK but the Swiss cartridge has a slightly larger base and rim diameter. I have lots of Norma Boxer brass.

Until recently I had a Portuguese 8mm Kropatchek and about 50 rounds of original ammunition, Berdan primed of course. I drilled out the primer cup so 209 shotshell primers could be inserted. Fortunately, regular 0.323 bullets work. I made a crude neck sizing size and loaded with Pyrodex. I could use only the single shot with my reloads. But at least I could reload for it after a fashion.I sold it about a year ago. I should have asked for a higher price, as I got many inquires from my listing in Texas Gun Trader.