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Posted: 1/15/2020 11:37:15 PM EDT
Sharpshooter.com has a vid up on youtube regarding berdan primer reloading and a kit to do it with (no relation and NOT a promo, just thought I would share and inquire as to success using it). It seems simple, especially for some hard to find cases/good quality cases you would rather not part with due to the berdan priming...

VIDEO 6 - MILITARY CASE RELOADER
Link Posted: 1/16/2020 2:29:47 AM EDT
[#1]
Iv'e done it following the thread here on Arfcom from a gentleman that did it as a proof of concept idea. It does work but you modify the case to accept Boxer primers. I found it just wasn't worth the effort but a fun project to try. I wouldn't do it again.
Link Posted: 1/16/2020 11:02:37 AM EDT
[#2]
Quoted:
Sharpshooter.com has a vid up on youtube regarding berdan primer reloading and a kit to do it with (no relation and NOT a promo, just thought I would share and inquire as to success using it). It seems simple, especially for some hard to find cases/good quality cases you would rather not part with due to the berdan priming...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3unuzhnHlxM
View Quote
I've reloaded a lot of Berdan cases.  I use the RCBS berdan decapping tool and I have occasionally been able to find Berdan primers, mostly from Tula.  Decapping is a pain and time consuming, but doable.  Finding the primers is the most difficult part of it.  I currently have several thousand each of the large rifle equivalent which I will use mostly for 7.62x54R and several thousand that are of the size to do 7.62x39.  I've got a lot of good Yugo (and a few other combloc countrie) brass ammo (and empty cases) for those two calibers that I'd hate to waste the brass on.
Link Posted: 1/16/2020 11:56:22 AM EDT
[#3]
I bought 1,000 Berdan primers to have just in case things got bad and brass was scarce.

I loaded up 100 8mm Mausers and about 20 7.5x55 Swiss just to make sure I had the process down pat.

Once they were loaded they looked just like Boxer primed ammo and I tested a few and they shot fine.
Link Posted: 1/16/2020 4:22:51 PM EDT
[#4]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I bought 1,000 Berdan primers to have just in case things got bad and brass was scarce.

I loaded up 100 8mm Mausers and about 20 7.5x55 Swiss just to make sure I had the process down pat.

Once they were loaded they looked just like Boxer primed ammo and I tested a few and they shot fine.
View Quote
This is similar to my experience.  I also have a bunch of I think either Romanian or Hungarian 8x57 Mauser brass that is Berdan primed and I'd forgotten about it, but I also have a bunch of super nice 7.5x55 Swiss brass that is Berdan primed that I could reload too.  Thanks for reminding me about that.  I've always been pretty meticulous about saving brass even Berdan brass most people would discard or sell to metal recyclers.  It may come in handy some day if they ever try to shut down availability of reloading components.  Sadly given the political climate these days that doesn't seem like nearly the tinfoil hat conspiracy theory material it used to.  
Link Posted: 1/16/2020 7:36:07 PM EDT
[#5]
This is a pretty interesting system.  The sleeves could be used without the drilling to fit the normal sized Berdan large primers to the extra large primer hole cases on some brass too.
Link Posted: 1/16/2020 9:15:53 PM EDT
[#6]
Been doing that a while but they don't mention is depending upon the case the depth may need adjusting.  Case life is usually longer with brass...

Attachment Attached File
Link Posted: 1/18/2020 4:42:21 PM EDT
[#7]
Well I have done wet decapping and the rcbs tool method too.
Wet decapping, I made up a threaded die out of a chamber stubb.
Fill case with water, insert into press, position piston above die, wack with mallet.
I found that some military glued in and staked primers won't budge using the wet method.
Rcbs tool method.
The tool pries out the primer.
I made up a bunch of pins using those hard concrete nails because you will break the rcbs pins.

Either way I used tula berdan primers.
Bought a whole case of the size for x39 and 762x54.
Also used them for crap fn 7x57 which I salvaged the bullet and case but primers were bad.

Too lazy to do any now that the panic is over and nearly any brass can be purchased.
Do not try reloading Albainian brass x54r.
Stuff is too brittle.
Yugo x39 brass is great stuff though.

I have not tried the new method posted.
It should work though.
Link Posted: 1/18/2020 8:27:31 PM EDT
[#8]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

Do not try reloading Albainian brass x54r.
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Works fine here..

Attachment Attached File


Attachment Attached File
Link Posted: 1/19/2020 12:12:46 AM EDT
[#9]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
My brass was brittle as hell and I had a case head let go.
Glad it worked for you though.
Probably in case lots like other surplus ammo.
I used to reload CAVIM 308 brass.
Some folks had bad luck with those cases.
Link Posted: 1/19/2020 3:23:26 PM EDT
[#10]
RUSSIAN PRIMERS BANNED FROM FURTHER IMPORTATION.

The trade restrictions imposed against Russia several years ago affected the Wolf reloading primers (which is why Wolf primers are no more).  Certain Russian ammo can still come in.  But no more Berdan primers from Wolf.

Gist is:  there are no more Berdan primers coming in for the foreseeable future. Which is a real shame.

The kit posted by OP has been around a few years; seems to work fine; and it’s the best solution in the absence of any Berdan primers in the USA.
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